Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge

I had fond memories of Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge from my previous visit in 2001, and it has long been regarded as a must-stay destination when touring Tasmania. However, my recent visit during the Christmas period left me feeling disappointed, as the experience fell short of the reputation and the premium price we paid.||Let me start with the positives: the location is stunning, with fantastic accessibility to a variety of walking trails suitable for everyone, from casual walkers to serious hikers. The surrounding wildlife adds a special charm, making the walks an engaging experience for families.||The Lodge Experience|While the natural setting remains incredible, the Lodge itself did not meet expectations. We stayed during the Christmas period and paid a substantial amount, which we would have gladly done if the service and facilities had matched the price. Unfortunately, they did not.||The units and villas, while partially refurbished, still require significant attention to detail. Cleaning standards were inconsistent, which detracted from the overall experience.||Dining Challenges|One of the most disappointing aspects of our stay was the dining experience, particularly given the premium pricing for Christmas meals. Despite months of planning, the Christmas Day menu was only released in early December, leaving little room to consider alternatives.||Breakfast & Lunch: We were informed that the buffet breakfast on Christmas morning would be better than usual; however, it was underwhelming. The Christmas buffet lunch was also substandard for the price. To make matters worse, there were repeated issues identifying our reservations for both meals, despite receiving system-generated confirmation emails and reminders.||Christmas Night Dinner: The most frustrating experience occurred during our Christmas dinner reservation at the Highland Restaurant. Upon arrival at 7 PM, we were told our reservation did not exist. Despite showing the email confirmation and reminders, the manager on duty rudely dismissed us, claiming we had no reservation and adding that a staff member mentioned in the email “does not work here anymore.” Persistence eventually secured us a table, but the rudeness and arrogance of the staff member left me feeling upset and ruined the evening. While the meal itself was very good, the lack of basic courtesy overshadowed the experience.||Lack of Management Presence|On Boxing Day morning, I attempted to speak with the on-duty manager to address our concerns but was informed that no manager would be available until later in the day. For a lodge operating at full capacity during a peak holiday period, the absence of managerial presence at 10 AM was surprising and disappointing.||Final Thoughts|While Cradle Mountain remains a beautiful destination, my experience at Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge did not deliver value for money or the level of service expected from such an esteemed establishment. The staff at the bistro made an effort to provide good service but were clearly understaffed, which affected the overall experience.||This review would not have been as critical if there had been genuine communication, courtesy, and an effort to resolve issues during our stay. I hope the management takes this feedback seriously, as the Lodge has great potential to align its service with the exceptional beauty of its surroundings.

If you want an average, tired lodge stay here. Everything from the food to the cabins are in need of a makeover. The staff is lovely but that doesn't help the accomodations. Way over priced for what is offered. There is also no hospitality. Considering the property is in need for change some homemade cookies and tea in mid afternoon would have gone along way. But nothhing in the way of small lovely touches. The rug in my cabin had so many creases in it, I tripped. No one to help with luggae up a flight of stairs. For over $500 US someone should be around to help. No charm, no warmth very average. Sad to right this.

We stayed here overnight, the night before commencing the overland track for a 9 day long hike. everything we needed was supplied. Dinner in the tavern was delicious, as was the breakfast, that was included in our stay. The bed was super comfortable and all staff were fabulous. Lovely easy short walks around the lodge, with an abundance of gorgeous wildlife. Highly recommend!

We stayed at Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge between Xmas and New Year with 2 rainy, low visibility days and that limited our outdoor walking/hiking so we spent a bit more time indoors and found Peppers a little limited with things to do indoors. The cabins were spacious, comfortable and well heated and the staff were friendly and keen to help. However because they were almost all young travellers on working visas the local expertise they provided was a little limited. Other than breakfast the food was pretty underwhelming. The Bistro, in particular, serves very ordinary pub food and the worst pizzas I have ever eaten.

We were very excited to be going back to Cradle Mountain Lodge for a return visit after several years. However we were disappointed. Check in was lack lustre, with instructions like where to have breakfast or meals not discussed.|Our Pencil Pine room was much as we’d remembered, a little tired but very comfortable and warm. The bed was comfortable and there were a couple of chair around the gas fire to sit and chat. The bathroom was fairly basic but had a heat lamp which was needed! |Daily room refreshing was slow and unsatisfactory. |Breakfast was ordinary, with the ‘hot’ meals in the servery only lukewarm warm. We asked for an omelette but were told lonely poached eggs to order. After we’d eaten our lukewarm scrambled egg we were told we could order an omelette! We did this the second morning, and it was freshly prepared, hot and tasty. We were also given one barista coffee which was lovely. |Our dinner in the highland restaurant will be another review and another Eason why we were so disappointed for our return visit. |The staff were friendly but in my opinion, not well trained, and some struggled with the language. |This Lodge is an iconic part of Cradle Mountain, and it was so disappointing that it has slipped so far from its original professionalism.

Lovely location. Nice warm rooms (love the gas fireplace). Cool wildlife. Amazing all you can eat buffet breakfast each morning included in the room price. Tavern food is a bit basic for what it costs but the pizzas are quite good (stone fired). Tasty mulled wine also. Friendly service but the picnic packs are way over priced. Overall a lovely experience especially since it’s so close to a plethora of nice walks.

Beautiful location. The lodge itself has the feel of trading on its location somewhat given the prices charged, given that rooms are certainly in need of some modernisation. Common areas are fantastic though, especially the number of REAL open fires!

Cabin was great in general. Food at Tavern was too pub like, okay for a meal or two, but for every meal, wish it was better quality, for example the pizza wasn’t great. Service was average. Limited wine options. One thing to note is there is no WiFi in the cabins, and then cellular connection is almost non existent unless you are on Telstra. Breakfast was very average. Some animals in the premises which was very nice. Guest laundry with washer and dryer was very nice. Overall great potential but mixed feelings, especially for the price (900$ per night for family cabin).

We had stayed here before, but this time I brought my best friend to see some of the most amazing scenery on the planet. The lodge itself looks rustic but it is very modern with Wi-Fi and all amenities; however, there is no Wi-Fi at the cabins you stay in nor is there any TV. So if you need this type of technology, probably not the best bet for you. With bonuses such as hot chocolate kits with marshmallows and other wonderful things like a wood fireplace? This place is heaven. I will say it is the one place on the planet where you can sit on your deck and see pademelons, wombats, possums, and other wildlife walk right past your door. Rooms include a very lavish breakfast. The restaurant's okay at best. It's kind of mediocre but they try very hard and that makes a difference. You can do a variety of very lovely walks to waterfalls and other features without getting a pass into the national reserve. Or you can get a pass and go in and do other more extensive hikes.

The Lodge is a franchise of the Peppers group and seen better days. The facility is acceptable however the food and drink is below par and overpriced. The pub food was poor and only one pizza variety on the menu was available some wines on the menu were unavailable. Staff were working hard however they seemed constrained by what was available and management choices.

What a beautiful place! The rooms were gorgeous and the arrangement of space so relaxing. There was a gas fireplace in the room with a couple of comfortable chairs and a small table facing the warming flames. The view out of the large window provided a picture of a natural forest scene, lush and green. The room was modern, clean and quiet. It was cold up there on Cradle Mountain in the early spring and the snow and then freezing rains came sporadically, but they provided large umbrellas to help us keep dry. The lodge was built of wood and stone and provided all meals, again in a beautiful setting. The food was excellent with a variety of choices. There were also reading/gathering rooms within the lodge for quiet discussions or maybe to just curl up with a good book. There were some hiking trails right around the site itself and native animals showed up to graze. This is an out of the way place, and in fact, most of the staff lives there during their work weeks to avoid a long commute. This hotel was well worth the trip!

The photos online make the lodge look a lot more luxurious than it actually is. I still think it is a great lodge but it does not match up with how much it is per night. Be wary that there is no wifi or tvs in the cabins, only in the main lounge. You are paying for the location as it is walking distance from the entrance to the park. The service was very subpar. I had to pester the lady at reception to get a map back to the airport which was outrageous seeing as we were stuck in the middle of nowhere with no mobile phone reception. Nonetheless, it is still a great hotel but you've been warned that money will fall from your pockets without you even noticing. Cradle Mountain is a tourist trap but you just have to grin and bear it.