De'Vine Escape

De'Vine Escape sits on Wills Road in Dixons Creek, right in the middle of Yarra Valley wine country about an hour from Melbourne. It is a small property of modern, spacious rooms with vineyard or lake views, private patios and self check-in, and dogs are welcome in designated pet rooms when arranged in advance.

Dogs at the De'Vine Escape

Pets are accepted by request only, in specific rooms set aside for pet stays, so you must notify the host when booking rather than arriving with a dog and hoping. One dog is the usual limit, and food and water bowls are provided. Booking sites disagree on whether a pet fee applies, with a charge around AU$30 reported on some listings and others showing pets staying free, so confirm the exact arrangement with the host at the time of booking. Keeping pets to designated rooms also keeps the remaining rooms allergy-friendly for other guests.

Worth knowing

Rooms are set up for a self-contained stay: air conditioning and heating, a fridge, microwave and kettle, with a private courtyard or patio to step out onto. Around the property there is a communal kitchen, barbecue and a bonfire area for evenings. Dixons Creek's cellar doors are minutes away along the Melba Highway, which makes this a workable base for a weekend of Yarra Valley tasting where the dog comes along.

Getting there and parking

De'Vine Escape is at 68 Wills Road, Dixons Creek, off the Melba Highway between Yarra Glen and Healesville. You will need a car here; parking is on site and self check-in means a late arrival after a cellar-door afternoon is not a problem.

Close by with the dogs

Steels Gate Wines up the road welcomes well-behaved dogs on its covered Pinot balcony and lawns, and Locale Restaurant at De Bortoli takes dogs in its outdoor areas, so a vineyard day does not require leaving your dog behind at the room.

More options are on the Victoria pet friendly stays guide and the Dixons Creek destination page.

Max: ring ahead and get the pet room locked in before you book anything else. The pet stock here is a handful of designated rooms, and a request note in a generic booking can fall through the cracks.