Maleny, Australia

Maleny Lodge

Price per night from$216.02

Price information

If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.

Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (AUD330.91), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.

Style

Stitch-in-time homestay

Setting

Small-town Sunshine Coast

Built as a home for a couple and their 11 children in 1905 (although now it’s adults only, due to dainty vintage finds), and operating as a guesthouse since the 1940s, Maleny Lodge has a strong legacy of making those who cross its white-picket fence and restful porchfront feel welcome. The new owners have spent 10 months bringing the main house Rosedale back to its Edwardian elegance, adding period-appropriate pieces and tasteful era-skimming picks, four standalone suites named after the original owners, and a garden pool. Whether you hire the whole lot, the three-bedroom residence or a standalone hideaway, this is intended for living like a local: scoping out the dining scene, getting to know Maleny’s artsy community, day-tripping to farms and rainforests, and soaking up rays along the Sunshine Coast. 

Smith Extra

Get this when you book through us:

Early check-in at 12 noon

Facilities

Photos Maleny Lodge facilities

Need to know

Rooms

Four standalone suites, and the three-bedroom main house (Rosedale) which can be booked in its entirety. The whole lodge can also be booked exclusively.

Check–Out

10am, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 2pm (although Smiths can rock up at 12 noon).

Prices

Double rooms from £188.21 (AU$364), including tax at 10 per cent.

More details

Rates don’t include breakfast.

Also

As long as you clear any celebration plans with the owners in advance of your stay, the house is a sweet setting for a small wedding, birthday meal or more, and can be exclusively booked as a blank canvas venue to work your magic on.

At the hotel

Garden and patio, woodland, free WiFi. In rooms: iPad loaded with Netflix, Binge and Flash News; Nespresso machine with biodegradable capsules; kettle; air-conditioning; organic vegan Saya bath products.

Our favourite rooms

If you’re travelling with friends, Rosedale comprises the whole original house, which has been painstakingly renovated. Nod off in the cane-backed rocking chair by the living space’s open fireplace, soak in a clawfoot bath tub, whip up something with local farm finds before serving it at the antique dining table, and settle in the TV room’s softly cracked leather sofa for a binge-watching session. Of the standalone suites, Freda with its bath tub steps from the bed, white cladding and wood-burning stove is a space for snuggling in, and Alfred has a balcony with wicker seating – although all are well-appointed, with flax linens, a freestanding or clawfoot bath tub and all-natural lotions, and an iPad for in-bed viewing.

Poolside

Surrounded by tiered steps of topiary and sandwiched between a manicured garden and rugged woodland, the decently sized magnesium pool has mineral-rich water to leave you feeling even more refreshed after a dip. And we applaud the style choices made here, from the black-painted brick and black sunloungers to the black-and-white parasols – so chic.

Packing tips

Your days will differ from pounding Maleny’s pavements on antique-hunting expeditions and brunch outings, to hiking in the Blackall Range and other ‘prepare to get muddy’ pursuits, and don’t forget that up here in the mountains it’s a little cooler and requires a coat. So, pack appropriately. And, assemble your own suitcase minibar – aside from tea and coffee, the hotel doesn’t offer any food or drink.

Children

Heritage interiors, dainty vintage pieces and sticky-fingered, runabout smalls aren’t the best bedfellows – so this is for over-18s only.

Food and Drink

Photos Maleny Lodge food and drink

Top Table

The courtyard has a smattering of tables looking out over the garden to the woodland beyond, or snack on one of the loungers by the pool. Rosedale’s vintage dining table is a genteel gathering spot.

Dress Code

Whatever you want, while you’re here this is your home; however, some William Morris-style prints or a jaunty three-piecer wouldn’t look out of place.

Hotel restaurant

There’s no food or drink provided onsite. Guests staying in Rosedale can use the kitchen and dining table, but they’ll have to put their chef hat on. Don’t worry, when you do get peckish, Maleny has plenty of restaurants and cafés for dining out, and delis, bakeries and gelaterias for picnicking in.  

Hotel bar

The only drinks provided are coffee and tea, but if you want something to pop open, stop by the bottle shop at Maleny Hotel, which also has beers and pre-mixed cocktails; or pick up champagne, ciders and Aussie fine wines from Purple Palate. 

Location

Photos Maleny Lodge location
Address
Maleny Lodge
58 Maple St
Maleny
4552
Australia

Maleny Lodge sits on a peaceful, leafy residential street in rural town Maleny, in Australia’s Sunshine Coast region. The hotel’s surrounded by boutiques and eateries and in the great yonder there’s the Glasshouse Mountains, rainforest and farmland.

Planes

Brisbane Airport is the closest, around a 90-minute drive away, which has direct connections across Australasia, to the US, Asia and the Middle East. Brisbane airport is the closest, around a 90-minute drive away, with direct connections across Australasia and to the US, Asia and Middle East. Or, if you’re flying up from a city in the southeast or from Auckland, you can land at the Sunshine Coast airport, about a 45-minute drive from the hotel.

Automobiles

Maleny isn’t as remote as some Australian towns, but there’s not a lot of public transport (aside from the Glasshouse County Coach service from Maleny to Landsborough and Beerwah) and attractions beyond Maleny that you’ll need a bit of horsepower to reach, so hiring a car will serve you well. The lodge has a free car park with one space for each room.

Worth getting out of bed for

Rural town and creative community Maleny (pop. circa 4,000) might not take up much space on the map itself, but the natural beauties of the hinterland surrounding it are immense. Set at the tail end of the mighty Blackall Range and an easy drive from the Sunshine Coast beaches, your time here could be spent on the trail of marsupials, rope swinging into a waterfall, having fun on a dairy farm, or soaking up sun – or taking a day trip to Brisbane. First off, get to know the artsy locals at Maleny Lane, a multi-purpose space where little wooden food huts offer up worldly eats under fairylights, and on weekends twilight dinners and live gigs are held. It’ll give you a feel for the inherent friendliness here. On Sundays, head to RSL Hall to source antiques of the kind you’ll find in the lodge, farm produce and local handicrafts at the weekly market; and acquire more blast-from-the-past homewares, and some fine custom timber furnishings at Antiques & Vintage Treasures and carpenter David Linton’s workshop. Then get out into the green. Keep your eyes peeled for platypi and delightful named birds (willie wagtails, spangled drongos) as you guide yourself along the Obi Obi Boardwalk, or wander through 18,000 native trees and plants along the Maleny Trail, which also has a Poetry Sculpture Trail, Cloud Walk and numerous picnicking spots – if you’re lucky you might see…another platypus. Maleny’s Botanic Gardens and Bird World is the sort of setting – lily-strewn lakes, rose bushes, rare orchids, waterfalls and bijou bridges – where you might find young gamines laughing in a flower crown as their Insta husband snaps away, but it has something for all with globally inspired beds, treehouses to explore and the chance to pirate up with a parrot on your shoulder. Less tame is Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, acres of rainforest teeming with flora, fauna, fungi, feathered and flying things (no platypi though). Walking trails criss-cross it, and there’s a discovery centre where you can learn more about the residents. The Glasshouse Mountains also show off their good side here, but another photo-op aspect can be found at McCarthy’s Lookout. Swimsuit up for splashing about in Gardners Falls, or kayaking across the Baroon Pocket Dam, and if you still feel the need for trees, there are Maleny and Noosa national parks within driving distance. When it comes to beaches, take your towels to Mooloolaba, Maroochydore or Mudjimba; and for galleries galore and a dynamic dining scene, head south to Brisbane.

Local restaurants

Maleny enjoys a thriving farm-fed dining scene, with eateries from the casual to the chi-chi, which is just as well because food isn’t served at the lodge. In fact, you need only cross the street to get started – Daawat Indian Restaurant has an epic of a menu with all the classics from across the subcontinent that makes especially good use of the coast’s shellfish. The Terrace is also a dab hand at under-the-sea fare, with a comforting chowder; oysters topped off with bacon and bourbon, Bloody Mary; and wakame with ponzu; reef fish served whole and spicy; and theatrical hot or cold platters. Maleny Hotel’s bistro has dedicated schnitzel and steak menus and reliable gastropub eats, and a leafy deck to dine on; and Capriccio’s, along the banks of Obi Obi Creek, is a third-generation Italian, with pastas, pizzas and meat and fish dishes made to make nonna proud. And, for a meal that ups the romance ante, hire a taxi out to Spicers Tamarind Retreat, where French-trained chef Daniel Jarrett has looked to Thailand for inspiration and serves up wagyu beef tataki, butter pork mandu, hot and sour prawn salad, and orange fish curry, among other fine dines.

Local cafés

Breakfast isn’t served at the hotel, but you’re in Australia, the land of god-tier dining to kick off your day, so, no worries. Stop into Shotgun Espresso – a friendly hangout strewn with plants and mismatched chairs – for baguette French toast topped with roasted rhubarb, strawberries, toasted macadamia nuts and honey whipped cream; a Salty Aunt (anchovies, poached eggs and salsa verde on sourdough, drizzled with hollandaise); mushroom bruschetta with chevre and garlic or a Korean steak sandwich with kimchi mayo. Monica’s Cafe – all white walls, wood and trailing plants – serves breakfast and lunch. Think fruit toast or buckwheat crepes; potato and feta hash cakes with bacon and herby soured cream; or toasties, salads and halloumi burgers (there’s a separate vegan menu too). And be sure to order a few cups of the Tim Adams speciality coffee house blend. A sort of saloon, with mini chandeliers, Sarah’s Unplugged is a family-owned stop which makes a mean chai latte, has a vividly hued display of local artwork, and bakes cakes and muffins worthy of your Insta grid. Tiffany’s spends most of its time as an adorable wedding venue amid jaw-dropping scenery, with its achingly romantic vaulted ceilings, and lofty windows framing the Glasshouse Mountains; but on Sundays, visitors say ‘I do’ to their high tea, a dainty assemblage of precision-cut sandwiches, mini wagyu pies and mixed quiches, pâtisseries and scones with a how-to guide including the queen’s preference (jam on first, allegedly). But what if you’re hungry – for lunch and showpiece views – any other day of the week? Well, Mountain View Cafe has Glasshouse peaks to peep (from on high in the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve) and the likes of milk buns stuffed with pork shoulder and ginger aioli, Mooloolaba king-prawn wraps, Welsh rarebit and their own take on high tea (for groups of six or more). After dollops of cream, those with a high lactose tolerance should hit the local farms for some creamy goodness, stopping at Maleny Dairy for a tasting at the Milkbar, Maleny Cheese for melty bries to dunk in and oozy raclette, and feel the churn at Maleny Food Co whose arm’s length gelato list has flavours like apple pie; lychee, ginger and chocolate; and black cherry, espresso and almond.

Local bars

Brouhaha in Maleny is a microbrew lab, drinkery and restaurant in a bright airy space where plants cascade from the high ceiling. First, fill up on lemongrass-and-garlic prawns with a herby papaya salad; a pizza topped with pumpkin, pistachio and goat’s cheese; homemade pork scratchings; or a local cheese board, then take a flight of the core range: a lager, a pale, a strawberry/rhubarb sour and a milk stout. Or see what’s pouring from the seasonal tap. And, Maleny Mountain Wines shows its dedication to the grape by being housed in a giant barrel itself, within which very drinkable local grows have been decanted into dinkier barrels.

Reviews

Photos Maleny Lodge reviews

Anonymous review

Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this historic layer-cake of a home in Queensland and unpacked their own trove of locally hunted antiques and cheeseboard haul from the surrounding dairy farms, a full account of their ‘small town to wide-ranging natural wonders’ break will be with you. In the meantime, let’s get cosy in Maleny Lodge in the Sunshine Coast…

The hoteliers behind Maleny Lodge certainly have steely nerves – after relocating to Australia’s Sunshine Coast from the UK in late 2019 with their three children, they set about converting a shabby motel into beautiful beachy boutique stay Loea, only to find themselves in the midst of lockdown, finally opening in May 2020. Clearly the experience didn’t scar them too much, because they barely paused a beat before opening holiday-home-style stay Maleny Lodge, another renovation, this time of a charming white-picket-fenced, porch-fronted Edwardian home built in 1905. Of course, there’s more in the couples’ corner than sheer tenacity and luck. Andrew has a background in hospitality and Lucy has exquisite taste and a magpie’s instincts for finding vintage treasures, evidenced by the soigné dark-wood armoires and dining tables, ornately framed mirrors, cane-backed rocking chairs, stained glasses and other lucky finds – plus vases of dried and fresh-cut flowers – set throughout the original building and four add-on suites in the grounds. And the house itself has an impressive legacy of looking after guests, first built as a family home (Rosedale House) for Mr Alfred C.K. Cook, his wife and 11 children (after whom some rooms are named), the Watson family turned it into a gentlemen’s boarding house in the 1940s, it transitioned to a bed and breakfast in the 1980s, and after a 10-month restoration, the new custodians – and with their proven moxie and talent – will likely long continue this home run of hospitality. 

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Price per night from $216.02