Capella Lodge - Lord Howe Island, New South Wales

Capella Lodge is a luxurious accommodation option located on the beautiful Lord Howe Island in New South Wales, Australia. Situated on the shores of one of the island's most spectacular beaches, this exclusive lodge offers an exceptional experience for its guests.

With a strong emphasis on both luxury and sustainability, Capella Lodge is renowned for its eco-friendly practices and commitment to preserving the pristine natural environment. The lodge boasts a range of amenities and services that cater to the needs of discerning travelers, including elegant room and suite accommodations, fine dining, and engaging activities and excursions.

The lodge's specialty lies in its unique combination of rustic charm and sophisticated elegance. Each room and suite is meticulously designed to provide guests with a comfortable and relaxing stay, while also showcasing the natural beauty of the island. Guests can expect to find a range of facilities and amenities, such as plush linens, spa-quality toiletries, and spacious balconies with breathtaking views of the ocean.

One of the most appealing aspects of Capella Lodge is its prime location on Lagoon Road. This allows guests to easily explore the island's numerous attractions and activities, such as hiking, snorkeling, and bird watching. The lodge also offers a variety of on-site experiences, including guided tours, private dining, and a state-of-the-art spa.

Capella Lodge has received an impressive 41 reviews on Google My Business, with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars. This indicates that the lodge is highly regarded by past guests and is well worth considering for those seeking a luxury island getaway.

👍 Reviews of Capella Lodge

Col T.

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!

Annaleise G.

Just got home from an incredible week at Capella Lodge. Perfect location, divine cuisine, superb staff and an overall phenomenal experience. Libby and Mark have a wonderful team around them and everyone at the lodge makes you grateful for your decision to spend your time on the island at Capella. ||The cuisine is top tier with the chefs treating you to a different decadent and imaginative menu each night. Truly fine dining at its best. || A heartfelt thank you for the perfect week in paradise!!

Craig G.

Exceptional experience all around. Faultless and stylish accommodation with a vibrant staff to match. Our four days was nothing but the best. It was more than a holiday, rather an amazing experience. Apart from Capella Lodge itself, the island is such a picturesque location with so much raw beauty, every turn on the road or track is a delight to the eye. Capella captures the island with views of the mountains, lagoon and reef breaks that no other lodge experiences.

Melissa D.

Thank you to the entire Capella Lodge team for a truly outstanding stay. Our time at the lodge was perfect from beginning to end, with nature and the backdrop of Mount Gower taking center stage. The service was flawless at every touchpoint, and the team were friendly and helpful without being overbearing. The lodge embraces ‘barefoot luxury’ in a premium and authentic way, which made everyone feel totally at home and relaxed. We also loved being on the quieter side of the island, as the remote swim spots offered peacefulness and beaches all to ourselves. The food was also a highlight - especially the degustation with paired wines on our second night, which was exceptional. I will be recommending it to all of my family and friends as the ideal place for a celebration or spontaneous trip. Thank you again for such a memorable and flawless stay.

John M.

A spectacular location for our holiday stay with two teen. The location, dining, and hospitality team at the Capella represent the best Australia has to offer. Lord Howe itself was like stepping back in time to a place with the only decisions needing to be made are what peaceful, beautiful thing to do that day. We hiked the crest of the island, saw more coral and fish than I've seen anywhere else, and cruised the island on electric bikes by breweries, beaches, and the historic little town that seems to hold many stories. Wish I had gone to their museum the first day to get the lay of the land and understand the history more, but other than that I can't think of a thing we would change. It would be an equally magical spot for a couple alone. With this much space and beauty there's a spot for everyone. One of our best family trips ever.

Sonia S.

5/5

Nice service in a lodge goes beyond the standard expectations, creating a memorable and delightful experience for guests. It begins with warm and friendly greetings upon arrival, making guests feel instantly welcomed and valued. The staff is attentive, knowledgeable, and always ready to assist with any inquiries or requests. They take the time to understand guests' preferences and cater to their needs, ensuring a personalized and tailored stay. Whether it's arranging special activities, providing insider tips about the local area, or offering suggestions for dining options, the staff goes above and beyond to enhance guests' enjoyment. Attention to detail is evident in the well-maintained rooms, prompt housekeeping service, and thoughtful touches that make guests feel pampered. From the seamless check-in process to the genuine farewell, nice service in a lodge creates a warm and inviting atmosphere that leaves guests with lasting memories and a desire to return.

Charles C.

Don’t go here unless you have time and money to waste. Day one of holiday – flight couldn’t land because of weather, flew around for a while, then went to Port Macquarie to refuel. After 2 hours in the airport we were then flown back to Sydney – 10 hours going nowhere! We were fortunate that we could fly again the next day – we were told it can take 3 or 4 days to get there. I spent the whole weekend worried about whether we would get on the plane to go back to work, which was not very relaxing. My fears turned into reality when we turned up to the airport for the return flight and we were told as there was no wind that not all the passengers may be able to fly home as it was a weight restricted flight. We were then weighed with our bags and then told there was good news and bad the news – the good news is that everyone could get on the plane, but we would not be taking our luggage with us. Our luggage was delivered over 2 days later (and someone had to be at home to accept it, which was very inconvenient). We are still arguing with the insurance company weeks later about getting the money back for the unused night of accommodation. Yes the island is beautiful and accommodation and food were excellent but the wine was very average. So, in summary if you are looking for a relaxing long weekend just go somewhere else, such as Qualia or Wolgan Valley – it will better at half the price, without all the hassles of travel.

Mark W.

What a wonderful holiday we had at Capella over eight nights. We created memories that will last a lifetime, and that was only possible because of the amazing staff for whom nothing was too much trouble.||The lodge itself is located at the "quiet" end of the island, quiet being a relative term. The room facilities were fantastic - comfortable, quiet. We stayed in the Makambo and Lagoon Lofts and each were perfect for the island experience. All had wonderful views. Makambo has a great hot tub with room for six, along with a great outdoor deck with sun and shade chairs. The mini bar, all included, was kept well stocked, and the room cleaning was first rate.||The dining experience was outstanding. Under Dennis, across breakfast and dinner each day we estimated we had well over 40 courses and couldn't fault any of them. The food was first class, and we were lucky to experience two dinner degustations which were as good as you would find in any mainland top restaurant. There was complete flexibility with the breakfast and dinner menus to suit the guest, with the ability to mix and match a daily menu with a repeat menu of favourites. After 6pm, all alcohol save for a few more expensive wines was included in the tariff and there was a lot of fun with the cocktails. Jess oversaw a fantastic team of front-of-house staff, a number of whom were travellers from around the world. I won't name them all in case I overlook someone, but each of them brought a lot of laughs and fun to the table each time we sat down.||Lodge management under Libby and Mark, each with decades and decades of experience, was seamless and highly professional, and Sally and Lucky helped every day to ensure all our plans ran smoothly. Thanks to all for helping to create such priceless memories for each of us.||Specific tips that may help:|Take less clothes than you think you'll need. Luggage restrictions apply anyway, but we found we used less than expected. This includes shoes|The lodge provides, very helpfully, good quality backpacks and two types of beach/swimming towels (heavy and light). They also provide water bottles for guests to take each day on their adventures|Use a soft bag for carry-on luggage - those with hard bags saw them taken on boarding and stored in the luggage compartment due to size restrictions|The lodge provided snorkelling gear in great condition - our son has size 15 (US) feet and he was able to use the flippers provided|The lodge also provides bikes, and makes available for hire golf carts for those less agile, to get around the island|Take advantage of the opportunity to have at least one BBQ - this is an island thing, with BBQs set up on different beaches around the island and wood provided by the island. The lodge provides a choice of foods for cooking, implements, kindling etc|The lodge helpfully will drop off, and/or collect, bags, snorkelling gear etc around the island to minimse the need to carry loads|The ride from Capella to Neds, which is about as far as you can ride on the island, took us around 15-20 minutes at a relaxed pace|A few of our party did the Mt Gower walk - it was a 9 hour excursion, and while highly recommended, wasn't for the faint hearted||Overall, we can't recommend Lord Howe, and in particular, Capella, highly enough