Printable hotel details
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Caves Road, Yallingup, Western Australia
6282
Cape Lodge
- Style
- Country club chic
- Setting
- Gardens and vines
Surrounded by vineyards, lawns and native woodland, elegant boutique hotel Cape Lodge feels like an intimate country manor, with an award-winning lakeside restaurant and famed wine region Margaret River on its doorstep.
Need to know
- Rooms
- 22, including 17 suites (the Lodge Suite and Lodge King Room in the main lodge, plus Garden View, Superior Spa and Forest Spa Suites). Or hire out the luxe Vineyard Residence, a three-bed private house with a two-bed cottage attached.
- Rates
- Low season, AU$325–AU$575; high season, AU$475–AU$695, including breakfast, afternoon tea and tax.
- Check-out
- 11am. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
- Facilities
- All-weather tennis court, croquet lawn, games/recreation room, sauna, WiFi in Guest Drawing Room, DVD, CD and book library. In rooms: flatscreen TV, DVD/CD players, minibar, en suite bathroom, Natural Olive Oil Soap Factory toiletries.
- Poolside
- There's a large freeform swimming pool outdoors that's unheated so perfect for a cooling dip. Take in the pretty surrounding green lawns and lush trees from your shaded, poolside lounger.
- Children
- Cape Lodge is not suitable for children.
- Also
- The hotel is 30 minutes' drive from nearby town Margaret River. The nearest train station Mandurah is 200 kilometres away. The closest major airport is Perth; Axiom Aviation offers one-hour charter flights on to the region (www.margaretriver.com).
In the know
- Our favourite rooms
- King-size beds and spa baths in all bedrooms ensure a luxe touch (eight rooms have double spa baths with separate showers). The décor throughout is contemporary Australian with individual artworks by prominent local and national artists in each of the suites. We like the cosy Garden View Suites for their angled eaves and bay windows overlooking the gardens. If you’re travelling in a group, we recommend the three-bedroom private Vineyard Residence for its bedroom-sized walk-in wardrobe and private gardens with lake for afternoon summer swimming. It boasts two bathrooms, and can accommodate a minimum of three couples, or a maximum of five if you also book the adjoining two-bedroom guesthouse, with has its own bathroom. The kitchen and open-plan dining area is ideal for a private cooking class with pals.
- Packing tips
- Blazers and boaters for croquet, Jackie O sunglasses for al fresco dining and a good book for curling up in front of the fireplace. A swish apron if you're attending a cooking class.
- Also
- Rates for the Vineyard Residence start from AU$1,500 per night (maximum three couples); and the Guest House from AU$525 per night (maximum two couples); two-night minimum stays often apply.
Food & drink
- Hotel restaurant
- The lakeside Cape Lodge Restaurant is the jewel in the hotel's crown and executive chef Tony Howell continues to keep both guests and critics raving. An emphasis on fresh local produce, the ever-changing modern Australian daily menu and the now famous 14,000-bottle, temperature-controlled wine cellar stocked with premium Margaret River and back vintage wines mean that reservations are an absolute must (we say book a table when you book your room). Mouth-watering dishes include king prawn prosciutto and rocket risotto, and pot-roased quince with a steam lemon pudding and crème anglaise. Cape Lodge has also started running monthly gourmet weekends with cooking classes and demonstrations, food master classes, picnics and wine tastings.
- Dress code
- Anna Rawson-styled country club chic.
- Top table
- Ask for a table on the al fresco decking that stretches over the lake.
- Last orders
- Breakast is served from 8am to 10.30am; dinner from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, but restaurant opening times vary according to season. The bar sees action from 5pm till late, but is in full swing between 7pm and 8pm.
- Room service
- Room service is available from 11am to 10pm, with gourmet platters, sandwiches and a fuller evening menu on offer.
- Hotel bar
- Drinks are available all day in the guest lounge, and the restaurant bar area is perfect for working your way through the wine list.
Smith card offer A gift pack of Cape Lodge Estate wine on departure
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Smith concierge
If you'd prefer to talk to someone, or don't want to book online, call our travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee you’ll get the best available rates, and we don’t charge a booking fee.
Local restaurants
Inspired by his father's pharmacy, chef Simon Beaton and his partner Flip Boreham have created
The Food Farmacy (+61 (0)8 9759 1877;
www.thefoodfarmacy.com), a cool eatery where water is served in a conical flask and test tubes of salt, pepper, sugar and oil hang in wooden racks. The menu is equally quirky, doffing its cap to new wave, organic cuisine. Find it at Shop 9, Dunsborough Park Shopping Centre, Dunn Bay Rd, Dunsborough. The Margaret River region may produce excellent wines but the coffee is somewhat lacking, until you come to
Bathers Cafe Restaurant (+61 (0)8 9750 1288;
www.smithsbeachresort.com.au) that is. Located in the stylish Smiths Beach Resort, on Smiths Beach Road in Yallingup, 10 kilometres from Cape Lodge, this breezy beachfront diner has an excellent breakfast, lunch and diner menu.
Local bars
Also at Smiths Beach Resort, check out Bouzy The Champagne Bar, next door to Bathers Cafe Restaurant. It's a 30-minute drive from Cape Lodge, but a trip to winebar Must Margaret River (+61 (0)8 9758 8857; www.must.com.au) is worth it. With wall-to-wall racks of top local bottles snaking around the chic, minimal space, this is a great place to come for a drink, but its bistro is also strong on meat dishes, and is open for lunch and dinner from noon till midnight daily. Another draw card is its impressive choice of spirits. Find it at 107 Bussell Highway in Margaret River.
Worth getting out of bed for
As well as expert cooking classes and wine tastings at Cape Lodge itself, the Margaret River wine region beckons beyond the hotel's gorgeous grounds, with vineyards to die for. Respected wine estates in the neighbourhood include Vasse Felix (www,vassefelix.com.au), Moss Wood (www.mosswood.com.au), Cullen (www.cullenwines.com.au) and Pierro (www.pierro.com.au), all of which offer tastings and the chance to buy fine local wines at the cellar door (Cullen also offers a tempting restaurant overlooking its vineyard). The hotel can also point you in the direction of local gourmet eco tours and wine tours along the cape, which allow you to sample the best regional wines as well as cheeses, chocolates and more (you can even opt to tour in a vintage Bentley or Rolls Royce).
If you find you've overdosed on pricy vintages, then the pristine beaches nearby are the perfect hangover cure, whether you fancy a refreshing dip or a relaxed walk along a coastal trail. The hotel is only three kilometres from the sparkling Indian Ocean and its rugged coastline, which enjoys a mild, sunny Mediterranean climate. The area is considered a surf paradise, with great waves for every level between Capes Naturalise and Leeuwin, including nearby Yallingup beach (with breaks left and right). The Yallingup Surf School dispenses advice and lessons (www.yallingupsurfschool.com). There are some beautiful walking trails between here and Smiths Beach as well as striking cave formations, such as the Ngilgi Cave between Dunsborough and Yallingup. Sunset canoeing up the Margaret River is another way to see the area in style.
Diary
March-April Surfers do their thing at the Margaret River Pro (www.drugawarepro.com). April Winemakers do theirs during the Margaret River Wine Festival (www.margaretriverfestival.com). June and September sees humpback and southern right whales pass the coastline.
For a full list of bars and restaurants in Margaret River, click here
Margaret River, Australia
- Number of people
- 2-80
- Licensed for weddings
- Yes
Wow factor
With its gorgeous country manor-style grounds, including manicured lawns, private lakes, woodland and its own vineyard, as well as a spacious swimming pool, Cape Lodge makes a romantic wedding venue – and a justifiably popular one.
Need to know
This hotel is suitable for weddings of up to 80 guests. Weddings of 24 guests or more must reserve all accommodation at Cape Lodge exclusively. The maximum number of guests the hotel can put up overnight is 44. Cape Lodge can help with all arrangements, from flowers to photographers, cake, transport or bridal treatments.
Inspiration
The acclaimed Cape Lodge Restaurant, with its top-notch chef, fresh, modern Australian menu and huge, quality wine cellar, is the perfect reception spot. It enjoys a beautiful lakeside setting, with outdoor decks right over the water. The reflections in the water at night and peaceful natural setting will guarantee a fine romance.
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