Spicers Tamarind Retreat

Pros: Villa was comfortable and situated in a quiet bush setting. Great customer service at the restaurant during breakfast service. Cons: No reception in villa, open plan shower resulting in water spilling everywhere. In addition, there was a personal data breach incident via the online booking system.

We recently stayed 2 nights at Tamarind and found the experience a bit underwhelming for the $$$ paid. It was all okay but not to the standard we have experienced at another Spicers resort (Hidden Vale). The staff tried hard but were undertrained. They lacked some basic skills like how to clear a table properly, set knifes and forks etc. we waited for courses for ages eventually being asked which course we were on. The food was underwhelming, no better than a good take away place, over complicated for no reason but also lacking care. Example breakfast was under seasoned and felt like it was just thrown on a plate. We were served pineapple which wasn’t quite ripe and cut so big you couldn’t eat it without making a mess. There were limited facilities or entertainment in the retreat, no lounge, games room or other activities other than the pool and a fire pit. The waterfall is well worth the walk, but the track was hard to find and not maintained. Our room was fine, but nothing exciting. The fan was loud, fridge barely kept things cold and the room was not private at all (studio room). The spa was wonderful. An okay weekend but probably could have got more for our money somewhere else

I recently enjoyed a two night get away with a friend at Spicers Tamarind. The property is quiet and beautifully landscaped with a boardwalk through the bush to nearby Gardners Falls. Our 2 bedroom luxury villa was spacious and very private. Beds were comfy, great fireplace for the winter evenings, and the food at the restaurant was superb, especially the Japanese pancake for breakfast! Well worth a stay!

From the first phone call to book in with my gift voucher, I felt welcomed. The team were amazing with answering all of my questions. With the Tamarind Retreat Day Spa unfortunately not available anymore; I was able to book in with the Clovelly sister site. Highly recommend a 90min relaxation massage with Bonita! She knew exactly what I wanted and needed. With a few different options to choose from, it was a really lovely experience. It has a large room with two massage beds, tranquil music and was nice and warm with ambient candle lighting. Make sure to get there earlier, to fill out the form where you put any injuries, what your skin is like, what pressure of massage you like etc. After a 12 minute drive to Tamarind, I checked into my cedar wood spa villa, which did not disappoint. Fireplace was extremely easy to use. If you’ve never used one before or a bit rusty, there’s instructions on the kindling bucket. They have a large box of firewood on the front porch too. Lovely hot shower with good water pressure. A short walk down to the Garden Falls (which I didn’t know existed until reception told me and showed me the map). It can be a bit steep and slippery in certain spots, especially after rain, but definitely worth the little trek down. Wear proper shoes! The restaurant menu is A La Carte, but totally worth the $99/person for a 3 course dinner. Highly recommend the beef massaman dish and the chocolate mousse-like dessert. My breakfast was included in my voucher. I chose the waffles, which were delicious. The only things I can “complain” about would be the size of the coffee I received with my breakfast. I wrote down and asked for a mug-achinno (large cappuccino) with 2 sugars on full cream milk. Unfortunately I received the tiniest coffee takeaway cup I’ve ever seen, but that’s here nor there. The other thing is where the spa is located in comparison to walking tracks. The spa could be secluded a little more in my opinion. Thank you!

Not worth the price, there are way better options in the region. On our first night there was an issue with the timer to clean the hot tub, it started running at 3am and we couldn’t sleep anymore. We tried to call the emergency number (since there is no staff during the night) the person hung up. Next morning some staff member even complained we called the emergency number as it was no emergency. No apologies or attempt to make our stay more pleasant. For the price we paid, definitely would expect a way better service.

We stayed at the hotel for 5 nights in late February. The villa was very nice and we got lucky to get one in the front row. A comfortable recliner on the terrace would have been nice, but apart from that the location and villa was fantastic. |The service unfortunately, while in most cases friendly, was not up to the standards. Most service personnel really tried their best, but it was clear that most were not trained to work in a 5* hotel. While we are not snobs expecting the ultimate experience, you would expect a level of service quality that is at least similar to a 5* city hotel that offers rooms at a third of the Spicers Tamarind hotel. It was largely the small things - we had to ask for a few things repeatedly, on the day of my 50th birthday (staff knew about it) it would have been a nice gesture to get maybe at least a little up candle with breakfast or at dinner, but there was just nothing at all. When you stay 5 nights around such an event it feels a bit disappointing.|Food was good on most days, but a bit repetitive when you stay that long. At least we managed to get a table at the Montville hotel. On the first day the deserts were clearly many days too long in the fridge and completely dried out, since we got very different versions of the same on our last day. |All in all a great hotel in an even better location, but for the money you pay you would expect a far better experience. Did we enjoy our stay? Yes. Would we come back? Don’t think so

We recently stayed at Spicers Maleny, for 3 nights, and absolutely loved our short stay. The location is excellent, so tranquil and relaxing.||Cabins|Our cabin was very clean and extremely spacious, with a good size ensuite. Everything a guest could possibly want or need, and more besides, was thoughtfully provided in the cabin.|Our king size bed was so comfortable and actually had one of the best hotel mattresses we have ever slept on. Wish we could have brought it home with us!||Staff|All the staff were so friendly and pleasant, nothing was too much trouble for them.||Restaurant|We originally decided to stay at Spicers purely because of the good reports we had heard about the food. We were not disappointed. We had booked their dinner bed and breakfast package and were so glad we had. Our evening meals were so delicious and full of flavour and could not be faulted in any way. The dinner package includes a starter, main course and dessert and not once did we have something we did not like. Portion size was also good and we never left the table feeling hungry. Our first night we had the Banquet and that was unbelievable. Worth a trip from Brisbane just for that alone.||Loved absolutely everything so much that we will definitely return.

Hi Cas, Ryan, and the incredible Tamarind Team, I just wanted to send a BIG, MASSIVE thank you for such an unforgettable dining experience on Friday night. From the impeccable service to the mind-blowing four-course meal, every detail was absolutely incredible. The soup—OMG, next-level amazing!!! The flavour in there was just *Chefs-Kiss*. It was such a privilege to finally dine at The Tamarind, a spot that has been on my restaurant bucket list for so long. You all went above and beyond. We have already told so many friends and family members to book a night to go an experience!!! We’ll most certainly be back to experience the three-course next time! My only regret was not booking and staying in one of the Villa’s to retreat back to after, next time for sure! A huge shout-out to the chefs, kitchen team, and everyone who made the evening so special. Your passion and dedication to exceptional food and hospitality shine through in every dish. Looking forward to our next visit! Warmest Regards, Amy Owner of Pash & Dash Weddings

It's very expensive but the restaurant is delicious and the rooms are beautiful in the forest!

I spent a mostly-all-inclusive weekend here that included a meal at The Tamarind, a trip to the spa, a couple picnic hampers, and two nights in a very spacious, comfortable, and secluded villa. Overall it was a very positive experience. My booking confirmation promised "luxury and outstanding service", and that's what was delivered. The only negatives I can think of are that we asked for a side of papaya salad that was never delivered (when dining at The Tamarind), and I didn't particularly care for one of the dishes that we were served (the eel parfait off the tasting menu, which had too many sweet elements and nothing that I could find to properly balance them...and also nothing that tasted much like eel). All things considered, those small issues can be overlooked (we had plenty of food without the papaya salad, and one lackluster course out of 8 is hardly a disaster), as the positives far outweighed the negatives. The room/villa was excellent, the grounds are nicely landscaped and well-maintained, the spa relaxing and modern, and the staff friendly and accommodating of every request we made. The location is superb, as well. Spicers Tamarind offers top-notch accommodations, service, and amenities, though certainly nothing here comes cheap. Not a bad place to visit if you can afford it, however.