Stays at the Cradle Mountain Hotel, Tasmania
Sandra Conchie
Getting there: Coach tour or drive. Check-in experience: Excellent, 24-hour front desk, friendly staff.
Room: Tasteful decor, cosy and warm. All 60 rooms, arranged over one floor, are non-smoking.
Price: $189 a night depending on time of year.
What’s so good about this place? Perfect wilderness location. Stepping off point to Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Only 1km from Cradle Mountain Cafe & Info Centre, close enough to walk or hop a shuttle bus. Top-notch accommodation, service, food. Free parking.
And the bad? Only being able to stay two nights. What’s in the neighbourhood: Cradle Mountain Wilderness Gallery and Art Shop in the hotel complex has a great, eclectic range of original sculptures, artworks, and installations. Nearby there are lots of walks, helicopter rides, kayaking, horse riding, eco-tours, mountain biking, and hiking/biking trails. Cradle Mountain-Dove Lake is about a 20-minute drive away.
Toiletries: Premier lotions and potions.
Food and drink: Extensive la carte menu and buffet menu in the ground floor restaurant. Grab a bite to eat in the Altitude lounge bar with its great wine list and locally produced beers. Or sit in the cosy lounge close to a roaring fire. Choose from the extensive a-la carte menu or buffet menu in the ground floor restaurant.
The bed: Large king-size bed, blissful sleep and you even get to choose from the hotel’s pillow menu.
A room with a view: Each guest room has its own balcony, and each end of the guest corridor links to the hotel’s wilderness boardwalk.
Bathroom: Tasteful decor, firm shower pressure.
Wi-fi: Free connection in the lobby.
Noise: Despite being very busy, minimal.
Room service: Runs from 11.30am to 9pm, and there’s a mini-bar in the room.
Value for money: Most definitely.
Exercise facilities: Includes day retreat with complimentary hot tub and massage from 8.30am to 9pm. Bike rentals on site. Contact: cradlemountainhotel.com.au. Perfect for: A few days stay or even longer. Bottom Line: Excellent place to stay. Attentive staff. Breathtaking scenery. Can’t wait for a return visit.