As you drive up to Holmwood the beauty of the property immediately reassures you that you have made a great choice. Web site's can be misleading, but not in the case. Real picture postcard stuff!

Eric greeted us warmly and was kind enough to make us a cup of tea, which he served on the porch which overlooks the lovely garden.

Eric also gave us a very helpful overview of the island, which was especially useful since we arrived just before Christmas and needed to get our bearings quickly for Christmas day.

We stayed in two of the guest rooms in the older part of the guesthouse. Both were very clean, spacious and comfortable. The shower was a lttle temperamental, but we soon got the hang of it. Flat screen TV's in both rooms and the added unexpected bonus of free wifi.

Super breakfast with plenty of tea and fresh toast along with local produce, you can tell Eric used to work in a restaurant.

Serene was a very pleasant hostess and offered some good advice on local beaches etc.

For many guests, you come to Phillip Island for the penguins and we were no exception. We visited the Penguin Parade on Christmas Day and can thoroughly recommend the ultimate tour package. In a small group of 10, a ranger took us to a beach away from the main viewing area, where we waited on the beach with night vision scopes and radio headsets for the little guys to arrive. What a wonderful experience and certainly one we will never forget. Our ranger Ben was great and was clearly very sensitive to ensuring that our presence minimised the impact on the returning Penguins. To be sitting only feet away from dozens and dozens of the little penguins was the highlight of our trip.

My husband and I decided on the spur of the moment to go and see the penguins at Cowes. We booked Holmwood, not knowing what to expect, we got a huge surprise when Holmwood ticked all the boxes on our list that of what makes accommodation great.

We arrived the owner was very welcoming, you felt like you'd known him for years, but not intrusive, which I hate. He gave us great tips regarding seeing the penguins, the sites, restaurants - all good. He made us a coffee gosh that was such a nice touch and it tasted great.

The room was beautifully decorated, impeccably clean and spacious. I had requested a King size bed, but I did not expext to get one but we did. Further we were not expecting breakfast to be included but it was hence that was yet another surprise.

Breakfast was tasty and abundant, however for my taste I like my eggs cooked in a little oil or butter, this is very personal, my husband loved his.

In all we can not recommend Holmwood more highly it would be perfect for overseas travelers. Holmwood caters for family groups, couples and single travelers.

We have stayed at Holmwood Guest House 3 times and each time have been welcomed almost as part of the family. Very much a home from home, comfortable and relaxing. Eric and Serena are great people and Eric serves a great breakfast and his meals in the evening (pre-order) are fantastic. The added access to the free Wi-Fi is something even many hotels don't provide. Highly reccommended.

We loved our stay at the Holmwood, especially after the blandness of a large chain hotel in Melbourne. It's a cosy, comfortable and totally relaxing place, maybe a little old fashioned but that adds to its charm, the facilities are fine, even down to the free wifi connection. Breakfast time was a delight, both the food and location.

Serena and Eric are a charming couple, terrific hosts, really friendly and helpful.

Ideally positioned to enjoy Cowes, and wouldn't hesitate to stay again.