Name: Southern Ocean Lodge
Address: Hanson Bay Road, Kingscote SA 5223, Australia, Gosse, Gosse, Gosse, SA 5223, Australia
Rating: 10

24-hour reception

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Southern Ocean Lodge

Gosse

I (as well as others in my group) was so excited to visit the Southern Ocean Lodge (SOL) for my third time.  Our main reason for visiting Australia is to stay here, to enjoy this lodge and see Kangaroo Island.  We arrived on January 2 and really enjoyed the afternoon hiking some trails and walking the beach.  We enjoyed the evening visiting with kangaroos and kanapes, then a wonderful dinner.

At least we had one day to experience the beauty that we had enjoyed in previous visits.  None of us could believe that such an amazing place could be devistated by the bushfires.

I have to say that the staff (Allison and John and many others) did an awesome job during a time of unbelievable stress.  The employees are definately professionals.  They made sure that all of the guests were safe and taken care of.  My hopes and prayers are that Ballie Lodges does rebuild, so many more people can experience this magical place.

From Bliss to Devistation

It is hard to write this as the day we departed Kangaroo Island and SOL suffered from the fires. This is the most magical enchanting beautiful place. The setting is just gorgeous, the rooms are (were) beautiful and the service was impeccable yet so friendly at the same time, we were all on a first name basis. The food was delish. The experiences that we did were amazing, and I shudder to think how what we saw looks like now. It truly was so filled with animals, and I am praying that the animals that were hurt and survived are being well cared for at the sanctuary. I have been trying to raise money on facebook and have contributed. The nocturnal tour was fantastic as was the Kangaroos and Kanapes. Also our massages were excellent. I cannot say enough about SOL, I hope you rebuild and I vow to come back. You are constantly in my thoughts. xo

Life changing

TRAGIC NEWS

Sadly , This magnificent venue was destroyed by a major and disasterous bush-fire on Kangaroo Island in early January, 2020. 
Hopefully this classy resort, with its great facilities, can be re-built at some future time.

TRAGIC FIRES

The hotel is gorgeous, and the location is even more so. It’s absolutely stunning. But what makes this hotel extra special is the staff. They are all incredibly professional yet friendly. They made our stay feel like home. I can’t say enough things about the people who work here and go out of their way to cater to your every need with a smile on their face. Thank you SOL for an unforgettable stay. 

Incredible hotel, flawless service

Epitome of luxury in a beautifully isolated location overlooking the ocean.  We visited recently mid December and would recommend a winter stay here to take advantage of curling up near the funky fireplace, with a few good books to devour.....oh and a glass of local wine!

A sneaky pre Christmas madness getaway to more than a touch of luxury!

It's rare that I'm speechless but this place is beyond words. The whole experience from welcome onwards is 10 star..nothing is too much trouble. My husband doesn't like cheese or vinegar (random I know) so each meAl they adapted the existing menu for him. Champagne for n arrival as it was his birthday . The trips they organised were fabulous and ticked every box. Yes it's expensive but worth every penny...

Breathtaking....

This was a once in a lifetime experience. From the food, to the tours to the rooms overlooking the ocean. It is secluded and the staff was incredible. They cater to your every need. The price is not for everyone but if you can splurge, don't miss it. They have tours of everything you need to see on Kangaroo Island and more. 

Unbelivable

Family of 5 staying in 2 rooms. 3 nights. 
Pros: 
Good views and friendly staff. 
Cons:
For a top resort charging these amounts having interns and trainees (while friendly) is not acceptable. Each meal took 1.5 hours to serve food; we wander if this was done to kill time between activities? A lot of activities including our favourite ones not only cost extra but is subject to staff availability. They need to add a lot more staff and better trained. Food for vegetarians was not good (adapted from meat dishes). Overall we were underwhelmed by the amount we paid.

Interns and Trainee Lodge

This is the much lauded No1 hotel/lodge is Australia. For for good reason.

Set in the beautiful rugged and pristine Flinders National Park, SOL is the result of the brains and foresight of the Bailie family.

The hotel is amazing, no expense spared experience second to the Burj, and even then..... just.

There is a high turnover of staff due to the remoteness of the location, but you would not realise this as all staff are so well prepared and educated. Credit to john and alison- managers of SOL for almost a decade.

Expensive...... yes. Worth it? Yes.  Will I return? In a heartbeat.

Worthy of No 1 Hotel Australia

 What makes Southern Ocean Lodge unique among luxury, is the way it is set up encourages interaction between guests-  The large open "living room" area overlooking the ocean has multiple areas with chairs and couches, and a long table by the bar area where people congregate- Note: rooms are down a steep corridor -  if you have mobility issues  let them know so you can get a room closer to the top- we had room 5 which was lovely with a tub overlooking the ocean- and a a long walk down-   tours were excellent and the food was very good, and the self-service bar and wine cellar were very nice perks.  As for the young and inexperienced staff:  we found them charming-if not always perfect.  What we learned while traveling in Australia is that the service industry there does not have enough young Australians who want to work in these more remote locations, so they rely on what the call "backpackers" which is traveling young people who come from all over (in and out of Australia) to work for 6 months to several years doing hospitality work.  We found them to be very interesting to speak with- and they all try very hard to please. We did an optional (additional charge) nocturnal trip- and it was one of the best things we did there- saw the Koala's with their joeys (springtime) very active at night-  if you are debating adding this in- do it!  We had been to the same location in the daytime on one of the included activities, but this was additional, and so worth it!  

Southern Ocean Lodge

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