Verandah Retreat is a beautiful house built around the ample undercover deck, providing the perfect luxury dog-friendly beach escape on Phillip Island offering all the amenities you could need in a short or long stay and hardwood floors with carpeted bedrooms. Located only 300m from a dog-friendly beach and a 10-minute walk to Cowes shops and cafes, as well as the front beach known for its beautiful low tides and spectacular sunsets, a ball throw to lovers walk taking you into town, playgrounds and the golf course. Once you have had your quota of sun and sand, wash the salt water off in the outdoor shower before retiring to the undercover deck. Verandah Retreat is fully fenced and has a well-maintained garden area, giving your dogs room to play while you sit in the cane-hanging pod chair sipping, reading or just snoozing the rest of the afternoon away.
Accommodation Type: Hampton’s style house
Location: Verandah Retreat is located in Cowes, Phillip Island, Victoria. Cowes is an easy 140 km (2hrs) drive from Melbourne down the Monash Freeway and then South Gippsland Highway.
The number of Bedrooms/Beds/Guests: 4 Bedrooms. 1 downstairs with a Queen size bed, and 3 rooms upstairs. 2 have Queen size beds and one has a single bunk and two singles. Room for 10 guests.
Number of Bathrooms: 1 ensuite bathroom downstairs, 1 full bathroom upstairs and toilet downstairs.
Suitable For: Couples, large families or a group of families looking to spend some beach time together.
Price Bracket: $$$$$
Access & Parking: Undercover parking for one vehicle with on-street parking also available.
Recommended Time Of Year to Visit: Being so close to the beach, Verandah Retreat is an ideal warm-weather destination. Should you visit in the colder months, then there is the large fireplace with firewood included, and the split system heating to keep you warm too.
Dog-Friendly Features
The front and back courtyards are both fully fenced and have no gaps. The access gate to the front yard is self-closing and has a good safety catch on it. A doggy door in the laundry door allows your dog access to the back courtyard if you have to leave them at home for any reason and there is also a pet/child gate at the other laundry door.
Facilities for the Humans
- Deep soak tub in the upstairs bathroom
- Large cast iron fireplace
- Split system heating and cooling
- Fully equipped kitchen with coffee machine
- Large undercover outdoor decking, table and BBQ
- Table tennis
- Board games, books and DVDs
- TV in two large living areas
- Complimentary WIFI
- Bluetooth sound system with indoor and outdoor speakers
- Outdoor shower
- Guest laundry
What we Loved
- Close to a calm beach, which is great for dogs who want to swim, play or just get their feet wet. It is also long enough for a decent walk in either direction.
- The large undercover deck connects seamlessly to the open plan inside. This was where we spent most of our time enjoying local wines and cheese, as well as giving the dogs a place to dry off after our beach adventures.
- The outdoor shower allowed us to wash away the salt and sand from the beach. A tap with a short hose attached in the same area also provided a great spot to wash the dogs down.
- Complimentary WiFi is always appreciated.
- The floor-to-ceiling windows let in a lot of natural light and make the space feel bigger.
- The Bluetooth-connected speakers allowed us to stream our music and have it playing inside, outside or both.
- It is located in a quiet area of Cowes, but close enough to walk into the main street and enjoy the cafes, restaurants and boutique shopping.
Things to Know
- A 2-night minimum stay is required.
- Dogs are not allowed on the furniture.
- Between the 1st of December and the 30th of April, there are restricted times that dogs can go on the beaches. Check local signs for timings and this map for an indicator. There are no time restrictions outside of these dates, but dogs must always be on a leash.
For More Info
To check all the things you can do at Phillip Island, check out our Dog-Friendly Destination guide for Phillip Island.
We stayed at Verandah Retreat in November 2017. Information and services available may have changed since then. Please confirm any special requirements or wishes with Verandah Retreat prior to visiting yourself just to ensure that you too have a wonderful stay!
Sam Martin
Sam is the ‘other’ human half of Puppy Tales HQ….and Keiko & Summer’s other parent. Sam combines his love for his family, animals, travel and the outdoors to get the most out of life. The snowfields, surf beaches and everything in between is on the agenda for Sam and his best mates. He knows that by giving your dog a great life, it comes to your own life with interest.