Stayed for several nights during the Christmas period and was utterly disappointed with the lakehouse for the following two reasons:

1. Food
Having heard that the restaurant had received rave reviews from a variety of sources, I had high expectations for the quality of the food. Unfortunately the restaurant failed to deliver. I found the food over engineered in that the chef was intent upon doing something different only for the sake of appearing to be creative and innovative. The result was the destruction of fantastic local ingredients in small portions that leave the average diner hungry. It seems to me as though the food is trying way too hard.

2. Price
Whilst I may have forgiven the lakehouse for its shortcomings in other areas if it was priced accordingly, the hotel charges top end rates. We paid $76 (without alcohol) for two courses in the restaurant over dinner. If you had asked me what I believe they are worth in dollars and cents I would probably say something in the order of $30 given the small portions and over-engineered bizarre food concepts served up. The accommodation bill for several nights stay was also verging on ridiculous - and people wonder why Australian tourism is suffering...? I can find far cheaper and better serviced hotels and restaurants all around the world yet the Lakehouse believes that its idyllic sitting beside a manmade lake and a few positive critic reviews means it can charge an arm and a leg and still have customers returning for more.

3. Service
I found the quality of the service to be good but nothing beyond a 'good' restaurant or hotel. There were one or two snooty waiters who did make me feel out of place. Perhaps one notable example being when I arrived for the breakfast buffet at 8AM and found the restaurant empty of other diners and proceeded to select my own table only to be told by the waiter that I'd have to sit where she placed me. I also ordered a refill of freshly squeezed juice only to be informed that it was one per table.... quite bizarre really. I come to Australia once a year and I forget if this is normal in the Australian hospitality industry?

Beautiful setting, garden, welcoming & polite staff, clean & tasteful decor. A gorgeous place to stay & relax in quiet location. A special anniversary beckoned & where better to spend it than Daylesford. BUT, & I cannot avoid this one disappointment - the evening meal was in this category. There are other excellent restaurants to choose within the township but we thought we'd give the Lake House a go - wrong. The food looks amazing & other guests took photos of the plate but the taste was just not good - shame. The meal was overcooked, dry & tasteless. Maybe the chef was away being mid-week. Staff were delightful but I was not asked about whether things were satisfactory & I did not have the heart to complain about the dinner most of which I left on the plate. In contrast, breakfast was delicious, varied & plentiful.

The rooms are set in small blocks of 3-4 with winding verandahs, with cosy outdoor settings are charming & inviting. We played pool in the vast, communal lounge & there is a tennis court. Gardens are pretty & well kept constantly being swept of debris. Yes I'd happily return to stay here in a flash but without the dinner. We paid $300 for one night's stay.

Having booked the Lake House for an overnight stay en route to Moama NSW I was somewhat concerned to read the review by bittenbytheTbugz.
We were warmly welcomed at reception and shown to our lakeside view bedroom. In a block of four guestrooms with a large, clean, veranda overlooking the Lake. Well appointed, bright and spacious. The bathroom with the large double shower was clean and spacious.
We booked the Gourmet Break with the 8 course degustation dinner. What a treat! The food was beautifully presented. Each course explained in detail and each mouthful delicious. The package included a food hamper on departure. We were amazed by the contents and had a great picnic lunch.
My wife had a treatment in Spa and said that it was very good.
We took a leisurely walk around the Lake and just relaxed.
I would agree that the walls of the rooms are a tad thin. We also had a very noisy table near us in the restaurant - but this did not spoil our evening. The breakfast whilst good, was quite ordinary and I have had better ones in other boutique hotels.
Would we go there again - definitely and we definitely recommend it as place to stay and relax.
To say that the Lake House doesn't represenent value for mony is nonsense. It is not cheap but if you want cheap go to a motel!

we had slipped away for just a short stay and was excited based on previous visit to the restaurant to return to the Lake House this time to say in the luxury package. Yes it is expensive but we thoroughly enjoyed it and everthing met our very fussy expectations. Only 2 gripes - walls are thin between rooms so be considerate to your neighbours & do request a table of your choice for dinner but make sure all are clear which one you want - we had a mix up at dinner - but it was fixed graciously. We also had a small problem with our toilet - reception was there in 2 mins to fix it and was most impressed when maintenace stopped by next day just to make sure it was all ok. The walk around the lake is delightful. Overall, the food, winer, service, massages, everything was just as I wanted. will look forward to returning.