Need to know
Rooms
Eight, including six Queen Cabins (three of which have lofts with twin beds), and two family-sized suites with two bedrooms and a bunk room each.
Check–Out
10am; earliest check-in, 4pm (both are flexible, subject to availability).
More details
Eleven Experience includes meals (prepared by an in-house chef), use of all the facilities, guided expeditions and experience planning.
Also
The hotel is owned by the mega-luxe, extraordinary Eleven Experience group: if you like what you see, check out its Smith-approved sibling: Deplar Farm.
Hotel closed
The lodge is designed for summer (May to October); exact dates vary annually.
At the hotel
Extensive grounds; access to the river and fly-fishing pond; guide service with included activities: rock climbing, hiking, rafting, mountaineering, mountain biking, drift fishing, stand-up paddle-boarding; spa cabin; games room (pool, foosball, darts); gym; climbing wall, marksman range, teepee, yard games (horseshoe, beanbags, spikeball) and board games (backgammon, chess, Scrabble). In rooms: free WiFi, iPod dock, minibar. Green Drake is the only sleeping quarters with a TV.
Our favourite rooms
The Queen Cabins can feel a little on the cosy side, so if you’re not a light packer, we’d advise opting for the more spacious Green Drake, which is set out like a little standalone house, with two king-size bedrooms, a kids’ room with two bunk beds, a full kitchen and a living room. Three-bedroom Royal Wulff is another great option for families.
Poolside
There’s a peaceful pool cabin decorated with a high, vaulted ceiling, elk antlers on the walls, floor-to-ceiling windows and river views. The pool spans about six metres; notch up mini laps while admiring the trees outside. Alternatively, idle around on a sunlounger or bubble away in the hot tub positioned at one end of the pool. Après aperitifs and snacks, such as charcuterie boards and cocktails, can be delivered poolside. The pool cabin has a sauna, steam room and showers, too...
Spa
Unwind after your rambles and river-rafting with a massage or facial in the spa cabin, whose lures include cosy treatment rooms, Pilates machines, a running machine, yoga mats and more. The pool cabin has a sauna and steam room, too. There's an additional fee for treatments and it's best to book at least a day ahead, so you don’t risk disappointment. Outside the cabin, there’s a pretty lawn set up with games: throw the bean bag, hula hoops, giant jenga and the ilk. In winter, group wellness classes are offered.
Packing tips
To save you from having all the gear but no idea, the lodge provides all the necessary kit for included activities. However, to make the great outdoors feel much greater, we still recommend bringing the following: polarised sunglasses for fishing trips, bug repellent and bite cream, a sun hat and waterproofs (it can get a tad rainy up there in them hills).
Also
Full-package rates include adventure kit, on-loan bicycles, a full concierge service and experience planning, to ensure your every desire is met.
Pet‐friendly
Four-legged explorers can come too for $50 a night (this includes an on-loan bed, bowl and leash, plus a care package). The hotel’s pooch-friendly cabins are Golden Stone, Pale Morning Dun and Green Drake. See more pet-friendly hotels in Almont.
Children
Little Smiths will be in seventh heaven. Three of the Queen Cabins have lofted bunk beds; there are also two three-bedroom lodges, which offer a lot more space. The hotel can arrange babysitting.
Best for
All ages are welcome, although the hotel reckons it’s best for little Smiths aged between six and 12, or teenagers.
Recommended rooms
Book either Green Drake or the Royal Wulff: these standalone log houses each have three bedrooms and buckets more space for families to sprawl out in.
Activities
Active Smiths will love the outdoors adventures on offer here, which include white-water rafting, mountain biking, hiking, horse-riding and more (activities like fly fishing can be arranged for an additional fee). The excellent guides make sessions appealing to Smiths of all sizes and abilities, tailoring activities to different ages. Other distractions include the pool table, spikeball, table football, table tennis, board games and on-loan bicycles.
Swimming pool
Water-babies will love splashing around the six-metre pool housed within the pool cabin; it’s unsupervised, so you’ll need to keep a beady eye on less confident swimmers.
Meals
The obliging resident chef will tailor to tots’ tastes and fussy palates; the hotel can provide highchairs and cutlery, if needed. Parents will be grateful for those well-stocked, free minibars, which contain a pleasing array of soft drinks, healthy snacks such as dried mango and sweet treats such as artisan chocolates.
No need to pack
The hotel can provide baby bedlinen, baby monitors and high chairs. For older ones, there are games consoles, arts and crafts and more.
Also
The hotel also has an impressive stash of games, most of which are in the games room (natch); some of which are set up on the lawn outside the spa cabin: throw the bean bag, giant jenga, hula hoops and so on...
Sustainability efforts
As you’d expect from a lover of the great outdoors, Eleven Taylor River Lodge’s produce is either grown on-site or locally sourced; earth-kind cleaning and bath products are used.
