Hillside Haven | Living area | Flat-screen TV, iPod dock

Reviews of Seclude Rainforest Retreat

4.5 out of 5
Seclude Rainforest Retreat
637 Saltwater Creek Road, Palm Grove, QLD

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 56 out of 58 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 2 out of 58 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 58 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 58 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 58 reviews" "

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Staff & service

10/10

Amenities

10/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Augustus

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Perfect place to relax if you want to get away and surround yourself in nature
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Richard

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful location wonderful hosts just what we needed
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2023

8/10 Good

Joe

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Property was amazing ,but having to park and walk up a steep hill not ideal.We couldn’t park near our Unit .Not much information about about pre arrival ,be well stocked with supplies before you arrive as it’s very remote.Overall a pleasant stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Belinda

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We had a very relaxing getaway for 3 nights at Seclude (Hillside Haven). It was tucked away and private with breathtaking rainforest views and interesting wildlife. High- tech amenities included portable induction stove which we used to cook our own meals and an amazing outdoor hot tub. The hosts were so friendly and accommodating, we had an unexpectedly late check in but they welcomed us with a smile and drove us up to our room in the dark with all our luggage. They went above and beyond to make our stay comfortable, even helping us with our laundry and supplying us with boardgames to keep us entertained on a rainy day. Thanks Tony and Yvette for a wonderful stay! Highly recommend this exceptional accommodation, you won't want to leave.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Jason

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Superb couples retreat
Beautiful property, full kitchen with comfortable living area. Peaceful, scenic views on the veranda and the jacuzzi tub was big and overlooked the rainforest area
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2021
Response from Yvette on 9 Nov 2021
Thank you for your review. We hope to see you both again soon when you next need a quiet and relaxing couples getaway.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The seclusion and the ambience of the property was great
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2021
Response from Tony on 30 Jan 2021
Thank you for your review and thanks for staying. Yvette and I are glad you enjoyed your stay.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful, quiet location. If you want to get away, this is your place. It’s a perfect blend of serenity in nature. Highly recommended.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2021
Response from Tony on 5 Jan 2021
Thanks for your review. We are glad you enjoyed your stay here.

10/10 Excellent

Katelyn, Queensland

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
My husband and I stayed here over the weekend while attending a show in Airlie. I wish I had of booked two nights!!! Check in was easy, and a lift up to our room in the golf buggy was fun! Some things to keep in mind if you are looking at staying here: Limited wifi. 1GB per day for use and no phone reception. Great if you want to switch off for a weekend!! Limited power. Aircon can only be on in either bedroom or lounge room, not both at the same time. Worked okay for us as there was a lovely breeze. Cooking facilities: there is a single hot plate, microwave/oven and heaps of kitchen utensils available. There is also a BBQ available for use in the pool area. Bore water: I didn't specifically confirm it is bore water but going by the pump at the entrance to the property, they use bore water. It has a very slight taste but nothing too bad. If you are fussy with your water, make sure you bring some bottles. The hot tub/bath is amazing. So nice to sit out on the patio at night under the lovely fairy lights and enjoy a beverage. The shower head is also spectacular. If I didn't feel so bad for using too much water I could have stayed in there all night! All in all, we both really enjoyed our time here. Hopefully something else brings us back to Airlie soon so we can come back!! Thank you host :)
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2020
Response from Tony on 26 Oct 2020
Thanks for your great review Katelyn. So glad you enjoyed your stay here. Just a note about the water though, people don't need to bring bottled water with them. Our water is where bottled water comes from! It is taken 31m down through solid rock caught from the adjacent rainforests. It is also lab tested and has been found to be not only acceptable but extremely pure with virtually no e-coli present as well as many other nasties that are sometimes found in other water. Also - no chlorine or fluoride has been added to make it fit for drinking as it is safe without needing it. Maybe the different taste is because it hasn't got chlorine added? I know when I stay is some city areas I can really taste the chlorine in the water sometimes. That aside, it's great that you enjoyed your stay here and we hope to see you back sometime in the future :-) . Kind regards Tony

10/10 Excellent

Tammy, Mackay

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
Perfect place to getaway from the world! Stunning! Amazing hosts. Will definitely return
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2020
Response from Tony on 8 Aug 2020
Thanks Tammy - will look forward to seeing you again.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Seclude is aptly named. Peaceful, spotlessly clean with NO phone service. Will be back again and highly recommended.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2020
Response from Tony on 8 Aug 2020
Thanks for your review. Just for the record though in case others reading this may be put off with comment of "no phone service", all you need to do is make sure your phone is set to "Wifi Calling" under settings and your phone will work here. In any case we are glad you liked your stay and hope to see you again. :-).

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2020
Response from Tony on 11 Aug 2020
Thanks for your great rating!

10/10 Excellent

Dennis

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2020
Response from Tony on 19 Mar 2020
Thanks Dennis!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Yes! The perfect retreat!
My husband and I absolutely loved this place. In the middle of a long trip around Australia to meet all his friends and family (I’m American) we stayed here as a break and chance to rejuvenate. The Acacia Villa is gorgeous, feels brand new, and has everything you’d need for a long weekend trip. We loved the gorgeous view, watching the birds, and relaxing in the outdoor bath. We brought most of our own food to cook, but did get one of the baskets delivered to us, which was fun and yummy. I only wish we’d had time to stay longer. We loved it. Highest recommendation.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020
Response from Tony on 13 Jan 2020
Thank you for your fantastic review! We are always happy when guests have had a great time at our slice of paradise.

10/10 Excellent

Steve

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hidden Gem
Villa was spacious with everything we needed. Outdoor spa was amazing. Food hampers were delicious and just the right size. We took our own drinks, there was ice in the freezer and a full size fridge. View of the valley was beautiful with wildlife the only sound. We didn’t need to leave the villa for the whole 2 days. The only improvement I could suggest is a comfortable lounge on the deck (for reading or relaxing), the outdoor setting was a bit hard on the backside after a while. We had a very relaxing few days. Be aware that there is no phone reception and wifi, although available, is limited. Great if you really want to escape for a while. Fantastic hidden gem, we will be back.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019
Response from Tony on 26 Sept 2019
Thanks for your review and comments Steve. We are really happy you enjoyed your stay here. Although the telcos don't provide coverage here along with most of rural Australia, mobile phone usage is available here if you have a newer mobile phone by selecting "WiFi Calling" on the phone. Calls are then routed through our WiFi hotspots at Seclude to the phone so you can still send and receive calls as if you were connected to a normal mobile cellular network. In addition to still being able to use your mobile (if it's a newer model), each Villa has a landline phone that can send and receive calls. Just adding that info for others that may think they can't use their mobiles. Like you mention, internet bandwidth is a problem here. Again, being in a rural area we are limited to Satellite internet which has set limits on downloads and uploads. Normal web browsing, email and Facebook usage is usually fine but video streaming like Netflix and iView etc. is a problem with what we have been allocated by the government. We try and make the best of it though by having a very large media library with hundreds of movies and thousands of songs stored on a File Server using Apple TV which doesn't use internet bandwidth. One day the government might send up another satellite to help us poor country people out :-) . Anyhow, thanks again for your great review Steve. Yvette and I hope to see you back here again in the future. Regards, Tony

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The retreat was surrounded in a forest environment as the name says and offered an opportunity to relax in a private setting with nature. The accommodation was fantastic and very clean with its own spa bath to finish each day. The pool was also very clean and over all a must do when going to Airlie Beach.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2019
Response from Tony on 25 Sept 2019
Thanks for your review. So great that you enjoyed your stay here :-) .

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It was beautiful and peaceful. Perfect romantic weekend
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019
Response from Tony on 4 Aug 2019
Thanks for your review. We hope you return in the future!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The surroundings are beautiful. The owners Tony & Yvette were lovely and welcoming. The privacy that Seclude offers is unparalleled, it really is a retreat away from it all!
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2018
Response from Tony on 8 Jan 2019
Thanks for your review - glad you enjoyed your stay here

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018
Response from Tony on 8 Jan 2019
Thanks for your review!

8/10 Good

Alan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Thoroughly enjoyable
Very nice, it is as stated very secluded and private, slight issue with hot tub which was quickly resolved. Only negative would be the WiFi limited usage which was frustrating especially as no mobile signal, but if you’re after seclusion then it possibly didn’t matter.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Private, quiet, relaxing
So enjoyable. A great parents retreat to get away from the grind of daily life and pressures. Atmosphere is amazing. Facilities are great and private.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018
Response from Tony on 8 Aug 2018
Thanks for your review and we are very happy you enjoyed your stay here

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful Scenery
Even though we got there late at night when we woke up in the morning and opened the blinds the scene was absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. Would definitely stay there again
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018
Response from Tony on 19 Jun 2018
Thanks for the review. So glad you liked our little piece of paradise!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Absolutely prefect! I was so impressed with the quality and detail put into the villas and pool area. We will be back!
Stayed 1 night in May 2018
Response from Yvette on 16 May 2018
Thank you so much for your positive review. We really appreciate the feed back.

10/10 Excellent

Eleanor

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A Nice Respite
Really nice and peaceful. Although it rained most of the time, I did see rainbows, and it is a beautiful place to rest. The hosts were very accomodating and helpful.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2018
Response from Yvette on 30 Jan 2018
Thank you for your review Eleanor. Glad to hear you were able to enjoy some rest and relaxation. Hillside Haven villa balcony is always a great place to watch the rain coming down through the valley and see rainbows.

10/10 Excellent

Daniel, Melbourne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stunning, serene getaway close to amazing beaches
We chose Seclude as our final night of our belated honeymoon. After being close to the water in Airlie, Seclude was our choice for a quiet change in scenery. We really enjoyed how serene and relaxing the villa was, the views were stunning from any angle. The villa itself was very well maintained, the bathroom and spa felt high-end. We saw beautiful local wildlife with many birds right at the villa. Tony was very friendly and accomodating to our needs.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2017

10/10 Excellent

Rach, Mackay

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Absolutely Heavn
My boyfriend proposed to me on the balcony of the hillside haven villa & I could not of dreamt up a better location. From friendly hosts to beautiful amenities & waking up to a beautiful fog in the air it was absolute bliss
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2017
Response from Tony on 30 Jul 2017
Congratulations Rach - we are very happy for you both and pleased that your stay at our Hillside Haven Villa provided a special place for it

10/10 Excellent

Lynda, Queensland

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Absolutely a slice of paradise
From start to finish we were in heaven. Will definitely return for our anniversary later in the year. Stunning
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2017
Response from Tony on 15 Jul 2017
Thank you Lynda - we are so glad you liked your stay here.

10/10 Excellent

Kiwicol, Blaxland

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
One of the best places I have ever stayed at.
I found our stay at Seclude Rainforest Retreat one of the most relaxing weekends away I have ever had. I highly recommend a stay if you want a quite weekend away from the kids or the hussel and bussel of life. The retreat is about 20 to 30 min from Proserpine and Airlie Beach for shopping and water activities and a short drive to some lovely quite Beach's. The accommodation is self contained and has everything you need, it is very clean and tidy with a large bathroom and lovely in closed under cover spa bath. You can also buy fresh food from reception to cook your self in the unit or down at the BBQ by the clear sparkling pool. I hope you enjoy your stay as much as we did.
View from balcony.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2017
Response from Tony on 15 Jul 2017
Thanks so much for your review. We are so happy you enjoyed your stay here and thanks for taking the time to write your review.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
What a find! Absolutely gorgeous accommodation and comfort right in the middle of the Australian countryside. Tony and Ivette have thought about everything for the comfort of their guests in these new, modern units. A very special place and we can highly recommend to future travellers looking for something special.

10/10 Excellent

D & A , Falkirk

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Do not miss out lovely setting
Loved this place stayed oct last year for 3 days wasn't enough so already planning our next visit, lovely location peaceful, great place to get away from it all cant wait to go back!

10/10 Excellent

Fiona, Townsville

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Anniversary getaway
It was an absolutely perfect place to unwind and relax. Beautiful environment and accommodation with amazingly friendly staff/owners. I would recommend this place to anyone, we loved it and would love to go back again.

10/10 Excellent

Steve, medowie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing secluded area that wasnt to far from the heart of the reef for sightseeing will definitely be back to stay again

10/10 Excellent

R & A, Mackay, QLD

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Secluded bliss
Really enjoyed the secluded nature of the facilities. Just what we needed to reconnect as a couple after a busy year
View from our balcony

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
awesome!!!!! will be going back for sure. named seclude for a reason :-)

10/10 Excellent

Nicole, Mackay

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Private luxury
Had a great stay at Seclude. Villa was very well presented, felt cosy but spacious, and had great views from every room. Hosts were pleasant and professional. A 30 min drive to Airlie Beach where we enjoyed dining out on the esplanade.

10/10 Excellent

coralie, mackay

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Rain forest retreat
Deserves a five star rating from the entrance to the bathroom all class we could not fault anything diffinatly be going back

10/10 Excellent

Joshua, Chelsea

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Sacca
5 star Nice and quite Had a ball

10/10 Excellent

Shakira, Gladstone, QLD

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful views! So relaxing!
The owners were absolutely lovely to deal with, the views were amazing, it was so nice to have such privacy, no phone reception made it easy to stay hidden from the world for a while (had wifi access, which was good for in case of emergency). Sitting on the back deck or in the hot tub having a vodka or a coffee (depending on the time of day) looking out over the forest were definetely my favourite moments. Cannot recommend highly enough. Great couples retreat! It was a great place to reconnect! Beautiful modern villa. Will most definitely be back, my only complaint is that we didn't stay longer!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We had such a fantastic weekend away at Seclude! The place was absolutely amazing and the views were incredible!

10/10 Excellent

Peter, Australia - QLD - Regional QLD

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Facilities: Top of the line; Value: Affordable; Service: Professional; Cleanliness: Pristine; Great place with great people running it

10/10 Excellent

James, Cairns

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Little slice of paradise
Very impressed by seclude. The room was Fantastic, very modern with lots of space and a comfy bed. The media library was quite impressive with a good selection of movies new and old. The hot tub was excellent and had a really nice view out over the valley with not a building in sight. The dinner packs are very worthwhile and very well priced, the kitchen is fully fitted out Including a dish washer so clean up is quick if you cook. One thing to note is don't expect to be able to just pop down the shops, it's located a good 20 minutes from Proserpine and 30 from airlie. The hosts Tony and Yvette were excellent as well, providing everything we needed and were very helpful. We'll be back!

10/10 Excellent

Amanda, Australia - QLD - Regional QLD

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Service: Flawless; Cleanliness: Spotless; Wonderful! So relaxing! We will be back for sure!

10/10 Excellent

happycustomer, Melbourne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
little piece of heaven
Amazing location and Villa was amazing. So private and peaceful. Perfect place to get away from everything and be with your partner. Hosts were amazing as well as food hampers. .. And the views and Spa just perfect.

10/10 Excellent

brad, Australia - QLD - Regional QLD

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great rainforest walks and waterfalls nearby

10/10 Excellent

Zoe, Australia - QLD - Regional QLD

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
the most relaxing place ive ever been to, it really was beautiful.

10/10 Excellent

Elouisa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Facilities: Home away from home; Service: Go the extra mile; Cleanliness: Pristine; Would highly recommend

10/10 Excellent

Cleo, Townsville

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful retreat " away from it all "
Thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Complete privacy , beautiful views ,so very peaceful , just the place to recharge your batteries.

10/10 Excellent

Naidine, Australia - QLD - Regional QLD

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Facilities: Home away from home, Outstanding; Value: Affordable; Service: Remarkable, Go the extra mile; Cleanliness: Immaculate, Pristine;

10/10 Excellent

Leonie, Australia - QLD - Cairns

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Facilities: Brand new, Outstanding; Value: Expensive and worth it; Service: Go the extra mile, Phenomenal; Cleanliness: Spotless, Gleaming, Immaculate; Loved the hot tub

10/10 Excellent

Lise, Australia - QLD - Brisbane

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Facilities: State of the art; Value: Amazing; Service: Go the extra mile; Cleanliness: Spotless; Perfect for a romantic getaway.

10/10 Excellent

Paul, Australia - NSW - Sydney

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Facilities: Brand new, Outstanding; Value: Great deal; Service: Flawless, Remarkable, Go the extra mile; Cleanliness: Spotless, Immaculate, Pristine; Privacy is assured.