Capella Lodge

This lodge gets high marks for its unbeatable location with unbelievable views. This alone is worth the stay if you have any interest in visiting Lord Howe Island. It wasn't a perfect stay, but this property is one of one, and we happily overlooked some of the minor issues we experienced during our stay. While we are an active couple, as far as the lodging experience goes, we want the best: most spacious rooms with the most amenities, as well as the best view possible. In the case of this property, that honor goes to the Lidgbird Pavilion. Thankfully, it was available for the four nights that we had earmarked for our visit, and we are glad that we did. But first, the views.... Upon arriving at LHI Airport, we felt it was closer in appearance (and appeal) to Bora Bora or the Northern end of Kauai - it was not boring and flat, it was lush, but still had the turquoise blue waters that island escapists crave. And, stepping foot into the reception/dining area of Capella Lodge revealed how perfectly situated this property was. It faced the twin peaks of Mt. Lidgbird and Mt. Gower, with not a trace of civilization within the view line. That's because it's all other accommodations (and buildings, for that matter), are North of Capella Lodge, meaning nothing got in the way of the postcard-perfect view (it's the equivalent of Diamond Head in Oahu or Mt. Otemanu in Bora Bora.) The dining area as well as the common deck area both face the ocean and the peaks, and it's a gorgeous place to pass the time, including at sunset, when the fiery red sky and the mountains contrast beautifully with the lit-up plunge pool in the foreground. I am not sure how many of the rooms have similar views, but the Lidgbird Pavilion definitely did. We are not fans of maisonette-style (i.e.) rooms, but in this case, I can see why it was necessary. The lodge itself is in a lush setting, so you really need to be higher up to have the nice views. It's a 125m² Suite with a living room and large deck (with a plunge pool) on the first floor and the bedroom and a smaller deck (with the awesome view) upstairs. It was a comfortable place to pass the time - while it's not super new and modern, the furnishings and decor did exhibit a warm vibe. The only exception was the bath room and vanity, which seem to have more recently been renovated, with the style in stark contrast with the rest of the Pavilion. Note that the Lidgbird Pavilion does not have air conditioning, and provide no toothbrush or toothpaste (come on.) Also - and this was the case with Southern Ocean Lodge as well (both owned by the Bailey family) - the bed comforter was h-e-a-v-y. For the prices that they charge, I would really like them to have something lighter and fluffier. Would it inconvenience them so much to supply the rooms with down comforters? On the plus side, the accommodation does have toilets in both floors, saving people time and effort in using the loo. The other benefit: One of the two electric buggies (i.e. golf carts) are reserved for exclusive use for guests staying in the Lidgbird Pavilion. While bicycles would also fit the bill, in cases of variable weather it's nice to have a buggy that can be covered up when a sudden downpour emerges (it happened during our time there.) Food was nice overall. They really made an attempt to offer decent cuisine, despite the challenges of procuring fresh ingredients on a daily basis. The Vietnamese fresh spring rolls they offered on our arrival was excellent, as was the Potato gnocchi with mushroom, bacon, wattle seed and macadamia. The fish, however, was only so-so, and the majority of the time, it was Kingfish - it's relatively dry and flavorless, with very little fat, making it difficult to bring out any sort of umami out of it. Well over half of our fish dishes during our time in Australia was Kingfish. Given that it's surrounded by water, I kind of thought they'd have more edible fish varieties here? Service quality here was uneven and unpredictable. Pre-arrival, we discovered that there might be a chance for some rain, but had forgotten to pack a light rain jacket. I called the lodge in advance, asking if they sold any in their boutique or had any to borrow. The lady on the phone immediately said "no." And that was that. A day later, I got a call telling me they have rain jackets for sale. Hmmm. Another example was the time when our return flight to Sydney was cancelled due to inclement weather. I was silently lamenting our plight, when one of the managers looked up at me, dismissively, and said "that's why you get insurance, you know?" That was weird - of course it wasn't about the money, I was just thinking whether there would be any other option to get out. An hour later, I got a call in our room from the same lady, telling me there's a flight to Port Macquarie, and then maybe I can get a ticket to fly from Port Macquarie to Sydney. She managed to hold our reservation and we got the last two seats on the plane. Dinner was less uneven and was overall pleasant. They were helpful, insightful in explaining each dish and the ingredients, although a few of them appeared a bit cold. They weren't, but it was unlike the Australia stereotype that I had experience throughout our trip through the country. That said, they were engaging and helpful overall, although not super anticipatory. We spent 4 nights in Lord Howe Island, which seemed like the right amount of time to explore the island, do some nice hiking and also take the wonderful scenic flight that also passed by the iconic Ball's Pyramid.

Lord Howe Island is a truly unique destination, and Capella Lodge perfectly captures its beauty with its stunning location facing the majestic mountains of Mt.Gower and Mt.Lidgbird. My wife and I stayed in a Capella Suite for 8 nights - where we began each day with scrumptious breakfasts. In the evenings delicious canapé were dished up. Followed then by wonderful dinners (with the menu varying daily) and premium wines provided. We made use of the e-Bikes most days, which enabled us to quickly reach the many sights around the Island (as well as giving us our daily exercise). Our thanks to the friendly and professional staff that went above and beyond in pampering us – Monica - Welcome (arrival & departure) (and Restaurant) - Gabrielle, Annabel, Alex, Siobhan, Nick, Maddy, Shana, Sally, Libby

An amazing stay for 3 nights and 4 days on Lord Howe Island at Capella Lodge. The staff lifted the experience to the next level and were without exception friendly, informative and helpful ensuring we were able to maximise what we saw and did on our visit. The food each evening was excellent. Feel very fortunate to have visited this incredible island and stayed at such a special venue.

We loved Capella. Our room was comfortable and private, with a hot tub which was nice at the end of the day as the weather cooled. The food was absolutely fantastic. I also enjoyed the casual chats with staff and other guests, many of whom are international. The public spaces are lovely. The deck and pool are quite small, but very nice - there are only 2 (or ?3) swimming pools on all of Lord Howe Island (the others we know of are at not so nice accommodation) and it was nice to lounge and swim there for a change. The equipment we borrowed (snorkel gear, bikes, golf cart) was all great. My only gripe would be that there aren't enough e-bikes.

Just got home from an incredible week at Capella Lodge. Perfect location, divine cuisine, superb staff and an overall phenomenal experience. Libby and Mark have a wonderful team around them and everyone at the lodge makes you grateful for your decision to spend your time on the island at Capella. The cuisine is top tier with the chefs treating you to a different decadent and imaginative menu each night. Truly fine dining at its best. A heartfelt thank you for the perfect week in paradise!!