Laval Hunter Valley: A First Look

The Hunter Valley has long been a reliable choice for corporate retreats and incentive programs. But with the arrival of Laval, that benchmark is set to lift significantly.

Opening in the second half of 2027, Laval is a 65-villa luxury resort set across the historic 165-acre Lindeman Estate in Pokolbin. It marks the first new-build luxury resort of this scale in the region in more than two decades, and signals a step change in what is possible for high-end events in Australia.

For planners focused on delivering distinctive, design-led experiences, this is one to watch.

At a Glance: Why Laval Matters

• Opening: H2 2027 (early planning recommended for 2027 and 2028 programs)
• Scale: 65 private luxury villas on a 165-acre estate
• Best suited for: Executive retreats, incentive programs, leadership offsites, VIP hosting
• Standout features:
  • Villa-only accommodation with full buyout potential
  • Immersive art program integrated across the property
  • 1,000sqm wellness and longevity spa precinct
  • Destination dining with a globally influenced culinary program
  • Helicopter access for premium arrivals
• Why it matters: A rare opportunity to deliver a globally competitive incentive or retreat experience without leaving Australia

A New Standard for Australian Destination Events

For years, planners have looked offshore to deliver villa-based luxury, design-led environments, and fully integrated experiences across accommodation, food, wellness, and culture.

Laval is a serious attempt to bring that level of offering to the Hunter Valley, combining landscape, architecture, and programming into a single, cohesive destination.

For corporate groups and incentive buyers, it opens up new possibilities: multi-day experiences that feel immersive, elevated, and distinctly different from traditional hotel-based formats.

A Setting That Does the Work for You

Location sets the tone before a single brief is written. Positioned along a serpentine ridgeline with 360-degree views of vineyards, valleys and layered rural terrain, Laval creates an immediate sense of arrival and escape.

A private helicopter landing facility adds a theatrical entry point for groups wanting to begin the experience before they even touch the ground. For VIP arrivals, executive transfers, or incentive reveals, it is a detail that lands.

The landscape is a considered design element in its own right. TCL Landscape Architects have created gardens that move guests through increasingly abstract plant formations toward what the resort calls ‘intricate gems’: immersive art installations, meditation meadows, a Wollemi pine grove, and a striking 25-metre red-tiled pool set alongside the Shiraz Vineyard. Over 21,000 plants across 300 species form part of a full ecological regeneration program.

For planners, this means atmosphere is built in. The setting itself carries a significant share of the experience.

65 Villas. One Vision. Buyout Potential.

All accommodation at Laval is pavilion-style luxury villas, each designed to frame uninterrupted vineyard views from arrival. Architecture by EJE Architects and interiors by Some Studio bring residential warmth into bold, sculptural forms. The Presidential Villa by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer takes a Wabi Sabi approach, combining refined imperfection with a strong sense of place.

For event planners, the villa-only format is significant. A full property buyout creates a genuinely exclusive environment for senior leadership groups, high-value incentive winners, or milestone programs. No other guests. No shared spaces. Full control of the experience from arrival to departure.

Technology is embedded throughout. Laval is Bang and Olufsen’s only resort in the southern hemisphere, with music woven deliberately into the guest journey. A fluid, technology-enabled arrival system supported by ‘Everywhere People’ means guests can check in anywhere on property and access personal butler service from the moment they arrive.

Group size and formal event capacity details are yet to be confirmed. We recommend registering interest early to access configuration options as they are released.

Food, Wine and the Art of the Table

Events live and die by the food and beverage experience. The culinary program, led by acclaimed chef Justin North, is built around provenance, seasonal contrast, and the joy of discovering something unexpected.

Vallery

The signature restaurant offers an evolving a la carte menu influenced by Provence, coastal Spain and Southern Italy, with a nod to Japan. An onsite kitchen garden feeds the menu directly and doubles as a setting for immersive communal dining experiences. For groups, this creates a natural backdrop for intimate hosted dinners or private buy-out evenings.

La Vida

The poolside bar and restaurant is built to move through the day. Relaxed daytime dining gives way to DJ-led afternoons and evening gatherings beside the signature red-tiled pool. For incentive programs wanting a high-energy social moment, this is the obvious setting.

Lobby Bar

The social heart of the resort. Built for informal connection, arrivals drinks, and the kind of easy conversation that good events always need more of.

Wine Program

Curated by Jon Osbeiston, the program spans a 10,000-bottle cellar and 1,000-strong list celebrating Hunter Valley heritage and global producers. Sitting on the site of the former Lindeman’s Estate winery with a 185-year winemaking legacy, the list leads with local Shiraz and Semillon alongside rare private collections and Coravin by-the-glass access. For wine-focused incentive experiences, this alone is a compelling reason to visit.

An Art Program Built for Discovery

Laval will house one of the world’s largest collections of Gillie and Marc sculptures: 13 major works across the estate, over 130 in-room pieces, and digital artworks throughout. The collection centres on themes of love, unity, joy and nature, delivered through the artists’ signature characters Rabbitwoman and Dogman.

The centrepiece is The Wild Banquet of Love, a monumental bronze installation beneath a 175-year-old fig tree. Rabbitwoman and Dogman host a gathering of endangered animals at a table that deliberately leaves four seats empty as an invitation for guests to join. It is participation built into the design.

Guests can explore the collection independently or through curated art tours. For groups, this is a ready-made shared experience with genuine cultural depth. It works particularly well as a standalone incentive moment or an accompaniment to a hosted dinner.

Wellness as a Program Pillar, Not an Add-On

Veraia Spa is a 1,000-square-metre, two-level longevity-led wellness sanctuary with 15 treatment rooms. Designed by Nikki Lambrinos, it brings together thermal circuits, regenerative therapies, and medical-grade treatments not previously available in Australia.

Landscaped meditation meadows, yoga platforms and sensory gardens extend the offering outdoors. Panoramic vineyard views frame the sauna, salt room and treatment spaces.

For incentive programs and leadership retreats, this is a meaningful point of difference. The wellness offering at Laval is comprehensive enough to anchor a full program day, not just fill a free afternoon. Think structured wellness sessions as part of a leadership retreat agenda, or individual treatment credits as part of an incentive reward.

How Laval Compares to Offshore Incentive Destinations

Australia’s incentive travel market has historically directed top-tier programs to Bali, the Maldives, Tuscany, or the South of France. The draw has always been the same: villa-style accommodation, immersive landscapes, world-class food, and experiences that feel genuinely different from everyday life.

Laval checks each of those boxes on home soil. That matters for a few reasons:

• No international travel logistics, visas, or long-haul fatigue for participants
• Easier approvals for programs with tighter travel budgets or ESG commitments around air travel
• A genuinely compelling answer to the question: why stay in Australia?

The combination of landscape, villa accommodation, destination dining, longevity wellness, and a major art program in a single property is rare anywhere in the world. In Australia, it will be unique.