Luxury Travel Advisor - November 2008 - (Page 26)

ed—the homemade granola is a huge hit. In the Harvest Moon Restaurant, Chef Rob Gibbs serves up contemporary Aussie cuisine with fresh produce and herbs from the property’s own gardens; try his sublime Malaysian curry. Cape Escape Cape Naturaliste lies north, and approximately 90 miles to the south is Cape Leeuwin. Cape Lodge (www.capelodge.com.au), owned by Peter Larsen, Geoff ’s brother, is appropriately named. It’s also a highly decorated award-winner, under the meticulous eye of Drew Barrington Bernhardt (drew@capelodge. com.au), the general manager. The long, winding driveway is lined by hedges of fragrant rosemary, and manicured rose bushes convey a calm, pastoral ambiance. Bernhardt employs three gardeners to maintain the pristine 40 acres, four of which are dedicated to a vineyard. Note: A new free-form swimming pool was completed in October. The main lodge was built as a house in the early 1980s and was a bed and breakfast in its next iteration. Now it also houses boardrooms for the lodge’s frequent corporate guests. The classical property, at once exuding the feel of a private hotel and country estate, offers 22 light, bright and subtly elegant rooms and suites in differing styles of architecture. Guests can choose from three room types, a two-bedroom cottage, or a fabulous five-bedroom house, The Residence. The focus here is on adults. Accommodation categories are defined this way: two are located in the main lodge—a suite and a king room. Next are Garden Suites, Spa Suites, Supe- rior Spa Suites and Deluxe Forest Suites—we favor the view from these over the lovely lake—and all include a superb breakfast. Rock legend Sting, who recently stayed in The Residence, told Bernhardt: “It feels like home, although I’m missing my dogs.” This house is our first pick at Cape Lodge, with crisp white loveseats in the den, a large fireplace, a dining table for 10, Italian marble countertops and yellow upholstered furniture that pairs well with sunshine streaming through the ample windows. High ceilings throughout convey extreme spaciousness, as in the upstairs master suite, where we marveled at the 18x7 walk-in wardrobe with glass drawers. The Residence comes with its own small lake next door and adjacent, it has a gazebo porch area with a top-end barbeque. Another residence is next to the main house, with two bedrooms and a bath, plus a secure threecar garage. All are part of the main Residence package. Set well away from other buildings, the lodge’s famed Lakeside Restaurant, has won its share of international accolades and is the place to dine in this region. Diners first take note of artwork by Sydney-based painter Jason Benjamin and mixed-media creative Jenny Doherty, then settle in to choose a vintage from the 14,000-bottle wine cellar. Sumptuous is how we describe the steamed Pemberton Marron (lobster) and house-smoked salmon on caper and dill blinis. This was then followed by homemade venison and bluecheese tortellini with sage-andtruffle butter. Don’t miss desserts here or a selection of delicious farmhouse cheeses before saying “G’night!” WINDMILLS BREAK’s sundeck is the ideal space to unwind after an afternoon swimming or strolling the property’s 10 acres of landscaped gardens. 26 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | November 2008 http://www.capelodge.com.au

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Luxury Travel Advisor - November 2008 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter Las Vegas Australia Virginia's Northern Neck Posh Penthouses K Club Four Seasons Florence Entertaining Luxury Caribbean Spas The Pulse Jetset Report Luxury Lifestyles Just Back Luxury Travel Expo Sightings Source List Virtuoso Insert

Luxury Travel Advisor - November 2008

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