Southern Ocean Lodge

The Southern Ocean Lodge could be one of those emblematic hotels where all great travelers dream of staying at least once in their lives: isolated, on the edge of a cliff swept by the winds and waves coming in from Antarctica, its lengthy architecture gives it an undeniable charm, reinforced by a magnificent reconstruction after the dramatic fire that completely destroyed it.  Comfort is absolute, and the decor sumptuous. The young naturalist guides are very committed to their work and show us around the island with passion. But there you have it ...a magnificent  lodge in an exceptional setting (with an equally 'exceptional' nightly rate) deserves the same level of service, which unfortunately we didn't find.  If felt as that extra touch (of soul ?) was missing, the one that leaves an indelible memory of a hotel.  It all started at the gym ... where, on my way to a morning session, I discovered some particularly untidy and messy sports equipment (mats full of dust, floor covered in sand, lots of sweat stains from previous users on the treadmill if you must know ...).  These things happen, I was not  going to make a big fuss about it - even if it is quite annoying for a hotel of this caliber, usually there are wipes for everyone to clean up after themselves. So I hasten to gently point this out to the front desk, suggesting that they clean and  put in a box of wipes.  And just for the fun, I took a photo of the device.  In the evening, when I get back to the room from dinner, I'm curious to see if it's all been taken care of.  Well, guess what: the same stains in the same place!  After taking a second picture,  I sent a message to management via the website to report the incident.   The next morning, just before check-out, I tell myself that this time they've cleaned up... Wrong ! (And still no box of wipes). I took a last photo because I thought my wife would not believe it. And several days after writing, I did not receive any reply from management!  And when it comes to stains, we were not at the end of our surprises.  We discussed with other hotel guests about the restaurant waiters' outfits, some of which were covered in stains or simply had holes in them... That's what you get, for a room costing over 3,000 euros a night !  Add to this the uneven food served throughout the stay (the Sunday 'brunch' was a bit of a farce) and all of these are no longer 'details'.  Is management really interested in customer satisfaction or in something else: their wallets, maybe?    We stayed there for  3 nights : no one ever asked us if we were enjoying our stay !  There was no document left in our room to review our stay.  So we're going public, maybe we'll get some attention from them.  With the hotel 92% full, what's the point of worrying about such 'details'?  And I can already describe the response that will inevitably  follow  my review : 'we are sincerely sorry... this situation does not reflect  the standards we have set ourselves... We will

We had an incredible family vacation at the Southern Ocean Lodge. The rooms are modern, comfortable, and simply stunning. We stayed at the Osprey Suite - it is spectacular! Some of the highlights: the open bar, the delicious food, and the superb tour guides (Tash and Katlin in particular were super knowledgeable, professional, and friendly). I highly recommend a treatment at the SPA with Georgia who is the best masseuse I have ever had. My husband also had a massage with Georgia and he said the same. We loved the Wonders of KI, the nocturnal tour, the e-bike ride to Hanson cove, and the southern sundowner experience. I highly recommend the Southern Ocean Lodge and can’t wait to come back.

We stayed 2 nights as part of an 8 person 5 day air tour covering Flinders, King & Kangaroo Islands. All the amazing 'highlights' have been said before, so will avoid needless repetition other than to say we think SOL is on a par with Saffire Freycinet. The inclusions were excellent & we were suitably impressed with the vast SA wine selection, the bar area & red wine cellar. Yes, many of the dining room staff are quite young & from many parts of the globe. The occasional relatively minor hiccup may occur, but we thought the training was very good & the staff truly delightful & caring. We would definitely be quite happy to return for a less hectic stay & soak in the ambience of the facility & location.

As advertised; excellent accomodation, food (Kieran made every meal special) and beverage's. The staff are outstanding and provide a personalised service that is unwavering in what they can do for you. Get into the Cliff Top Walk Tour (Dee is the most enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guide on the planet), Wonders of KI and Seal Bay Tours. The downside to this resort, which I was surprised by (but to be fair I didn't search out this information), is that THERE ARE MANY CHILDREN. Which during our stay were robust precocious high decibelled individuals from the northern part of the americas. The wildlife on the night tour shifted suburbs due to the racket. Question of the night was 'do koala's cheat on their wives', followed by the first (quite uncomfortable) pause in monologue on the tour. I would go back if there was a child free dining room and tour option introduced.

This was our 13th visit to SOL and our first to the newly rebuilt lodge. We weren’t disappointed. All the great aspects of the old lodge, prior to the fire, have been replicated down to the smallest detail. The food was wonderful and the staff provided a level of hospitality and friendliness that makes a visit so special. The new rooms are slightly different but still make the most of the incredible views of the Southern Ocean. We will certainly be back for visit number fourteen.

The Lodge has the advantage of the most spectacular location possible. The suites are suitably luxurious and tasteful, and the small gym and spa lovely. The overall experience could be improved, however. The staff are very junior, particularly in the restaurant; service is mostly enthusiastic but sometimes bordering on incompetent, with long waits to take our first orders (including for drinks) at dinner (forty minutes from the time of sitting to the first drink, with a planned night tour), occasionally forgotten requests. As a small example of service quality, one of us asked if it would be possible to ask the kitchen for a simple banana split instead of the proferred dessert (we specified just a banana sliced in two with icecream would be great) - the waiter said he didn't think the kitchen could do it, and said there were no bananas available. I pointed out there were bananas in the fruit bowl! He then offered to bring a banana from the fruit bowl to us, and icecream in a separate bowl. It would have been nice if he could have just asked the chef/kitchen staff, rather than blanket-refusing. This would be fine at a 4-star hotel/middle-of-the-road restaurant, but Southern Ocean Lodge prides itself on being special. At similar level accommodation in Australia (including Baillie Lodge's own Capella on Lord Howe Island), we have encountered much more positive hospitality. We have never ventured asking for anything more than a banana split or steamed greens, and these have become one of our benchmark tests for hospitality! We returned feedback via email as requested, and received what appeared very much to be a generic reply from the managers (who we never met. I think John was hovering on our day of departure). Perhaps the leisurely/unreponsive service at least is a teething problem. Lovely spot, worth returning just for the location, but the sort of place that is very special without ever having made us feel particularly special. (We can cope with this, of course, realising our place in the world, but it IS nice to feel special!) Southern Ocean Lodge is 'Very Good' by virtue of its location, history, and construction, but it is unfortunately not quite 'Excellent' in its execution.

Our stay was an absolutely wonderful experience. Lodge is stunning; rooms gorgeous with breathtaking views. Food excellent, lived open bar & wine pairings. Tours great with very knowledgeable guides - saw incredible Kangaroo Island & lots of wildlife. Outstanding!