Gmundner Lodge

Really fabulous. All the staff were very warm and welcoming. The lodge is exceptional, the food is excellent and we had a very relaxing stay.

What could be improved: Very little. We enjoyed the morning drive we went on and Ronny was a great guide. There is obviously a pressure from guests to see as many diverse animals as possible which we understand. Personally we preferred to see the animals that were thriving in the environment rather than those tourists wanted to see. Very educational though and Ronny’s guidance was very illuminating for naïve tourists like ourselves.

The attention the detail across the property is wonderful! The rooms are decorated and designed to the highest standard as well as the communal areas which make you feel like a home away from home. The food is incredible, a great wine selection and the host at the restaurant (unfortunately we don’t remember his name, but he was from Zimbabwe) was absolutely outstanding. He always made sure we had everything we needed even before we could ask. The activities offered are great, from horse riding to a game drive to the gym and spa - there is lots to do! Overall the property is kept to a very high standard and everything is thought of!

What could be improved: Unfortunately there were a few hick ups during our stay which for this price point and luxurious establishment are unacceptable.
1. The horse riding experience which comes at an extra cost was led by Alex who was fantastic, however, was accompanied by a guide called “Peatris” who was late, stopped multiple times on route to the stables to chat to a colleague/friend whilst we were waiting on the side of the road which resulted in us being late, set up the sundowners with absolutely no intention (drinks scattered across the table, no cloth, stale food) and had no sense for social etiquette (constant interrupting and other) which made the experience very disappointing and made us feel uncomfortable. When we flagged this to the manager Victoria she was very kind and understanding however there was no apology or gesture to redeem this in fact, we were absolutely shocked when he was then placed to drive us back to the airport for an hour after us sharing this feedback!?!
2. the phone in our room was not working to call reception (this is required multiple times a day to call a buggy to be picked up from the room) upon asking for it to be fixed no one made an effort to repair this.
2. When I asked the staff to open even just one of the blinds of the lodge/tent in our room (as the pictures advertise on booking) I was met with hesitation and a sigh of annoyance, they proceeded to open one. When we then asked to have it closed again several hours later (at least 6-7 hours) it took almost 1 hour for someone to come - bare in mind the lodge was not fully booked!
3. The lights in front of our room were not switched on but they were for every other tent even though they were not occupied. This was only done upon my request.
4. Michael, Victoria, Schalk, Alex and the Gentleman at the restaurant during our stay were great, however, some other staff members lacked enthusiasm and it felt like we were bothering them.

Die Gmundener Lodge ist eine sehr luxuriöse und recht neue Lodge, an der Ausstattung gab es nichts auszusetzen. Das beste an der Lodge ist aber das Personal, alle waren immer bereit, jeden Wunsch zu erfüllen, waren freundlich und zugewandt. Jede Aktivität, die angeboten wurde, wurde mit viel Enthusiasmus und Engagement begleitet. Dieser persönliche Service ist eindrucksvoll gewesen. Das Essen, sowohl Frühstück,Lunch, Snack am Nachmittag, als auch das Dinner am Abend sind sehr gut. Sowohl die Qualität der Speisen, als auch die Zubereitung, die Reaktion auf Sonderwünsche und auch die angebotenen Weine sind alle sehr gut.
Alle Nahrungsmittel kommen von der Farm, das nachhaltige Konzept ist beeindruckend.

What could be improved: Die Einrichtung der Sitzmöbel innen und außen sind im Kolonialstil, dadurch sehr schön und gut zu der Lodge passend, zum Sitzen, aber nicht sonderlich bequem. Die Wege sind mit Kieselsteinen vor der Lodge belegt, dadurch hört man fahrende Autos in den Zimmern deutlich. Das ist eine Kritik auf sehr hohem Niveau, sie dient lediglich als Information für die Betreiber.