Escarpment Retreat & Day Spa — Hotel in Tamborine Mountain

This was our experience that others should be aware of before they stay here. Villa was overpowered with a musty / mold / damp smell that did not go during our 4x night stay (despite a dehumidifier being utilised) Villa did not appear to be cleaned sufficiently before we arrived – flies and hair in the bath, spider webs, dusts, rubbish wrappers in the bathroom just to name a few Villas are joined to another villa with the ability to hear significant / intimate details of noise from next door Because villas are joined, they share a water supply. Water was non-existent when next door is filling up their large spa bath (which is what we were told when we inquired as to why we didn’t have any water, then we were told we’d just have to wait). The following day, when we filled our bath up, next door obviously recognised the same problem, but must have complained as a handyman came to the door to check our water pressure (which was a trickle by this stage, and why it was taking so long to fill the bath). He ended up cleaning the grounds water filter which improved the pressure, but didn’t fix the issue of reduced pressure when both villas are using water simultaneously Rooms are not serviced during the stay – not ideal with rubbish needing collection and toiletries needing a top up during longer stays Nothing about the villa or grounds were ‘luxury’, unfortunately the villa, the furniture and the styling were old and dated which would require significant money spent on it to get anywhere close to being another above a 3 star / luxury retreat we were expecting. Examples include: cracked tiles in bathroom, cracked tile around the fireplace, only 2 of 4 heat lamps in the bathroom were working, mold on silicone in bathroom, stained lounge, broken bedhead, broken dining chair, downlight hanging down by a wire, dirty water stains running down the walls and from the air conditioner, very dated furniture and facilities Kitchenette was a sink, bar fridge and microwave. No cooking facilities or bbq We didn’t try the complimentary breakfast as we feared more of the same over-promised luxury. There are too many lovely places on the mountain that have great breakfasts, coffee and views Don’t book this if you want a quiet, “luxury” retreat to spoil yourself and a loved one – book this if you don’t mind a rustic, old villa with a luxury price-tag Despite being willing to pay the additional cleaning fee, and the mountain nights still being cold during spring, you CANNOT use the fireplace because it’s outside the months someone services / cleans the fireplace – just an FYI Overall, despite having potential, this place is unfortunately...

PSA - I was never going to put this review up, however my wife was looking for a place for us to stay and saw that this place was awarded A 5 STAR HOTEL which of course infuriated me because every single aspect of the rating system they certainly did NOT meet during our stay a couple of months ago.

The place is dated from the minute you walk in to every single aspect of the rooms.

There was a 50th balloon loose in the ceiling of our room looking very deflated and highly distracting.

The doors we old and squeaky and certainly NOT reflective of the luxury anyone would associate with.

We couldn't even have s3x on the bed because we started and goodness me we might as well have invited the entire Mt Tambourine vicinity to listen in and watch so the romantic get away was just a getaway with no romance.

The spa bath we had to pay for this locally produced bath bomb from reception (I'll get back to this in a sec) which was hesitantly sold to us with as much enthusiasm as Tutankhamen's embalmed body.

Breakfast was in a classroom setting. Felt like I was in a local cheap cafeteria or a local school canteen with everyone so closely sat together I could taste the next person's meal.

Breakfast was incredibly basic and ABSOLUTELY NO WAY was it worth that enormous package price tag. Honestly you would pay 20 bucks for that anywhere.

Finally leaving the best till last, the receptionist, owner or whoever that lady was must absolutely despise humans.

Highly emotionless, no interest in her visitors, lack of awareness, lack of any emotion whatsoever, completely disinterested and every single interaction felt like being sent to the headmistress office.

One of her staff members who I think was basically doing 3 roles in the place including PR, must have been aware of how awful the situation was that she really did go above an beyond and tried to facilitate conversation regularly.

Well to sum it up, of you prefer a tranquil place to read a book besides the library,  and you have a decent disposable income, this will be the place for you.

They need to revisit their pricing, the attitude of the owner, their star rating and what they actually expect to achieve from the place because I certainly have been fortunate enough to travel extensively and this place does not merit a 5...

I enjoyed my stay. Location is great.

Coming up to the hot season the fire is not recommended but extra cardigan or cosy blanket would be sufficient However the air con is provided with heat setting. Which defiently kept me nice and warm. It was a heavy rain in my experience and I loved every minute of the sound pitter pattering.

A fridge is provided in the room so handy to have all your favourite refreshments upon arriving , this way if staying in is your thing than being prepared will help you to enjoy your visit. No BBQ or oven to cook on however lots of local amazing restaurants . Be prepared most good ones may be closed the Sunday and Mondays . A microwave is available in your room. Good to heat up your take out food or personalised snacks.

The breakfast included... The scrambled eggs for breakfast were the best I ever tasted. Breakfast is located in the restaurant. I requested that I have mine to take back to the room and Caroline was happy to accommodate. I love a place that has simple traditional breakfast options. Cooked to perfection!

The vibes and decor are very traditional. The place is not a modern luxury fancy hotel but more of an authentic cabin rainforest & mountain retreat . A good sound and visual of the fauna and flauna.

Perhaps before booking double check if the fire is in season. Also book direct for better communication as 3rd party's can confuse the type of stay you would have been expecting

Just to note ... No fly screens! so a type of mozzy repellent would be a helpfull tool to add to packing or keep the windows shut with the blinds open. It's a rainforest after all. The doors would be shut for most of the time either to keep the hot or cold air out anyway. You can always request extra candles for more romance and ambience also. Or possibly take your own if you want to be that sexy.

The water pressure a little low so prepare time for your spa bath . Not that there is any hurry on a retreat. The water was also a good temperature. It was a great spa bath.

The cinema is located out of your room and so if it's a busy time, book in for that in advance. It's not a 24hour.

Quiet, peaceful, very relaxed, traditional, tranquil. Authentic. Enjoy it for what it is. I wish I had a little more time...