Tullah Lakeside Lodge

It used to be a business I'd gladly recommend, but now I'd tell people to avoid it. It's extremely disappointing to see a once lovely family-run place fall so quickly. The new owners seem to have wanted a clean slate, but the restaurant and hotel have lost the long-serving local staff who helped them thrive. You have to wonder why. I used to enjoy coming here, especially for the friendly young waitresses. They've been replaced, and the warmth and service that made the place special have gone. Food standards have dropped sharply. Recent reviews mention food poisoning, and our own meals were nowhere near acceptable for the exorbitant prices. They seemed to be frozen food put in the fryer and not cooked properly. The new employees seem untrained, which looks like a management problem, as they don't appear to get the guidance or support they need. Half the menu is often unavailable, and the display fridges and freezers often look empty. Hot water and Wi-Fi in the accommodation are unreliable too. Management responds with a shrug instead of trying to sort things out.

We stayed one night, and that was enough. At $215 a night, the room was way overpriced and needed a lot of care. There was no remote for the TV, and reception said it was a known problem. In the morning, we had no hot water. We also had lunch there with a big group, but service was hit and miss and some food was left off orders. When I booked, I was told there were plenty of gluten-free options, but really there were four. They said the chips were gluten free, though they use the same fryer vat as everything else, so they aren't actually gluten free. They've also added a 10% weekend surcharge to everything, even bottle shop purchases and souvenirs or clothing. Every drink and food order had the charge. It used to be a great place to relax on the West Coast, but since the new management came in, prices have gone up and standards have slipped. Shame on management. We're not rushing back.

The lake views seem to go on forever, framed by lush, fern-filled bush. We hired canoes and spent a really relaxing afternoon on the water. The new menu, chef, and management have made such a difference since I've been eating at the lodge for years. The lamb cutlets were juicy, the roast vegetables cooked just right, and the beef burger was a treat. There's something on the menu for everyone. This place is definitely a highlight of this shanty chic mountain town.

It was so disappointing to visit Tullah Lakeside Lodge again. It used to be one of my favourite places. On arrival, the woman at reception was grumpy, and my room wasn't serviced daily. I was there on my own, and the bin got full and overflowed. I stayed for three nights with friends, and we noticed there were hardly any locals in the bar on Friday night, though it used to be packed on Fridays and Saturdays. We paid our organisers $40 per person for a Saturday night function with a meal and entertainment. There was Greek salad, another very gluggy-looking salad made with some kind of grain, tough lamb kebabs, plus chicken and vegetarian kebabs. Around 12 people got no food. When management refused to bring out more kebabs, they provided chips and chicken nuggets instead. If I'd wanted that, I'd have gone to McDonald's. People had to go to the bistro and pay another $30 to $40 for dinner. Everything had a 10% weekend surcharge. They'd advertised two pizzas for $50 as a weekend special, then added a surcharge on top of the advertised price. It was obvious they'd kept none of the previous staff. The new staff seemed very inexperienced and poorly trained, and I noticed when leaving that many of the bar and wait staff also clean rooms. Bistro meals were average, though I had a great eggs Benedict for breakfast, the only meal I really enjoyed. Such a shame the lodge has gone into a downward spiral since the new owners took over.