Lemonthyme Wilderness Retreat — Hotel in Tasmania

My partner and I stayed two nights in the luxury spa suite ‘Devon’. The room is $315 per night. We are very easy going people and do not tend to complain about things. I also never write reviews however really feel like I should with this one. We took time out to relax and both felt as though the place had lots of potential however was lacking in a number of areas. The room itself was warm and clean however outdated. The couches and bed were not overly comfortable. It did not feel like a luxury suite. Although there is a warning on the website about road works- be aware that the road is 8km lots of pot holes take around 15 minutes and in the wet is very slippery especially around the bridge road works. If you do not have a 4WD access may be difficult if there has been lots Of rain. The staff all tried very hard however need further training. I feel this is a reflection on the business owner rather than the staff as there were 4 waitresses we had over the two days and only one had any form of customer communication skills. Customer service skills were extremely lacking. Not one staff member introduced themselves and it was to the point of awkward. This was at time on check in, meals and check out. At diner the waitresses just popped up at the table and stood there staring without saying ‘ can I get you a drink, would you like to order etc ‘ we had to initiate everything. Nothing was explained and no general conversation. I asked a question about a meal and the response was ‘ it says what it comes with on the menu ‘. There was no music and you could over hear all conversations. The menu has approx 8-10 options all for $29-42. The first night we had the pork belly & the lamb shoulder both of which were not enjoyable. The pork belly was over cooked and the lamb shoulder very fatty. They came with basic steamed veg and a salad. The second night after reluctantly returning ( no other options nearby- 30 min drive ) we ordered the eye fillet @ 42 which was much better than the first night. * note menu not good for fussy eaters - no chicken schnitzel , parmi , fish and chips etc. very odd menu. We had to call the waitress over after waiting to reorder drinks. The Friday night the ‘lounge bar’ closed at 8.30pm even though there were 3-4 couples sitting around having a drink which then left us having to go back to our room. ( bring your own snacks and drinks ) Breakfast very basic ( standard eggs bacon ( pre cooked ) one slice of white bread , basic continental or piklets ) and you are required to book in a time the day before which is a little annoying being a ‘retreat’ if you want to sleep in etc. it is a shame there is no focus on local Tasmanian produce. We did the champagne and bridal Veil falls walk from the retreat which was approx 2.5 hours return with lots of photo time - the walk was uphill on the way but very rewarding ! Well worth it. The staff did not tell us about the walks Or things to do around the region. As a whole it is definitely not a retreat. If you are looking for any form of Luxury do not book here. It is also a good 30 min from cradle mountain itself. We did call into peppers for a spa and lunch on day 2 and this was amazing. There is no comparison. The staff are well presented polite make conversation go out of their way and the menu is 100X better for the same prices ! The bar is also great. Next time we will be staying at peppers! :( Hopefully in the future lemonthyme can have a revamp as mentioned it...

We stayed in the lodge accommodation (above the restaurant areas), so we were already well warned from the website that there was zilch in the way of noise insulation, and thus not surprised when we could hear the tinkle of silverware coming up through the floorboards in the morning, or the sound of our neighbours clearing their throats next door. Fortunately these neighbours did not have digestive problems, or noisy bed fun, because the kids would have heard every fart and moan. But they probably didn't appreciate us, since one of our kids coughed all night long, and undoubtedly kept the entire floor awake.

What we perhaps did not quite grasp from the website was how small the room was. Imagine that you will be sleeping in a room for four that is approximately twice the size of your car. Then when you get there and find that it is actually four times the size of your car, you will be pleasantly surprised.

As for the beds, well, if you are the sort of person who likes to sleep on the floor or other hard surfaces for your back, then the double beds in Boobook room (each room is named after an Australian bird) are just perfect for you. But if you sleep on your side, you might wake up to find your hips bruised. If you wish your partner was a little more cuddly, then you might be pleased to find that the bed bows in the middle, forcing you to roll toward each other in the night. However, if you have children and think that those bunk beds are just the thing, you might want to think twice since the top bunk is six feet off the ground and has no railing. Now there's a thump in the night that everyone would hear!

All in all, we were a little surprised to pay so much for such spartan accommodations. The shared bathrooms reminded me of a lot of campsites we've stayed at, including the cobwebs and dead flies on the ground. Campsites usually cost a bit less, though.

On the plus side, there are a couple of cozy common rooms with TVs, heated with wood fires, and a constant stream of 70s music as their soundtrack. If you feel nostalgic for the Bee Gees, you will be thrilled. There are boardgames if you ask for them, and there are pademelons who come to be fed every night, so you can enjoy the wildlife up close. The staff are friendly and accommodating and provided us with extra pillows and blankets when we asked for them. The menu is sparse, which is not surprising as it's remote Tasmania and there aren't lots of people eating at the restaurant. If you're vegetarian, your only source of protein will be eggs. However, the kitchen kindly accommodated our request for a vegetarian hot breakfast, even though it wasn't on the menu.

In short, the lodge rooms at Lemonthyme Lodge are one of the cheapest options in the Cradle Mountain area (though it's about 40 minutes from Cradle Mountain). If you're just interested in Cradle Mountain maybe pay extra and...

I have just returned home from my trip to Lemonthyme lodge and I must express the complete horror at this accommodation. There is only one road in and out of the location, and yet it is only a single lane road. This road is extremely hazardous with frequent blindspots as it winds up and down, and a very steep sheer drop on one side. Of great concern is the total lack of warning or signage, either physically present or in pre-arrival information. I have never experienced such abject terror as a driver as I did when using this 8km road, and my family are still concerningly shaken by the frightening experience. |Further, when I addressed my concerns, both after we first got there yesterday afternoon, and then this morning when checking out (there was heavy rain overnight, which worried me greatly due to the potential to slide etc out of control and go over the egde), I was quickly dismissed and assumed to be from interstate and not familiar with Tasmanian roads or conditions. I have over 17 years experience of driving on Tasmanian roads, and almost 30 years total driving experience. I am gravely concerned that this highly dangerous road, that is without warning signs and alerts, will likely be the scene of a horrific accident with serious injury, if not fatalities. |The accommodation itself was below average and expectations and again, I found to be quite hazardous. The entrance to the cottage was surrounded by significant tripping hazards, and the steps up dangerously slippery. The internal stairs were equally troublesome as they were unevenly spaced, and unevenly surfaced.|I have never had such a poor and stressful experience in accommodation I paid significantly for. It was a far cry from the advertised "relaxing retreat"; it was like a trip to hell, a nightmare. |I will be contacting relevant authorities in the morning to discuss the very dangerous road and to suggest trade at this venue be discontinued until a safer journey to and from can be guaranteed. |It was the worst experience in my life, and I will never stay there again. Furthermore, I will be telling everyone I care about to avoid the place like the plague because it is a disaster...