Grand Mercure Basildene Manor is an elegant 19-room resort in the Margaret River wine country region, offering a blend of historic charm and contemporary style, along with proximity to the region’s most renowned wineries and restaurants.
The centrepiece of the resort is the historically significant Basildene Manor, which dates back to 1907. It was built by Percy and Margaret Willmott as a family home and, in 1998, was classified by the National Trust of Australia as a heritage property. The resort has significant historical value, including a huge oak tree at the front that was planted in 1907 with an acorn sourced from the grounds of Buckingham Palace.
When constructing the home, the Willmott family took care to use the finest local materials, including granite quarried in for the walls, and jarrah timber for the staircases, balustrades, floors, central gallery and main hall. In converting the property to accommodation, Accor Vacation Club’s Property Development team were careful to properly preserve the historic value of the property, while creating space for guests and updating the property so it had the modern feel of a resort.
The resort features 18 studio rooms and one Deluxe studio room, all which sleep two people. As a converted manor, the rooms vary in size and configuration. Each studio has an accessible shower and, where space allows, a bathtub has been added to capture the ‘20s feel of the manor. Fixtures and fittings are carefully selected to mirror early 20th Century tastes: ball taps, pedestal basins (in some rooms) and chrome vanity handles. Mirrors are framed, as was common at the time, but with glass mirror frames, which reflects a contemporary taste for no or minimal framing. Rooms can also feature fireplaces, faux velvet chairs, drapes and chandelier-style lighting from the era, alongside contemporary touches like flat-screen televisions, coffee pod machines and air conditioning designed to maximise traveller comfort.
Design in the early 20th Century used to feature either solid wall colours or wallpaper and, at Grand Mercure Basildene Manor, the team chose single wall colours that were bolder and more contemporary, and using intricate wallpaper designs in the furniture: bedheads, cushions, carpets, drapes and bed runners. In this way, the designs can be easily replaced or updated, and the room is able to keep its contemporary appeal as long as possible.
The rooms feature paintings of Australian flora and fauna, while a private outdoor area has been created for each room – either a furnished balcony or a walled patio with garden.
Accor Vacation Club properties undergo a regular refurbishment program and Grand Mercure Basildene Manor has been renewed since joining the club in 2006. The team has taken care to treat the original timber used in the property’s construction, especially for the bare timber used in the flooring, supports and railings of the long entry hall that serves as a reception area. Overhead chandeliers, long couches, vintage lighting and black and white photography are a nod to the property’s history and traditions.
Finally, the historic value of the dining hall has been preserved while improving airflow with sliding windows. A protected front room is a common feature of historic Australian properties; and these huge windows allow a fresh breeze to enter during summer while shutting out the cold during winter. The flooring harkens back to the 1920s roots of the property.
The property was acquired by Accor Vacation Club in 2005 and three subsequent refurbishments have focused on giving the property a contemporary flavour while ensuring these elements continue their prominence.
In 2024, the resort was rated second in Australia and in the South Pacific in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards Small and Boutique property list. On Tripadvisor, the property boasts a five-star rating from more than 1,200 stays, with its luxurious suites one of the key points for praise. The resort holds a rating of 9 on booking.com and 9.2 on agoda.com, and an average post-stay rating of 95.65 by club members.
Grand Mercure Basildene Manor is part of Accor Vacation Club, the region’s leading vacation ownership club, and is utilised primarily by the club’s close to 30,000 members and their guests.
