The Priory Beechworth

Ten of us stayed at The Old Priory on the first night of our cycling tour through Beechworth, Myrtleford and Bright. The accommodation is basic but worked for us. It was clean, had plenty of bathrooms and a communal eating area, and we could lock our bikes in a secure shed. It's a beautiful old building with history, in a quiet spot close to the centre. We just got back from a super stay.

I was relieved to leave. The whole place felt depressing, disgusting and overwhelming, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The walls were dirty and the toilet barely flushed. The beds were so uncomfortable that I hardly slept, and there was barely any space or even nightstands for my things, so I had to leave everything on the floor. Our room was massive but had only two small heaters. Kids were stomping upstairs at 6am, then a group of 20 year olds laughed and yelled at 3am. I stayed yesterday, and it wasn't good at all.

The Priory is an easy walk from town, and it worked really well for our big family weekend, with more than 30 of us ranging from 2 to 70. There was room for everyone in the old historic building, with lots of bedrooms, crisp comfortable bedding, a heater in each room, and plenty of bathrooms and toilets. The stairs could be difficult for some people. Angela and Reno were friendly and flexible. They even opened extra space so we could hold a family murder mystery evening. In the living and dining area we had plenty of tables and chairs, a lounge suite, board games, and a big jigsaw. The kitchen was fairly basic, just a sink, crockery and cutlery, a microwave, and one and a half fridges. We brought a BBQ, gas cooker, electric frypans, and air fryers to cover our meals. When we asked, our hosts also supplied extra wine glasses and BBQ utensils. I’d certainly recommend the place for a family gathering.

The guest room was a bright spot, with a breakfast station stocked with cereal, coffee, toast, and more. The building itself is beautiful and has an interesting history, but it felt too scary to be a hotel. Mum and I planned to sleep in room 6, but it was tiny, empty, and creepy, so we moved in with my auntie and cousin in the spacious, more peaceful toy room. During the night we heard furniture moving upstairs, even though there wasn't any furniture there to move. By morning, room 6's door was almost wide open despite us locking it shut. I'd recommend staying if creepy buildings are your thing, or if dark rooms don't bother you.