Daintree Wilderness Lodge — Hotel in Diwan

Not quite as special an experience as advertised. Unfortunately time has not been overly kind to this hotel, with years of dwindling care slowly replaced with neglect evident across many areas. At its core it is a superb construct, but in its current form it will leave you dissatisfied and feeling short-changed. This is not cheap accommodation yet many aspects are very cheap indeed – one single coffee each in your room for your stay is one example of how little your almost $300/night gets you. The spa is old and its pebble finish unsealed and crumbling under your touch. Once countersunk bolts on the long raised walkways have been replaced with exposed hex-head roofing bolts making barefoot walking a dangerous adventure. Though advertising as air-conditioned they don't mention that the units are locked into eco-mode and set to very warm temperatures, the result being that they are no more effective than a fan though are considerably noisier. No cooling can be felt at all from the aircon units. Not especially eco either as additional energy has been expended to affect no change in temperature. Very disappointing given the high heat of the rooms resulting from the roof length skylight in each room – beautiful in photos, they prove an uncomfortable and unavoidable discomfort in reality. The restaurant offers what is best described as home cooking at restaurant prices. Perhaps others had a better experience but dinners here were overpriced and underwhelming. The eco side of this hotel is pushed at every turn and we were told all produce, toiletries etc were sourced locally. It did not take long to find that all of the supplied toiletries in the room (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion) were actually manufactured in China and we only “designed” in Australia. So, while yes, the supplying company is Australian, all of the production and manufacturing is from China and of unknown eco-credentials. I will hazard a guess that they are not a shining example of eco manufacturing with fair employment conditions for the workers. Very disappointing given the large numbers of boutique Australian companies who could supply genuine local eco-friendly products which would delight the user and help support true Aussie business and manufacturing. It was also evident that any original fittings which had been replaced had been done so with an eye on the budget and not on the quality. A general air of cheapness was displayed in many of the fittings throughout the hotel. All of this is a genuine shame as it could be so much more than what it now is. Attentional to detail and genuine love and care for the property are sadly lacking. I would not return, nor recommend this property to others at this time – it is simply too expensive for...

We drove from Cairns for our honeymoon but were driving home only 30 minutes later.

We arrived to an unwelcome reception where the first thing we were asked was to order breakfast for the next morning, with our bags still in hand. That being said the gamble of the 'meat of the day' in the breakfast sounded tempting.

We were then instructed to keep our windows open (fly screen was fitted though) and not to use the air conditioner (luckily wasn't hot).

We found our cabin with the door already open which wasn't very comforting given we were in the middle of the rainforest.

The curtains in the cabin wouldn't close fully so there would have been no feeling of privacy.

The bathroom/toilet had no blinds at all (a 'feature', our fault for not doing research into the accommodation we were booking). We were told not to worry as 'no one could see' in but how are we to know that?

The surrounding cabins were closer than we thought they would be, so considering the silence of the rainforest, it did not feel private at all.

We decided after 5 minutes that we could not stay so went back to reception and asked if we could get a refund. They first offered a bottle of wine which wouldn't help anything at all. Then they offered a 50% refund (booking for 3 nights cost $1200).

We offered to pay the first night only, then requested a refund for the 2nd and 3rd. We thought it was reasonable as it was a Tues-Thurs booking. Staff went and called the owners, came back 15 minutes later to say that they 'didn't answer'.

By now it was dark and as we were in for a 2.5 hour drive back to Cairns, so we just left.

A very disappointing experience at a very overpriced joint considering what else is available at $400 a night.

As we booked through flight Centre we trusted our agent a bit too much and we didn't do our research into what we were in for. I feel it is partly our fault and is the reason I have two stars, not one.

This is not a suitable accommodation for anyone who is expecting privacy or friendly service.

For anyone actually reading this, we drove to magnetic island the following day and had a great honeymoon at peppers on blue.

We are yet to receive any correspondence/refund from Daintree wilderness Lodge or Flight Centre...

While booking a cabin at the Daintree Wilderness Lodge online, I thought it was too good to be true. However, the Lodge actually far exceeded our expectations. Daintree Wilderness Lodge is a boutique hotel, with only 7 wooden cabins, each one having its own attached bathroom. Our bathroom were very spacious and clean. Each cabin is quite large and is connected to the reception/breakfast area through an elevated boardwalk. Each cabin is away from the next cabin, so privacy is not an issue. The Lodge is located in the middle of the forest and yet is so easily accessible by car (no need for a 4x4). Our cabin had a little skylight too which meant that during the day, there was no need to switch on any lights, and in the light you could see quite a few stars even with the dense forest canopy. Daintree Wilderness Lodge is a family-run establishment. Scott, who overseas the running of the hotel, is friendly, super helpful and kind. He gave us some great suggestions and advise so that we could make the most of the Daintree. Many people visit Daintree only as a day-trip, but I honestly feel that that does no justice to the majesty of the forest. We were there for 3 nights, but perhaps one more day would have been nice. After a long day of walking and trekking, it was great to just be in the hotel and wind down. While you are in the Daintree, consider yourself to be "off the grid". Mobile connection (especially internet) is very flaky throughout the forest, with a few pockets where you get connectivity. In the hotel, there is Wi-Fi in the reception/breakfast area but not in the cabins. There is no live TV connection but there is a TV and a DVD player, and a pretty good selection of DVDs!

I would recommend this hotel for anyone who wants to stay at the Daintree. If I ever visit again, this is where I would be staying. We even got a discount by booking directly on...