Seven Spirit Bay

After sending an email to Seven Spirit Bay and receiving a highly insufficient response I have am entering this review with the items also sent to the resort. For almost $3000 per night and only 6 guests in the resort the experience should have been far superior to what was provided. 1. Collected from the airport by Nell the manager who advised there were only 6 in the resort and we could expect an exceptional stay. She would meet with us individually to ascertain our expectations and ensure they were met. This never occurred 2. The first lunch on arrival was a small bowl of a very plain chicken Caesar salad. One of the group was Vegan and had clearly and extensively communicated prior to arrival what she could and could not eat but was still given a non vegan meal. Salad was OK but nothing more interesting than what you would get at a café. 3. Fish for dinner freshly caught however the herb butter patty on the fish was frozen solid as it was for everyone else (except the vegan). The solution was to get a blow torch from the kitchen and melt it 4. One night the table was set with the cutlery reversed – all knives on the left, forks on the right 5. Another night all the staff had departed and the bar was locked by 9.45pm. No call for last drinks or a goodnight although the sign indicates the bar is licensed until 10.30 6. Breakfast toast prepared by staff was a large plate of 6 slices of warm bread, no sign of it being toast 7. Extremely limited wine selection and very limited bar snacks 8. On the second night (the day after the barge had arrived with supplies) the bar ran out of tonic water and this was not replenished until the day we departed 9. My friend had the same experience with regards to yoghurt. Resort ran out on the first day and it was not replaced 10. For the fishing trips the staff said they would put wine & beer on to the boat however once we departed we found there was nothing loaded. On return to the resort we were told the contrary which was no alcohol on board so inconsistent messaging and lack of staff training/guidance. Big shout out to Lachie the boat captain who was amazing! 11. The room fridge was empty except for some very out of date milk. Some wine, drinks or chocolate would be great 12. Food & Beverage staff training required. Spilt trays of drinks, no drink making skills amongst other things 13. On the last night we asked if there was any cheese/biscuits to be presented with a lovely cheese board. If we had have known this was available the six of us would have had it earlier 14. Menu board – every day there were several spelling mistakes 15. No hairdryers in room (required by 2 guests). Were told at the airport on departure that you can obtain them from reception. No compendium in the room advising this nor did any staff member advise

The facilities at Seven Spirit Bay are second to none. The cabins are incredible for such a remote location - a shower in which I could swing a cat; two sinks; separate toilet; deck with chairs (some with much better views than others); comfortable king-size bed and air-conditioning. The swimming pool was beautiful; fringed by tropical plants with cold-yet-refreshing water. The deck was the perfect place to see amazing Northern Territory sunsets over the bay. The common area has several places for people to congregate, both inside and outside, enabling separate groups to stay separate, as well as social together if required. Beyond that, the experience does come down to staff availability, which can be hard to ensure in such a remote location. We had amazing friendly guides, but someone had recently resigned and were yet to be replaced, meaning we couldn't do all the activities that we were promised/paid for. Those that were left tried their best and went above and beyond to ensure our comfort, such as taking us via golf buggy back to our rooms after dinner. I found the food and drinks were great, but I'm no foodie and other people thought they could be better.

Just returned from seven spirit bay 5night stay The food presented tu us was atrocious When you say that the food is amazing 4(5 other people disagree After waiting 30 years to go to this beautiful place was let brown with poor food limited service and a manageress who was not up to the job Good hard earned money wasted l would never recommend anyone to travel to seven spirit bay and be treated to substandard food and service Looking forward to the company reply P j

We had a magnificent time at SSB. The accommodation is luxurious, clean and very comfortable with A/C, crisp bed linen, great towels and pillows. The bathroom is huge and well appointed. The Lodge is a lovely area to sit in and connect to the internet if needed (no internet in accommodation). Sunscreen and mozzie repellent are provided (and a must to apply twice daily!) The fishing trips are fantastic with excellent guides and safe spacious boats. Land based tours are excellent, especially the Victoria Settlement. The resort is surrounded by lush, manicured gardens with a stunning swimming pool. We had a lovely encounter with buffalo on the track to the airstrip. The birdlife is wide and varied. Special mention to Mike who absolutely made our trip. His knowledge of the area is excellent and he made our day trips extra special. If you are really keen to catch barramundi, book during Barra season. It is a treat to catch fish, have them filleted for you and then served to you for dinner! The flight from Darwin airport to the SSB airstrip is 45 minutes in a light aircraft. The 40 minute ride in the troopie from the airstrip to the lodge is fun! The Library has many books providing a great resource for researching your birds, fish or land animals. Our only let down was the lack of chef styled meals for most of our stay due to staffing issues. The wine list is not large but is certainly adequate. We had a fabulous time and will definitely book again.

The final stop in our Arnhem Land trip was Seven Spirit Bay Wilderness Lodge which is obviously the jewel in Outback Spirit's crown. Cabins are five star with even twin hand basins in the bathroom and views of the bay from your bed. Dinner and drinks are on the deck, again with great views. Wifi is only available around the restaurant but that was ok. No TV was a little harder to take. Staff were excellent as was the food. About half of our group caught fish but what we caught was excellent with the biggest 1.3 metres. An excellent place to end our Arnhem Land tour.