Name: Gilgara Retreat
Address: 3 Old Ellen Brook Road, Margaret River, Margaret River, Margaret River, 6285, Australia
Rating: 9

Air conditioning

Smoke-free property

Heating

Garden

Terrace

Electric car charging

General

Non-smoking rooms

Rooms

Free Wi-Fi

Internet access

Internet

Barbecue grill(s)

Hiking

Picnic area

Barbeque

Recreation

Free parking

Parking

Playroom

Kids

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Extra decontamination measures

Additional measures against COVID-19

Health and Safety Measures

Location

At the apartment

Busselton Margaret River Airport

Gilgara Retreat

Margaret River

My wife and I stayed here a number of years ago when it was 4.5 Star rated but sadly this lovely location has drifted backwards to a 1.5 Star rated location on our estimation.  As we entered the property we noted the entrance statement had collapsed and rotted,  the driveway badly pot holed perhaps a giveaway to what was coming. The Homestead was unattended no hosts to greet us, what happens now? .....  we walk around but not a soul in sight. I ring the HELP line to be told that we had been sent a text giving us information on how to locate our apartment and access it,  but our text is still drifting around in the ether because it still has'nt arrived on my phone 6days later!!. Your Star rating has just dropped by 2.5 stars to 2 and we still hav'nt found our room.   I could go on and on but I shall keep it short, Housekeeping is lacking,  holes in donna cover, dirty tea towel,  odds and sods of cutlery, mismatched glassware & crockery and finally the fungus growing on the bathroom wall and entrance wall has knocked you down to 1.5 Stars. My wife and I ran and owned our own Accommodation facility a few years ago and we had our premises inspected regularly by the travel industry to ensure we were maintaining our standard so I am not talking thro' the top of my head on these matters.  Sadly this desirable premises is in a sliding state of decay, very noticeable from the exterior maintenance, it is operated at arms length by a management company who do not provide the personal and passionate touches that we the paying public demand. Amen.

Fawlty Towers !!!!!!

We stayed in one the garden apartments for our 3 night anniversary weekend.  The apartment is well built in rammed earth.  Polished concrete floors, timber accents, huge bathroom with full length shower, no hob and a spa bath, lots of storage, fantastic bed.  In our opinion everything was built with better options.

Nice views, 10 min drive to town and very close to all attractions.

Lots of glass in the apartment to see out the only minus means the windows need washing.  

Perhaps a full length mirror would be good.
Parking near apartments is needed!  Parking is a good 60 m walk but through verandas of homestead.  Annoying when lugging bags or mobility impairment.

Great place to stau

Communication was excellent. Lizzie was very contactable via phone and text message. Sunny the inside caretaker was definitely a sunny character. 

The homestead and grounds were beautiful. I can imagine it would be a perfect spot for a wedding. The lavender , grape vines, wisteria and the lovely big chestnut trees all provide a really lovely backdrop. 

We stayed at the self contained apartments. Large and comfy beds, large sitting area with a bush outlook. 

There are areas where it could be better but nevertheless it was a pleasant stay. 

A pleasant stay

We last stayed here in 1989, so it was great to be back with our two young adult daughters!. We stayed in a garden apartment and our daughters were in the guest house.  The guest house had a  nice fire going and the rooms seemed clean and comfortable, as were the bathrooms. There were no meals (like there were in 1989) but there was an immaculate share kitchen if you wanted to cook.  The only staff member was a caretaker, so you basically had privacy and quiet.  Our garden apartment was lovely with a sunken bath and small kitchen - very roomy accommodation.  Gilgara is so peaceful and the gardens are stunning.  We also had contact with Lizzie via text and she was very helpful and recommended some great places for us to eat- this was really beneficia!  We had a minor issue with a toilet in the guest house and Lizzie had the caretaker sort asap.  Thanks Gilgara!

Peaceful location and great accommodation

Not much of a welcome when you get to the accomodation not even a sign to tell you where to park. Upon finding the garden apartment we had unpacked and put our food in the cupboards and fridge only to find that when we had come back from only 2 hours of being away from the room that our food had been eaten by hundreds of ANTS!! Once we had realised the shock of this and having to put $60+ worth of food in the bin we also noticed that the free wifi which is stated on the internet is restricted to 1GB per person per day which is always dropping out of range and also very slow and nothing loads. Also the tv never has signal which we never even used due to it not working. For the two days that we stayed we didn’t see any staff members accept for what we assume was their dog? Seeing as though we paid close to $500 for 2 days accomodation and being $60 out of pocket for food and no customer service at all we wont be coming back!

Let’s talk about the ANTS!!

The place is totally run down. Too high a price to pay for this level of condition.  Far away from amenities. For this price we pay we could have gotten an accommodation nearer the sea front. Totally no service at all. During the weekend, nobody is there to provide any help. Avoid this place 

Run down place

This place is super cute and cozy. Absolutely loved it and will definitely go back in the future!
I would 100% recommend getting your own little villa. Comes with an outdoor facing bath that is super relaxing and romantic

Perfect weekend getaway

We stayed here in September just prior to having our baby. We stayed in one of the garden apartments and it was amazing in every way. It was also nice to be a bit out from the main town. 

The only sad thing is now we have our baby it sounds like we won’t be able to return as apparently it’s a “no children allowed” hotel :( Hopefully it will still be running and just as nice for our return in 18 years time. 



Babymoon 

This place is NOT for family holiday, absolutely NOT. If you think you can bring guest to stay over or have baby, you are WRONG. The rep knocked on our door to ask the guesst leave the property and needs to be out of the site. The Homestead worker has specifically mentioned to me this homestay is for "romance purpose", not family vacation. The customer service office is just next to the rooms, they keep coming out to check on us. No freedom at all. The asian rep is friendly, suggest you speak with her. You will need to share the small fridge with someone else. The toilet is quite old and creepy, cracks on the wall. The worst is, hot shower didn't work properly, with slight adjustment, cold water turned into hot water, very sensitive. The tap also fell off every time.

Do not book this place if you're on family vacation. This is STRICTLY for "Romance Purpose".

Gilgara Retreat

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