2A stayed for 5 nights. Managed to squeeze our trip in at the end of this season. We stayed when the owner, his family and their entourage, and some business associates were at the resort. Whilst this did not impact us in any major way, it was noticeable. Staff seemed more alert and almost on edge at times. There was a certain underlying extra awareness and, unsurprisingly, the owners and their associates clearly gained additional attention. Overall, a very luxurious experience. The rooms are spacious and inclusions for this type of resort met our expectations; fridge, coffee machine, etc. Our room had a good size outdoor space to sit on and watch the ocean. The pool is surprisingly refreshing and large enough that you can actually swim. Food was excellent with the dinner chef producing many great dishes, some of which were specifically tailored to meet my wife’s (medical) requirements. The menu’s are personalised and “named” and there is a real sense of the personal touch. You can do as much or as little as you want. The included motorised boats which were great fun and gave the option of exploring a little further along the coast. However, you cannot go too far and certainly not fully around the island. There is a relatively short bush walk to the neighbouring bay which was a bit of fun. We were surprised to find a 1 tonne bulk bag secured on the shoreline with a sign explaining that it was a collection point for plastics which wash up on the shore. After venturing along the beach area, and seeing the amount of plastics being washed ashore, it really highlighted the damage that we are doing to our ocean environment. We spent 30 minutes picking up what we could and placing it in the bag. The furthest travelled item was a take away coffee cup from PNG! I love helicopters and enjoyed the trip over. Apparently we were fortunate to have a “non-stop” transfer due to the weather being experienced in QLD at the time! Our pilot explained that there were many smaller islands we would fly over and, the previous day, he had stopped on one of them whilst the stormy weather passed. Despite having some absolute drenching rain, we really enjoyed our stay. We would definitely recommend adding this to your luxury bucket list. Need to know: • Outstanding staff and food • Great Pool • Good snorkelling – under the jetty near the National Park toilets is an easy way to see some fish. Or one of the included guided swims. • Lots or nothing to do – your choice The extra touches: - Enough poolside seating for all - All tables in the eating areas have a great view, and are set to exactly the number of guests - My wife loved the towels. Tried to find out where you could buy but apparently the supplier no longer stocks that particular one ☹ - There was plenty of accessible bug spray and sun cream. - There was a good book library and games (it rained a LOT given we were in the wet season…) - The in-house cookies - The picnic hamper that you could request if motoring to a bay/beach away from the resort Minor niggles: • The mini bar was not always re-stocked with the items we used. • Our room had a locked adjoining door but it felt a bit odd with this adjoining door. • Night lighting was not great along the paths to/from the communal and eating areas (however, we were specifically told that this was being addressed during their 6 week re-fresh).…
It is simply perfect. The ride there, the greeting on landing, the grounds, the facilities, the room, the food and wine, the activities and the location are all perfect. We felt all stress just leave us on landing and being greeted with such individual attention. Every need, really every need, is catered for and everything provided made it an amazing experience and the ultimate luxury holiday. It did also have an X factor and that was the staff. Not sure if its in how they recruit, train or the culture of the place but they were beyond amazing. They were every where we needed them to be, nothing at all was too much trouble and they were proactive and attentive but never intrusive. They knew our names from minute dot and soon learned F&B preferences. The thing that stuck me though was I really believe they genuinely cared about us and about our experience. We were so impressed we played a bit of a game at the end of our stay of “find a chink in the perfect armour” … we absolutely failed. We started this holiday as a consolation prize for a lost overseas vacation but have ended it as a promise to ourselves to do it again.…
Ever since we first visited Orpheus in 2018, we'd been planning to return. This second visit certainly didn't disappoint - still just as amazing, seamless and luxurious. And again we didn't want our stay in Paradise to end. It was great to see the same management team - Ross, Jen and Chrissy - as last time. Every staff member was warm, welcoming, obliging and nothing was too difficult. Even our arrival with Nautilus Helicopters with Dan was top notch with a running commentary of the islands as we flew past them. This visit, we were able to do a few more things that we missed out on last time. We were blessed with much better weather this visit too. We loved the Outer Reef charter - seeing the amazing coral and sealife and also catching our lunch - which was expertly prepared for us by the amazing chefs. The Clam Gardens still remains my favourite snorkelling site though. Big shout out to the amazing staff: Ian, Nicole, Benji, Elise, Caragh, Silvia, Arianna, Melissa and the chefs we met: Paul, Sean, Roberto and all the kitchen staff and the Activities Team: Jacob, Curtis, Dave, Ash, Liv and the cleaning and maintenance staff - whom I didn't get to learn their names and apologies to anyone whom I've left out We've been fortunate to be able to visit quite a few all-inclusive luxury resorts but Orpheus Island Lodge surely stands out as a special place in a special location run by special people. I could rave on and on - but in one sentence: It's a splurge but you won't regret it, so just do it!…
Travelled extensively & this stay is one of the best. Location, staff, meals all a standard which blew us away. Attention to every minor detail only scraped the surface of the work that must be going on in the background to create such a unique experience. Not only the luxuary & service but the wildlife. Echidna's crusing by during dinner, shallows full of hundreds of rays & small sharks, catching stonker coral trout off a bommie off the beach & kitchen preparing it into a work of art meal for lunch Words cant describe... Thank you Jennifer, Ross, Ian & team
Orpheus Island is Australia’s “slice of heaven”from our chopper ride in with Dan flying over sparkling waters and dotted islands. We were met by Chrissie who greeted us with welcoming bubbles, leading us through lush, tropical gardens to a comfortable foyer setting. Here, polite, smiling staff talked us through island life. This is a place where you can choose to be private or immerse yourself in many land/water activities. Do you read a book in a hammock or take a dinghy with a scrumptious picnic visiting a secluded beach and snorkel for hours amongst giant clams and marine life. The food from dawn to dusk was a 5 star feast with wines/cocktails to match. Our suite was luxurious, comfortable and well appointed...The staff made us feel so welcome, Chrissie, Jen and Ross were fabulous taking care of us like family. The chefs, gardener Jen, Nicole and the whole team made our holiday complete. We hope to return someday, it is definitely an island for your bucket list- an absolute hidden gem💜…
From stepping off the helicopter with my son you felt the warmth of the staff, the attention to detail and the laid back vibe. Nothing was a trouble for any member of the team - they communicated with ease to various departments so everything was seamless. The animals we saw around the resort and snorkelling - some of the most amazing snorkelling ever! The food was light and interesting and again my son was fussy so the chefs would cater to this fussiness with ease. The wines - if you’re into fine wines - the staff were knowledgeable and friendly. The rooms again - attention to detail with every little thing right down to the toiletries. It is better than any island I’ve visited in Hawaii or Fiji - I think the fact that there are only 12 rooms adds to the peaceful calm nature of the resort.…
My wife and I recently had a short break at Orpheus Island Lodge. We received a tip from family members who stayed there a few weeks earlier. They were worried when recommending it to us that our expectations may be raised too high. They weren't. It was perfect. The room, facilities, food and the people looking after us were first rate. Orpheus deserves 5 out of 5 if you are looking for a relaxing break for a few days with you partner.
This was our second time on Orpheus and we were nervous that we could never beat the first time. No need to worry - we had 6 nights of bliss and were joined by 3 more couples all who had an incredible time. The Orpheus team made my 50th Birthday absolutely special and made sure every detail was taken care of. Nothing was ever too much trouble from snacks by the pool to our groups varied food intolerances. I scratch my head at some of the reviews saying the food is not up to standard. We have stayed at many 5 star resorts/ hotels around the world and we loved every meal (the dinners were far from pedestrian). The activities were brilliant and well organised and thanks to Jacob and the team who packed our dinghies full of great food and wine for my birthday. Dining with the tides was amazing and chef Josh hit the brief to a tee. Our welcome back to the island from Ross , Nichole , Chrissi and Jack made us feel like we were coming home (and there were heaps of return guests that felt the same). Words can’t express how special this place is ... so if you are thinking of going “just do it” .. I guarantee you won’t regret it !!…
Orpheus is incredible in almost every way. Incredible ocean views, a massive seemingly lake sized pool that proves deep enough as to give adults reprieve from children guests. (We did not realise this resort allowed for guests under the age of 18) Comfortable and stylish rooms with charming little touches. A bottomless supply of grog. Endless natural beauty as far as the eye could see. Upon arriving at the island, new guests were sat down and given an overview of the resort. Activities on schedule day to day, meal times, extras available, as well as a thorough rundown of what each guest does and does not like to eat. Here we are thinking, oh this is incredible, everything is so tailored and fabulous. Oh, how we were wrong. Everything but the food. I was wholeheartedly expecting chef’s hat, Michelin rated style cuisine and presentation. What I got was so very pedestrian. Usually, I am forlorn for the end of a vacation but in this instance, I was so looking forward to our return to the mainland where once again I would have the ability and freedom of selection and quality of food. I stated in the long and drawn-out introduction to the island that I would prefer a seafood-based diet for the duration of my stay. I also requested that there be no mint in any of my offerings and yet on the first refreshment of the mini bar I found to my surprise a mint flavoured chocolate in the room fridge. Way to pay attention and tailor the experience. SMH. Why even bother to make such a show of customising each guests stay and experience if when all is said and done the preferences stated were completely ignored? Beyond the disregard for preferences was the utter lack of ingenuity when it came to the food available. Themed meal days? Chicken and pork seemed to be a big staple of the chef’s pantry. Meals were heavy on the carbs, an acceptable amount of vegetables and a pittance of protein. We are on an island so why not curate beautifully fresh seafood? Breakfast had the option of an a la carte menu, lunch was themed on various countries basic staples, and dinner was a sad attempt at degustation. There were set mealtimes and outside of that there did not seem to be any real options for snacking. I had requested a mid-day snack and was told to, “use my imagination” when thinking what I would like to munch on. I quickly requested sushi and was just as swiftly told that sushi was not possible. I then requested cold prawns and dip to which I was also swiftly rejected. Based on previous reviews I did not expect for such simple requests to be out of scope. This is an all-inclusive resort on an island and there are no other options for food other than what is being offered. Orpheus has got to do better especially since they are the sole option for meals for the duration of the stay. Aside from the food, which was a big deal to us as we are foodie connoisseurs, the stay was pleasant. Most of the staff were quite helpful and eager to make our stay enjoyable. We did take out a little motorised boat one day and were shocked to be reprimanded like misbehaved children when we were slightly late, 20 minutes, to return to the resort. I realise that times are complex and that businesses are facing struggles due to covid-19. That being said, Orpheus is still a business, and the stay is offered at what I would consider a luxury rate. The location is incredible and the resort itself is lovely but the cuisine being offered was not up to the standards that I would expect from a luxury resort. Shoes switched around, I would have been embarrassed as Orpheus staff to serve the food that the chef had prepared and as the chef I would seriously think about another line of work. We had initially planned to return to the island in December but after our experience we have decided to look at other options that might suit us better.…
We honeymooned on Orpheus and the location, food & staff did not disappoint. We are regulars to tropical island, so the natural beauty was expected, but the accessibility and quality of the surrounding reefs was exceptional. The staff were superb, very attentive and every thing was taken care of in a seamless manner. The island resort is high end and luxurious but not pretentious, everything was relaxed and perfect. The food was sublime and we had a private Dining with the Tides experience which was very special. Orpheus is perfect for couples, I would not take children here, it is set up as an indulgent experience for adults (and is just perfect as such). I’d highly recommend Orpheus for a special, ‘everything done for you’ experience.
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