Do not waste your money on The Louise in the Barossa! I have just spent three nights and a lot of money, to take myself, my wife, and her best friend from the USA, to The Louise. Based on our excellent experiences in Kangaroo Island before it burned down, and The Louise only 12 months ago with other O/S guests, this was a total nightmare, and embarrassing! The COO of Baillie Lodges, has responded by blaming the staff, despite my praise of almost every one of them, did not address any of the issues I raised, and offered me a free night, at a hotel I had just bitterly complained about! The formulaic attitude seemed to be “say sorry – blame the staff – give him a free night and p**s him off!” I believe that since last year there has been severe cost-cutting in many areas. There is also now a very high turnover of inexperienced staff. The staff, although mostly very new and inexperienced, were very pleasant, polite, cheerful, and tried to be helpful. The only experienced staff member we recognised from last year had his last day on the day we left. The food was very good. High fives to the chef and his staff. There were some things that we did not anticipate in a hotel supposedly as prestigious and exensive as The Louise. • One of the bedroom windows was extremely hard to open and shut as the winding mechanism did not appear to be working properly. We expected the handle to come off at any moment! • Having told our overseas visitor the pleasures of sitting in front of the cosy gas fire in the living area on a cold evening, the gas fire did not work. The gas technician obviously could not come at a moment’s notice, so we had no gas fire for the best part of our three-night stay. • One of the toilet doors was stuck in the open position. One feared it would come off its rollers if pulled too hard in an attempt to shut it! Doesn’t anybody check these things, on a regular basis? • Only one of the two very similar bedrooms and bathrooms has a heated towel rail. How hard is it to install a heated towel rack in the second bathroom? Why does one bathroom have one and the other doesn’t? • The “all inclusive” pre-dinner drinks menu has virtually disappeared from last year. Now it seems you are limited to wine, an Aperol Spritzer, or a Gin and Tonic. Where has the diverse range of free cocktails gone? • The same has happened with the “all inclusive” dinner wine list (non-pairing) which is now limited to about five wines only, and those cannot be said to have been particularly good. What happened to the previously extensive list? • On one busy dinner night at the Appellation restaurant, there were not enough seats for some of us (high-paying) guests to sit for their limited range of pre-dinner drinks. We had to sit out in the reception area and have someone try to find us an extra chair! • On TWO OCCASIONS, the white wine I had chosen for dinner came out to the table, warm! And was served warm without a hint of embarrassment! On the second occasion I had said very clearly to the staff member, “make sure it’s very well chilled tonight!” She responded by saying she would get “one of the bottles from the back of the fridge”, and yet, it still came out warm! On the first occasion we sipped water, whilst waiting for the wine to chill a little bit in the freezer. On the second occasion, we were at least offered some other COLD white wine, whilst we waited for ours to chill properly. All these experiences were disappointing, given that we had particularly enjoyed our previous experiences on Kangaroo Island and The Louise, where almost everything, from pre-and post-dinner cocktails were included, as was a long list of quality wines. (Yes, one does understand if Henschke’s Hill of Grace or Penfolds’ Grange is not included!) This equally high-cost visit was not only disappointing, but turned out to be embarrassing as well!

The Louise is just charming. The accommodation is a luxurious suite - quiet, spacious, comfy, beautifully arranged, immaculately clean. It has a private little patio with an amazing view on the vineyards. There is also a gym (well equipped and well maintained), and a pool to relax after a long day. The location is superb - a short drive (or a long walk) to Seppeltsfield winery & estate. A visit there, along with the wine tasting, is a must. Plus, there are multiple smaller wineries and cellar doors within a few kilometres distance. Whether it is walk, bike or drive - the surrounding area is incredibly beautiful, and the wines top quality. Now to the real treat - food and wine. Both restaurants are excellent, the Appellation - world class dining and wine pairing, and the Contour - delicious food and wine in a bit more relaxed way. Every dinner would be an entire story to tell, and even if you only have a chance to go there for a dinner - it is totally worth it. And finally - it is not enough to say that staff and friendly and helpful; they make this place really warm and welcoming. The atmosphere is great at the Louise, and I am looking forward to coming back.

I have rarely felt so pampered. From the welcome cocktail to the tea set up in the room before bedtime the attention to detail was impeccable. The food and wine pairings were divine and breakfast was sumptuous. My only complaint was the pool was too cold but the view from the pool made up for it

Wow… what a wonderful all encompassing experience a stay at The Louise is… it ticks every box… From the minute you arrive, weary travellers are treated to cool towels and refreshments, your luggage taken to your room and any plans/wishes you may have discussed. You feel cared for and welcomed. The hotel is in a beautiful setting with amazing sunsets. Superbly located to explore The Barossa. The rooms are well considered with comfort in mind. The beds are sublime - like snuggling down on a cloud! The Appelation dinners and wine pairings are Michelin star standard and are quite simply divine. They have excellent chefs with real talent - well done. And finally a big shout out to all of the staff at The Louise. They manage to create a professional yet friendly approach, give you the privacy you need yet are there to see to your every need… It’s an impressive operation. Would I return - yes, in an instant. Would I recommend it… without hesitation. You won’t be disappointed. The MacAllans

This property is the ultimate in luxury. Beautiful, spacious rooms with separate living area, fireplace, two outdoor areas, and indoor and outdoor showers. We were so impressed with the bed and pillows we plan to buy the same ones when we get home. Breakfasts, dinners, drinks, and snacks are included in the stay. Your evening starts with a 2-hour happy hour on the sundeck with wine and cocktails overlooking the vineyard. Dinner is a multi-course degustation with matching wine pairings. The food and service is outstanding with an excellent understanding of gluten free, so as a coeliac there is no compromise in the dining experience. Even breakfast is a multi-course affair with home-made crumpets (yes they are gluten free) before your choice of hot breakfasts. Everything is local, beautifully prepared, and delicious. Kira, one of our servers, had amazing local knowledge, not just of the wine and food, but also the local area and history. In fact all the staff, from the chef to the staff on reception were excellent - there is clearly a strong commitment to their training and development. This place is worth the price tag.