11 Oct 2022
Capella Lodge Named Top Lodge in Australia and South Pacific
Baillie Lodges’ luxury Lord Howe Island accommodation Capella Lodge has been voted the best resort in Australia and the South Pacific in the Condé Nast Traveller 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Topping the chart in the Australia and the South Pacific category, Capella scored 97.65 from a possible 100, based on readers’ reviews.
Top scorers in the prestigious awards’ new “community” criteria – in other words, how readers felt the resort supported local people and interests – included Bali’s The Laguna and Capella Lodge on Australia’s Lord Howe Island, along with the Namibian outpost of Burning Man favourite Habitas, one of the most striking recent openings in Africa.
A short two-hour flight from Australia’s east coast and home to the world’s southernmost coral reef, the tiny World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island boasts awesome natural assets making it a ‘best-kept secret’ destination for snorkelling and diving, as well as hiking along mountain and beach tracks.
Accessible to just 400 visitors at any one time, Lord Howe has become more appealing than ever as travellers increasingly seek out natural destinations free of crowds and with plenty of space and fresh air.
Baillie Lodges founders James and Hayley Baillie who own Capella Lodge said the recognition in the Condé Nast Traveller 2022 Readers’ Choice awards was especially significant as travel began to bounce back following years of restrictions due to the pandemic.
“Capella was the first property in the Baillie Lodges portfolio and we’re so thrilled to see this endorsement from some of the world’s most discerning travellers,” Mr and Mrs Baillie said.
“Lord Howe has been a favourite family holiday destination for us over generations and we consider the awards a reflection of a new era of conscious travel, where the chance to make a positive impact on the environment and communities in which we holiday will play a greater role,” they said.
About Baillie Lodges
Baillie Lodges is a growing portfolio of luxury lodges renowned for setting benchmarks in premium experiential travel. Set in exclusive locations of unique natural or cultural significance, the boutique properties appeal to the discerning global traveller seeking a remarkable experience. The Australia-based collection was founded in 2003 by James and Hayley Baillie and includes Longitude 131° at Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Capella Lodge on Lord Howe Island, Silky Oaks Lodge at the Daintree Rainforest, and The Louise in the Barossa Valley. Flagship property Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island was destroyed in the 2020 bushfires and its rebuild is in progress, with an anticipated reopening in mid-2023. In 2019, an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners acquired Baillie Lodges with the aim to further expand the unique collection of luxury lodges. The 2022 addition of Chile’s esteemed Tierra Hotels group marks a continuation of the collection’s foray into international waters, joining the Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge on Canada’s Vancouver Island and New Zealand’s Huka Lodge. For more information, please visit baillielodges.com.au. Baillie Lodges’ Australian properties are honoured as members of the Luxury Lodges of Australia collection.
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Baillie Lodge Media Enquiries | Sarah Shields | sarah@baillielodges.com.au | +61 425 318 966