Hotels with a Pool in Shepparton, Victoria

Quality Hotel Parklake Shepparton is the stay I would book for a pool in any season, because its swimming pool is indoors and comes with a spa and a sauna. That makes it the reliable choice in winter, when an outdoor pool in the Goulburn Valley is rarely tempting. The hotel is family-friendly, rooms have air conditioning and 42-inch TVs, and the on-site restaurant overlooks the lake for a relaxed dinner without driving. With an 8.5 score from more than 1,200 reviews, it has the strongest review record of the four and suits families stopping between Melbourne and the Murray.

Sherbourne Terrace Hotel covers both seasons in a different way. Its outdoor pool and spa pool open seasonally, while the indoor hot tub and sauna stay available all year, which is useful after a long drive on a cold evening. The hotel sits just 500 metres from the town centre, with on-site dining, free off-street parking, air-conditioned rooms with minibars and free Wi-Fi. Its 7.8 score from about 600 reviews is the lowest here, so I see it as a practical, central option rather than the most polished one, but the sauna is a real plus in Shepparton's cooler months.

The Carrington Hotel is the most characterful of the four. Some rooms are set in an elegant mansion surrounded by gardens, others have a spa bath or a view over the lake, and the outdoor swimming pool fits that relaxed, residential feel. The restaurant and bar mean you can stay in for the evening, and the city centre is within 800 metres. It scores 8.6 from more than 470 reviews. I would choose it for a couple's weekend in summer, when an afternoon by the pool followed by a walk to the lake is the whole plan, and ask for a spa bath room if a private soak matters.

Peppermill Inn Motel is the family pick for warm weather. Its outdoor pool and spa sit alongside a children's playground, an onsite bar and a restaurant, so parents can stay put once the car is parked. Rooms are air-conditioned and look over the pool, with a fridge, minibar and tea and coffee facilities. The motel is about a five-minute drive from the city centre and scores 8.5 from more than 900 reviews. From here, the Goulburn River and the town's well-known painted cow sculptures make easy outings before heading back for a late swim on a hot Goulburn Valley evening.