A grand old dame is reborn in one of Australia's great regional towns

The reborn Yallungah blends old-world charm with thoughtful, sometimes quirky touches that keep it among the town's most popular stays. The new owners have been busy building partnerships with local businesses such as Rowlee and Printhie Wines, Ferment, and arts and crafts groups. There are thoughtful touches too, such as windscreen wipers in the car park and a charcuterie board and local Ross Hill red on check in.

Three-and-a-half hours west of Sydney, Orange is a town that reinvents itself each season. Autumn cloaks the streets in crimson and gold, winter brings truffles, cellar doors and occasional snowfalls, spring bursts with orchard blossoms, and summer offers stone fruit and long, cool evenings.

Yallungah sits right in the middle of it all - close to cafes, cellar doors and shops, but just far enough away for a peaceful retreat.

It's the spacious and modern bathroom that wins me over. The supersize skylight over the big, deep bath is framed by huge trees painted red, and I can lie completely flat and see the rain. Splat, splat, splat.

The rest of the decor in my Executive Suite is a little chintzy (think nana's duvet, grey carpet and bright kitchenette cupboards), but it works in an endearing way.

The hotel offers 22 rooms in total: three within the restored heritage wing and the rest in the sleek modern extension behind.

It's a real mish-mash of influences. The house's bones - the winding staircase, slate roof, period detailing and English garden - remain intact, but the interiors have been given a contemporary glow-up. Bright block-colour walls, eclectic lounging spaces and artworks by local creatives make Yallungah feel lived-in and welcoming. It's a place where guests linger: over a leisurely breakfast, in front of one of the fireplaces, or in a quiet nook with a book.

Orange is one of Australia's great food towns, but Yallungah makes a case for staying in at least for breakfast. Chef Charles Delmoro has been borrowed from The Peacock Room for the mornings and oversees a delicious menu that champions local produce, served in a light-filled dining space.

Next door, Ferment Wine Centre offers tastings from across the region - with a secret gate leading straight from the hotel's check-in bay. Across the road is the Metropolitan Hotel, where suits and tradies commingle for a Friday afternoon bevy.

There's some kind of female business owners meet-up in Orange when I visit, and there are groups of colourful ladies everywhere: strolling the lush, calming gardens, or hanging out in one of the many breakout zones for a good old chinwag. They're loving the multiple nooks and crannies - bucket chairs tucked into corners to garden tables under the trees to fire-side lounges in winter.

The art. Everywhere you look, works by local and global regional artists - many made from raw, natural materials - inject personality and a sense of place.

The writer was a guest of Yallungah Boutique Hotel