In the know
- Our favourite rooms
- There are five grades of rooms here: Flinders Suites at entry-level prices, moving up to bigger Ocean Retreat suites, bigger-still Remarkable Suites, two-bedroom Ocean Family Suites and the jewel-like Osprey Suite at the top of the pecking order. Not that room snobbery ever enters into it – all rooms are strung out single file cantilevered along the clifftop breezeway, and are democratically assorted (the Osprey backs onto a Flinders). The architectural palette is consistent throughout – cream-hued limestone, recycled spotted-gum industrial timbers, huge beds, sunken lounges, contemporary art and rain showers – but the Flinders Suites don’t have baths or hot tubs, and the bigger suites have flashy entertainment systems. The super-private Osprey Suite is the pick of the bunch, with jaw-dropping views from its curvy king-size bedroom, separate sunken lounge, freestanding oval granite bath (there are also dual rainshowers) and terrace spa, plus state-of-the-art audio-visual gadgets. No 2 is the pick of the Flinders Suites, right next door to the Osprey. Cool contemporary architecture rules: with not a doily, floral bedspread or piece of retro-colonial furniture in sight.
- Packing tips
- Leave your ego at home. Sure, you’re paying for the privilege of being here (and it is a privilege), but management takes a first-name-basis approach, and the vibe is casual and unfussed. Don’t expect to hear any obsequious ‘sirs’ or ‘ma’ms’.
- Also
- Backed by an impressive limestone wall and with imported Roman floor tiles, the multi-faceted lobby area has something for everyone. The bar and restaurant occupy a large part of it, but there’s also a walk-in wine cellar in-the-round, a shop selling local produce, arts and crafts, a sunken lounge area with a too-cool French fireplace suspended from the ceiling, racks of quirky books and hip magazines, and an outdoor extension with a plunge pool.
Current offers
- Smith card offer
- An AU$50 spa treatment voucher per room
More photos
Southern Ocean Lodge
Kangaroo Island, Australia[view map]
- Style
- Luxe lodge on the clifftops
- Setting
- Supreme Southern Ocean solitude
Treading lightly on scrub-covered dunes above the sea, luxe Kangaroo Island boutique hotel Southern Ocean Lodge is an exquisite designer haven. Solitude, serenity and privacy are what guests are paying for – staying here you get the feeling there’s no-one else within miles (and there probably isn’t). Calming, contemporary interiors embrace the outdoors, with all-inclusive food, drinks and activities adding to a restful stay. Outside Australia's Galapagos awaits, from kangaroos and seals to wild beaches and spectacular coastal rocks.
Need to know
- Rooms
- 21 suites.
- Rates
- From AU$1,800–AUD$3,600, including all meals, drinks, activities, airport transfers and tax at 10 per cent. There's a two-night minimum stay, and spa treatments, the cellermaster's list and private charters or transfers cost extra.
- Check-out
- 10.30am, but flexible subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 2pm.
- Facilities
- Lounge with library, board games and big DVD screen, spa. In rooms: free WiFi, rain shower, sound system/MP3 input, minibar, Li' Tya toiletries, minibar and outdoor terrace with daybed. Most rooms have flatscreen TVs, DVD players and EcoSmart fires.
- Poolside
- No full-size pool, but there’s an infinity-edge plunge pool outside on the terrace by the restaurant, plus hot tubs in the Remarkable Suites and Osprey Pavilion. A short walk away, Hanson Bay has consistent surf, perfect for a rough-and-tumble swim.
- Eco-friendly
- Southern Ocean Lodge is an eco-attuned operator. It’s rainwater reliant, with breezeway ventilation, and an advanced greywater/compost recycling system. A solar power system is also planned and the lodge runs its own local environmental projects.
- Also
- Multi-night accommodation packages are also available, incorporating day-spa treatments, room upgrades, Bollinger Champagne on arrival and private island charter tours.
Food & drink
- Hotel restaurant
- At the top of the Great Room is the lodge restaurant where breakfast, a light lunch and dinner are served. A curved glass wall almost launches diners out into the view, but the mood remains low-key tranquil. Head chef Matt Upson coordinates production of short but perfectly conceived menus throughout the day, with an emphasis on island and South Australian produce and seasonal and organic favourites (expect KI seafood to feature prominently). Artisan meals, such as roasted fillet of suzuki mulloway or local Ligurian honey gateau, are matched with wines (again, SA wins through). Dinner either takes the form of a five-course tasting menu, or four-course à la carte. The chipper kitchen staff will also gladly fillet and cook your catch-of-the-day if you successfully throw a line into the surf down on Hanson Bay. Ocean salmon are the prized catch, but you might also reel in some King George whiting and the passing flathead.
- Dress code
- Smart-casual organic linen separates in soothing neutrals will blend well with the Lodge's natural style and setting.
- Top table
- Any of the six window-side seats will give you the best view, or on a warm night head outside to the terrace.
- Last orders
- Breakfast anytime from 7.30am to 10am; lunch from 12.30pm to 2.30pm; dinner from 7pm to 9pm, with pre-dinner cocktails and canapés at the bar.
- Room service
- The emphasis here is on experiencing the best of island and SA food and wine in the restaurant, but limited room service is available on request. If you’re feeling a bit under the weather, staff will happily bring you a pick-me-up bowl of soup.
- Hotel bar
- Adjacent to the restaurant is the lodge’s open bar – a curvy designer delight stocked with enough wine, beer and spirits to keep you feeling suitably heady. Aside from the premium cellar list (which includes iconic drops like Penfolds’ ‘Grange’, Bollinger champers and Heschke’s ‘Hill of Grace’), alcohol is included in room rates. The bar fronts up to a large American Oak communal table at which guests enjoy nightly pre-dinner canapés, conversation and cocktails (a different one is served at sunset drinks from 6pm each evening; the bar is open all day long).
Also worth knowing
Smith Members offer
An AU$50 spa treatment voucher per room
If you're a member of Mr & Mrs Smith, you can get special privileges at every Smith hotel you book through us. Just show your Smith card at check-in to claim the offer featured on every hotel page (like the one above).
Click here to become a Mr & Mrs Smith member
Book this hotel
To book this hotel please click here, or contact our travel team on 1 866 610 3867.
Southern Ocean Lodge
Hanson Bay
Kangaroo Island
South Australia
Australia
5223
