Boutique accommodation in the New England

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Entire home

Overview
Amenities
Policies
Location
Host

Excellent

3 bedrooms1+ bathroomSleeps 6

Popular amenities

Parking available
Pet-friendly
Dryer
Washer
Fireplace
Kitchen

Explore the area

Armidale, NSW

Saints Mary & Joseph Catholic Cathedral
‪18 min walk‬
University of New England
‪3 min drive‬
Armidale City Bowling Club
‪3 min drive‬
Armidale, NSW (ARM)
‪7 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

2 Single Beds

1 bathroom, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Bathroom 2

Spaces

Kitchen

Balcony

Garden

Dining area

About this property

The Reformatory is a boutique option for guests seeking comfort, convenience and charm. Originally built as the police lock-up, the house has many Victorian features and is conveniently located opposite Armidale Railway Station. A classic country butcher/grocer is a 1 minute walk away. The Reformatory is within 2 blocks of Armidale Hospital and a short walk to cafes and shops. Ideal for families with 3 bedrooms accommodating 6 guests and is pet-friendly with a fenced yard & separate 'Dog Motel'.

The Reformatory has been changing lives for over 130 years, housing a range of interesting characters as they came off the overnight train and enjoyed the hospitality of local police. These days it (hopefully) welcomes a different clientele. Steeped in history with a warm and welcoming feel, we hope a stay at The Reformatory will change you for the better.

Guests have access to the entire house, including off street parking for multiple cars and/or caravans. All linen and towels are provided. Enjoy free WiFi, Netflix and Fetch TV entertainment packages by the fire (wood supplied). We live in town, so are happy to help with any queries as they arise.

Property manager

Cam

Languages

English

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen

Washer

Dryer

Pet-friendly

Outdoor space

Parking available

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House Rules

Check in after 2:00 PM

Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

Pets allowed: limit 2 total

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed

On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited

Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip

Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property

Safety features at this property include a deadlock

Property Registration Number PID-STRA-1881, 2350

About the area

Armidale

Armidale is home to this holiday home. Aboriginal Cultural Centre & Keeping Place and Armidale Golf Course are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Manna Gums Bushland Reserve and Snowgums Bushland Reserve.

Armidale, NSW

What's nearby

Saints Mary & Joseph Catholic Cathedral - 18 min walk - 1.5 km
University of New England - 3 min drive - 2.5 km
Armidale City Bowling Club - 3 min drive - 2.5 km
Armidale Racecourse - 4 min drive - 2.6 km
Peterson's Cellar Doors - 6 min drive - 6.4 km

Getting around

Armidale Station - 3 min walk
Armidale, NSW (ARM) - 7 min drive

Restaurants

‪Donut King - ‬18 min walk
‪Nevilles Corner Store - ‬8 min walk
‪Mun Hing Restaurant - ‬18 min walk
‪Asian Crush - ‬2 min drive
‪Moxons Bakery Armidale - ‬15 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is Boutique accommodation in the New England pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows pets (limit 2 total).

What time is check-in at Boutique accommodation in the New England?

Check-in begins at 2:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Boutique accommodation in the New England?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Boutique accommodation in the New England located?

Situated in Armidale, this holiday home is within 1 mile (2 km) of Shamrock Avenue Leash Free Area, Saints Mary & Joseph Catholic Cathedral and Manna Gums Bushland Reserve. Armidale Plaza Shopping Centre and New England Regional Art Museum are also within 1 mile (2 km). Armidale Station is only a 3-minute walk.

8.6

Excellent

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.

Learn more

8.2/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Check-in

9.4/10

Communication

9.2/10

Location

8.6/10

Listing accuracy

8/10 Good

Kaila J.

30 Mar, 2025

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

What a unique and beautiful place

We travelled to Armidale to attend a wedding and this house was fantastic! It accommodated all of our needs and the fireplace was perfect on the chilly wet nights, will definitely be coming back again

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Garry P.

30 Oct, 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

visiting

catch up with family and enjoy the sights

Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2024

8/10 Good

sara a.

14 Nov, 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely heritage house

Loved the house great price, everything we needed, nice and spacious. Just the yard needs a clean up and would have been nice for the lawn to be mowed. Beds and pillows super comfy

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Rodney P.

24 Feb, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great spot to stay

Had some trouble With the password other than that fine

Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2023

8/10 Good

Catherine M.

1 Apr, 2024

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Easter family catch up

Simple, comfortable and convenient for a weekend stay. This was the second time we have stayed at The Reformatory in Armidale. Thank you

Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Emma W.

26 Feb, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family weekend

Great location. Tidy and roomy . Beds very comfortable and shower pressure great . Everything we needed in the kitchen . Overall great stay for the price :)

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023

6/10 Okay

Becky J.

19 May, 2023

Liked: Check-in, communication, location

Good

Suited the reason for coming to Armidale

Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

8/10 Good

Nicola O.

30 Dec, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Christmas Holiday with adult family

Comfortable beds Great shower! Good kitchen facilities Loved the spacious rooms House smelled nice when we came in, Beds were presented nicely and plenty of pillows 👍

Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Garry P.

25 Mar, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

relaxing

very relaxing and caught up with family

Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

25 Apr, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Short stay, with lots on offer

This is an interesting place to stay. It's history and old world charm really enhanced our visit to Armidale. The property had all we needed, with up to date appointments plus more. It's very spacious with character not available in modern properties

Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023

8/10 Good

Nicole B.

20 Oct, 2024

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great little Gem

Situated across from the train/bus station this house has easy access to community travelling. A short drive or a leisurely stroll into the towns center makes it a great location. Whilst every old home has its charms so too does this one. Large rooms, two toilets (a must for families) and a beautiful kitchen that has all your cooking utensils and crockery. It has a coffee machine with some pods and a microwave as well. Salt, pepper, cooking oil, honey, tea bags and sugar were supplied as well (I think the previous visitors used all the coffee as there was an empty jar) There were some quirks with the house but all in all well worth our time staying here whilst having a family reunion.

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Amanda B.

17 Jun, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Winter adventure

Comfortable and excellent for a family. Beautiful wood fire with wood provided. Great hot water and a nice bath. Everything you need in the kitchen for cooking hearty winter meals. Close to everything. Not far from the uni.

Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

6/10 Okay

Lyn H.

14 Jul, 2024

Liked: Check-in, location

Disliked: Cleanliness, listing accuracy

Expected a better looked after historic home

The idea of spending time in a historic building was appealing but we were left disappointed. The premises did not seem to be cleaned properly and was lacking general maintenance. The oven/grill doors wouldn’t close properly, toilet door wouldn't shut and the kitchen tap leaked just to name a few. It was such a shame to see this piece of history in such a state of disrepair.

Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Michael H.

6 Jul, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

The old world charm we were seeking.

We really liked this property for the experience of its 'old world' charm with large rooms. It is also very reasonably priced. We liked how you could bring pets, however, the fences are too low to be large dog friendly and the front gate doesn't lock. Therefore, chilling out in front inside with a glass of wine in front of the fire is only possible by locking the furrkids in the small back shed. Would we stay again? Possibly, but not with our dogs.

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023

2/10 Terrible

Gabriele E.

4 Jan, 2023

Liked: Location

Disliked: Cleanliness, communication, listing accuracy

Great location but very unsatisfactory accomodation

The house itself is a great place with its history and located right near Armidale CBD. The house and yard itself are very unloved, dirty and unmaintained. We are very disappointed and will not stay there again. Will not recommend this place for anyone to stay there.

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2023

6/10 Okay

Cory W.

10 Nov, 2023

Liked: Check-in, location, listing accuracy

Disliked: Cleanliness, communication

Historical house, Comfy beds.

The house was comfortable with soft beds and a nice fire place. The kitchen was a bit disorganized but functional once we found all the pots and pans. Overall a quiet place, right across from the historic train station. Dogs barking one night out of 6 which kept us awake. Lots of nice trees and greenery on property. The house unfortunately was not very clean and could use some TLC. The door to the one washroom wouldn’t close, and the place was certainly not professionally cleaned with cobwebs all over and hair in the bathtub. The fire was the real bonus, tv, and the rooms were large and spacious. Being right across from the train station and next to a small grocery makes it easy to travel to Armidale without a car. Could be a great place if it was cleaned properly and had a few updates.

Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2023

2/10 Terrible

Stephen W.

11 Jul, 2023

Liked: Check-in, location

Disliked: Cleanliness, listing accuracy

Disappointment

Property was dirty inside and out, from the dirty oven to the durty sponge in the kitchen. The bath had a bath tub ring. The shower was in the bath and impractical for anyone with a disability. The linen had holes . The heating was insuffient for Armidale's climate in July. There was a need for electric blankets on the beds not just a hot watter bottle. Two of the doors ,including one toilet door could not be closed. Very disappointing for the amount we paid.

Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023

2/10 Terrible

cheryl a., Adelaide

8 Sept, 2023

Liked: Check-in, communication

Disliked: Cleanliness, listing accuracy

Disappointed

We were so very disappointed with this property . We understand about old houses as we have a 100 year old house in adelaide . This house was so very dirty.. the oven and grill was disgusting which i noted had been reported in past reviews. There were cobwebs behind the headboard of the main bedroom . Bedside tables beside the bed of second bedroom were just rusting stools .. the tiles in the bathroom were disgusting ,,black dirt between tiles,,cupboards and drawers under bathroom basin dirty and mouldy . ,,there is a small gas heater in the main bedroom which i doubt is even legal as there isnt any ventilation and when we tried to light it there was a terrible strong smell of gas.. the overall property presents as neglected inside and out .

Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Amanda L.

9 Feb, 2025

Stayed 12 nights in Dec 2024

8/10 Good

Lynne S.

31 Jul, 2024

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024

8/10 Good

Liana R.

10 Dec, 2022

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Review from adults

Very run down, dusty and cobwebs. No tea towel in the kitchen to dry dishes and gardens overgrown. Large bedrooms and comfortable beds. Heaters in bedrooms. Shower had good pressure. Flowers from garden a nice touch. A quiet location.

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2022

8/10 Good

Robert B.

29 Nov, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Anne-Marie & Rob

Very cosy, good location, clean and tidy

Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2022

10/10 Excellent

Garry P.

7 Nov, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

relaxing

very relaxing place great for our dog and catching up with family

Stayed 6 nights in Oct 2022

8/10 Good

Eliza M.

30 Oct, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cool place

Comfortable, big, good spot.

Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022

8/10 Good

Susan F.

16 Oct, 2022

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Good location, comfy bed & wonderful showers.

The house was in a good location with comfy beds & a great shower, very welcome after a long drive. Would have liked more simplified heating as it was cold & dark on my arrival.

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

About the host

Hosted by Cam

We live in Armidale and a have thing for old houses

Why they chose this property

The Reformatory has a long and varied history, however the former glories of the building were fading. We purchased the property to bring it back to life, and hope to share the building's unique story with visitors to Armidale.

What makes this property unique

The property retains a range of Victorian features that speak of a time when government buildings were a source of pride. For a truly unique experience, The Reformatory incorporates the old lock-up cell which is now a bedroom. We hope visitors enjoy being part of a little piece of history.