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

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.

While you cannot fault the location of Capella Lodge as the only accommodation south of the airport, with impressive views of Mt Gower from the dining areas and some room decks, it was the service and the food that was stand out. We were met at the airport and had a quick mini-bus tour on the 5 minute trip to Capella Lodge where we were installed on the outdoor lounge with a glass of bubbly. From that point, every staff member came to know our names and engaged us at every opportunity. We did get the sense of being watched as our complimentary mini-bar was restocked with beer, wine, snacks and cheeses seemingly every time we left the room. Cars are scarce on Lord Howe but I did notice that other guests had hired a car which was a complete waste of money. Bikes are provided to all guests and e-bikes for a fee. There is an electric golf buggy which seats 6 that you can hire; although they gave it to us for a day. Otherwise, they will ferry you around the island on request. 2 level studio room was comfortable but I would not say luxurious but even though the weather was terrible for most of our stay (roaring 60km winds and rain) we did not spend much time in the room - except to luxuriate in hot tub while wind and rain did their thing. Food and wine is fine dining every night (and breakfast is pretty good too) and food would rate with best restaurants we have attended. If you are (very) adventurous, book your Mt Gower 8hr adventure well before you arrive. Snorkeling from glass bottom boats seems to have better availability (most seem to close on Saturday) but weather put-paid to those for us. Fantastic place, fantastic lodge. Thanks to Anna, Anna, Anna, Shanna, Hanna, Hanna and Annabelle for the service!