Spicers Hidden Vale

The homestead which houses the reception, bar and dining area is stunning. A beautiful free standing stone fireplace is surrounded by comfy sofas to snuggle into. The staff are all friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming. The food was well presented and delicious with care taken to meet dietary needs. Great activity options, we did archery, scotch tasting and the market garden tour.

We spent a few magic days at Spicers Hidden Vale for my birthday and I couldn’t have loved it more! The location and views of the hills are stunning and there is a magic feeling the place gives that words can’t describe. All of the staff were exceptional, genuinely warm and welcoming, which is not common these days - a special thank you to Adam, Te, and Kristen. We loved the wine tasting experience, enjoyed the 7.5km walking trail spotting kangaroos and wallabies, loved feeding the animals, and the market garden tour was fantastic. The main pool is a great size for relaxing by or swimming some laps, we didn’t get to tennis this time but we will next time! The main homestead has so much space to relax and read or play games. The room and bathroom were stunning, every detail thoughtfully put together. Last but definitely not least, the food is incredible! The a la carte breakfasts contained beautiful produce and were the perfect size, whilst the evening meals were divine. Our favourites were the quail entree and the Toowoomba king Angus fillet main. Highly recommend this stunning retreat and can’t wait to come back again!

Some things are wonderful but there are a few issues. First the positives - the rooms (really little cottages) are great - well thought out with large bedroom, very comfortable beds and quality bedding, a comfortable lounge room, good size bathroom and separate toilet and outside private deck. Breakfasts are very good. Only minor issue is a very small bar fridge. 2nd - the problems. Spicers is one of the few 5-star accommodation places in Australia that require full payment on booking. (OK - if they can get away with that, fair enough). I booked and paid 7 months ahead. So, I was surprised to suddenly find a $120 charge on my credit card a week or two before arriving without any explanation. On ringing, I was told room costs had risen since I booked despite what I thought was a contract. I then emailed the manger. The charge was reversed with apologies but why it happened in the first place is a mystery. Other issues were associated with the restaurant. Due to its location, we virtually had to eat there every night of our stay. The food is excellent -and hard to fault. But the only option is a 3-courses meal. My wife is not a big eater and only wanted a few scoops of ice cream on our 2nd night for her third course. Only 3 desserts were offered, and all were "heavy" (cake based) . Although we were charged for the full courses, she was charged $6 extra for her non menu ice cream. Again, this was reversed on a query but should not have happened in a 5 star establishment. Also, at lunch time there is also only a set number of courses - no availability for a just a light meal or a snack other than a cheese board. Little things like this could be considered for a more enjoyable stay.

Wow wow wow what a place 5 star all the way from arrival to departure the lodge was excellent with all that you need for a stay bed was so comfy all staff went above and beyond to make our stay memorable, the food was above standard and location was impeccable thank you for such a memorable stay

We booked the 2 bedroom suite for our stay, being three friends we found the suite to be nicely decorated and cosy. We had a small sitting area included in the suite with two arm chairs and a window seat, this was lovely but it would have been nice to have a TV included in this area or a small fireplace as I know the 2 bedroom cottages have this. Upon arrival we were greeted warmly and given complementary Prosecco in the bar area. One of the team members - Sebastian was our favourite host for our 2 night stay & ensured we were well looked after. We especially enjoyed the Garden Market tour where the Chef took us around the produce being grown for their paddock to plate experience. Plus the cheese and wine experience where Sebastian showcased three local wines with matched cheese was fun and light hearted. We loved to sit around the outdoor fire pit wrapped in warm fluffy blankets in the early evening before dinner, we were very well taken care of and all the staff were very attentive. The breakfast was offered via menu, not a buffet style and took a little while, so be prepared to sit leisurely and look out to the beautiful scenery. We spent the day reading books by the pool and in the hot spa, you can order drinks to be delivered to you or to your room. Dinner was included in our package and we enjoyed the three-courses, knowing most of the ingredients had been handpicked form their garden was a great touch. I will definitely return, perhaps trying another Spicer’s Retreat now knowing how the service and quality is.

We had an excellent dinner on Thursday at the Supper Club. Loved cozy setting and really enjoyed the friendly service and great food. Will definitely be visiting this hidden gem again for the next one!

We had the misfortune of dining at The Supper Club last Thursday evening. On our arrival our party of three was kept waiting for a good five minutes before being acknowledged by staff who were moving quickly through the dining area or standing on the sidelines and appearing to be discussing the layout of the restaurant. When we were approached, we were told we could sit at any of the tables set for three. We were not escorted to our table. It was a cold evening and we noticed some two setting tables had blankets on the chairs. We asked if we could each have a blanket and were told one would be provided. They weren’t, so we took them from the chairs next to us. We were one of the first to be seated in a setting of about a dozen tables, mostly set for two. We noticed the table was laid for three courses, entrée and main cutlery with a soup spoon. We were asked if we would like water and wine. We asked for a cocktail but told cocktails were not available in this dining area. Yet your advertising states “Our friendly front-of-house team has also carefully selected optional pairings to complement your meal including classic cocktails, selected wines, as well as sides and desserts.” The wines on offer did not appeal to us so we asked to see the wine list. Another extended wait and asking again, a wine list was delivered. And we still waited for water. Two of our three entrées arrived, and we were surprised it was simply, soup. We then watched as other tables were served theirs before eventually receiving our third bowl. About 100ml in two bowls, and significantly less in the third. Three pieces of corn bread was placed in the center of the table some time prior to the soup arriving. We asked our server for side plates and saw her ask the? Maître De, Josh, who ran to the main restaurant returning with an armful of side plates, placing them in the barn. Some five minutes later, after our soup had arrived, Josh came to ask how everything was going. We said we were still waiting for the side plates. He said “oh, they were for your” and again ran to retrieve them from the barn. During this time other guests began to arrive, and we watched as they too were simply left standing with no acknowledgement from the staff. Again, Josh and the team stood to the side of the dining area appearing to survey but not responding to any assumed observations. As more guests arrived and all tables were occupied the stress levels of the floor staff was palpable. It was like we were taking part in a Faulty Towers episode with Josh running to and from the main restaurant on multiple occasions. This was quite stressful to observe. Our server arrived at one point with a bottle of wine under one armpit and a pitcher of water in the other, reaching over to fill each glass. It took over an hour from the clearing of our soup bowls for us to receive our main course. During this time we observed most tables that were seated well after us, receive their main course before us. Our

I have been staying a Spicers Hiddenvale once per month over the last year for the purposes business, i have seen the inside running of this special place and have never been disappointed with the service received, the staff are very friendly to all visitors and treat everyone as part of the extended family, accomodation is as you would expect from the level of business and the housekeeping staff are a credit to Spicers with nothing it seems to hard to handle. Bar and service staff are always happy to enquire how things are going and service is nothing but a experience with the fine dining and exceptional creative menu’s, i highly recommend this very relaxing venue and exceptional property.

A lovely weekend at Spicers. We stayed in a Luxury Cabin which had a lovely view over the mountains, especially at sunset. The patio could be more private if a privacy screen was added, but didn't really bother us. Super comfy bed, and the outdoor bath was a nice touch. Room service is exorbitant for a bottle of bubbly, so byo wine if you'd want to spend less than $160 enjoying a bottle in your room! The definite highlight was Sebastien in Homage, who was the most helpful and friendly staff member - always spot on with his recommendations and super knowledgeable in the best wine to suit our palate! He even surprised us on a few occasions, we now have some new favourites. There isn't a great deal to do here if you aren't happy to partake in the adventure activities, or eat your way through the restaurant. We were happy with the latter, so thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Although 2 nights was definitely enough. The pool was generally quiet, could do with the addition of some ambience (light music), or service offering beverages and/ or light snacks. But it has a beautiful view and was very peaceful.