Koonyum Range Retreat

My husband and I recently stayed in the Lotus Chalet, and overall, the experience was disappointing - mainly because of the poor value for money.

But first the positives - the view is very beautiful; the surroundings are peaceful; the bed was comfortable; the heated spa was fully what you would expect.

However, what I did not expect when paying $380 a night was the overall lack of attention to detail and cleanliness. Basically, this property is tired, and needs a full refurbishment if it wants to continue to charge these prices.

Examples of where the property fell down include:-
- filthy insect screen in the bathroom
- mould and otherwise dirty grouting in the shower enclosure and the bathroom generally
- dirty curtains in the bathrooms and bedroom
- the lounge suite is quite well worn, and only passably comfortable
- there were dirty hand marks around the light switches
- the wall behind the entrance door is just dirty
- the lighting in the wardrobe area is naked bulbs
- the air conditioner was just not up to the task of keeping the place cool (when it was approx 31C outside)
- the inside of the BBQ was covered in burnt on grease and fat
- the kitchen cupboards need re-coating/re-estapoling
- the breakfast was 'sparse' - muesli (which was full of nuts, and if I had a peanut allergy I would not dare to touch), milk, OJ, small croissants (the type you buy in a pack of 4 from Woolworths), some yoghurt, jam and some eggs. No bacon to go with the eggs, no fresh fruit - in other words, nothing particularly special. Coffee and tea are supplied
- the cooking facilities are extremely basic

Similarly, the attention to details in the service is just not there. I would have expected that the milk, jam etc supplies would have been replenished whilst we were out. But they weren't. However, when I did ask for more milk, it was provided quite promptly.

If the property did not have a view, my estimate is that it should be priced at no more than $200 per night. The view is worth perhaps another $50 a night. So at $380 a night, this place is severely overpriced. It is supposedly rated at 5 stars, but in my opinion it is struggling to reach 4 stars.

I have marked it 'Best for Adventures' - because you have to mark it best for something. However, I would not recommend it as being best for anything except the views. (Date of experience: Feb, 2011 )