Spicers Clovelly Estate

A wonderful setting, so peaceful and calm. My wife and I opted to have a picnic when we arrived at lunchtime and the setting was sublime. The food was also superb, although there was more than we could eat. The evening meal was delicious and the service was excellent. The room we had was spacious and beautifully decorated. If/when we return to Australia we will definitely try to return. The type of stay that memories are made.

I will not go into it, but, the food supplied was not nearly of Value. One course included ONE Prawn. How you could charge $480 a Couple for Christmas Lunch is a dead set Rip Off. Would not have done this if known, of course, but expected so much better.

I was planning a picnic for my partner’s birthday. I saw on the site a takeaway hamper option and selected it. Got a call advising it was no longer available but they can do the picnic at the lake deck. At first there was no availability due to the deck being booked out. But the lovely Margie and her team went above and beyond to set everything up for us later that afternoon as the place became free. We didn’t stay at the accommodation. But I’m definitely planning a future visit. Kudos to Margie and the Spicers team for making my partner’s birthday the “Best. Birthday. Ever” in her words.

Lovely hotel with impeccable service. They really do get it right. Friendly. Anticipatory. They really never put a foot wrong. The room (Spa 3) was a beautiful large (huge actually) loft bedroom was just a flight of stairs from the bar/restaurant and a nice fireplace (it was a cool weekend). Breakfast was superb. Hard to go past (both mornings) the Breakfast Cassoulet. The only slight disappointment was that we thought The Long Apron (Friday night packaged dining) was okay but unexceptional, and we were similarly disappointed with the nearby Spicers Tamarind Restaurant (Saturday night). Both these restaurants need work on the unexciting food (nothing wrong with the service) to make them as memorable as the hotel itself. Will absolutely be back but will probably not package dinner next time.

I visit one of the spicers retreats every year. Firstly I must say that I love the spicers group however my most recent trip I noticed some things that could use some attention. I booked via the spicers website, I had to call to get my confirmation sent to me as it never came, the receipt did though. Previously when you would book on their website, they would call you to welcome you, confirm travel companion, book restaurant and offer spa booking etc. none of this happened but I did get automatic text messages booking me into the long apron for 6pm both nights. Sure, great I was booked into the restaurant however not at a time I would want dinner. We stayed in montville house which is really nice, they pay more attention to the cleanliness of the room, particularly in the bathroom and toilet. One of the staff at breakfast saw us arrived, looked at us then continued folding napkins, we waited another 30 seconds or so then she came over- that was a bit weird and not the experience I would expect at spicers. Marbelyz (spelt wrong) looked after us well at one of the breakfasts. Our first dinner at the long apron was good however I had to ask the waitress to turn the air con on as it was so stuffy (December) and it was a good night. The second night though was outstanding. Cindy appeared to be the manager on duty and she recognised us from our last visit (March 2022), while she was not our server, she came to speak and check in with us various times over the night. She also got the chef to make us and extra course which was excellent. Now this is the type of service spicers use to have. It really made out night and also made us feel welcomed back. Great work Cindy! Check in and check out were too casual, I was not even asked how our stay was. Spicers seem to have lost their way a little at Clovelley. The team at tamarind always welcome us back and make it special. While it was not amazing this time, I’ll be back as the spicers group is unique from other hotels. Little bit unfortunate that their prices have increased so much since 2021, by about 35%

We chose Spicers for our 10 Year Anniversary dinner and were totally impressed with the 5 course degustation menu which lived up to expectation, topped off with the delightful Brittany hostess who truly made our evening a special memory X

Two nights too many! The Long Apron restaurant. How this restaurant was awarded two hats is beyond me. I lived in France for 5 years and until I dined at this restaurant, I've never eaten food allegedly labelled French cuisine. The Beef Tartare was unpleasant on the palate. As for the amount of beef on the plate, it was barely a dessert spoon serving. The aged duck breast...it was aged indeed as it was tough and dry. The chocolate torte and the cheesecake lacked their title. The "cheesecake" flavour tasted like crème fraiche and the sorbet had begun to melt. Cuisine rating 1/10. MacDonalds serve better food. The room. Room 8. * The chair. The joins at back of the fabric had frayed at the seams. * The internal plantation shutters were dirty and the hinges had thick layers of black from the ingrained dirt. * The sliding door leading to the bathroom. The horizontal edge join along the door was covered in dust. * The bathroom. The curve at the base of the bowl where the standing water sits was putrid! The thick faecal matter stains at the distal end of both sides of the bowl were not new. Disgusting! Floor tiles. There were areas where the black and white tiles had turned pink, which appeared to have been stained from a cleaning product. * The towels. Awful. I would have preferred smooth towels instead of the high raised patterned towels, which chafed the skin. Trading on its name and reputation, Spicers, Clovelly, Montville home page..."French inspired luxury" Really? When paying hundreds of dollars for a room, one would expect a 10/10. Both the restaurant and room 8 were unpleasant experiences. Will never recommend this place. The above comments were sent in a survey to Spicers Clovelly Montville. No apology given. More interested in whether I’d return / recommend the facility. Really? After investigating my complaints and finding said complaints to be accurate, a refund or a discount should have been offered.

We stayed in a Spa Suite for 2 nights. The room was gorgeous, with a relaxing lounge, very comfortable huge bed, and a large spa bath in the bathroom. The grounds are beautifully kept, and perfect for lounging around in. There are several spots that they use for gathering for drinks around sunset, this was a great opportunity to meet other guests before heading to the restaurant for dinner. The Long Apron, I'll give it a separate review, but wow, it helped with the perfection of the resort. The breakfasts were amazing, served on the terrace or the lawn. The staff were both friendly and professional, every single one of them, they are a huge Credit to Spicers. Thank you. I think this will be our go to place for a treat and some luxury from now on.

Spices Clovelly is a lovely intimate hotel. The rooms are very well appointed, with marble bathrooms, incredibly comfortable beds, heated towel rails, and scenic views. It’s a little like a home away from home, with lovely areas to relax, read a book or have a glass of wine from the absolutely fabulous wine list. The breakfasts are always amazing, and the retreat is home to the fantastic Long Apron Restaurant. One of my favourite places for romantic weekend away!