Linden Gardens Rainforest Retreat

The location is perfect, a short drive to many different attractions, and even walkable to the nearest village and a few restaurants (sidewalk the whole way). The cooked breakfast was a delightful start to each day. The Sanctuary Tower has plenty of room to stretch out, with the spa level offering a big tub along with a dry sauna that made for a perfect warm-up after a day of exploring in chilly weather. The host Jodie was attentive and made us feel welcomed. Just one note on the Sanctuary Tower for others, it is three levels with a tight circular staircase and the entrance is at the bottom level (spa/bathroom level) so luggage will have to be carried up along with many ups and downs to get to the bathroom from other floors, etc.. If okay/fit for that than it is absolutely perfect, if not I am sure one of the other rooms would do just as well.

The best part was the location. The communication was very poor. When I booked I requested a cheese platter on arrival which wasn't in the room so I had to chase that up. We weren't given breakfast menus for our last day and when I sent a message asking for them there was no response. The following morning we checked out to go get breakfast elsewhere and we got a message saying they were at the door of our room with the breakfast we ordered. They sent me a picture of the order form and it wasn't filled out by us but it had my name printed at the top. The room Sanctuary Tower itself was nothing special compared to other 5 star accommodation I've stayed in. Inclusions listed on site were not accurate. We went to have a spa and we tried to turn the sauna on and it wouldn't turn on. I had a look at the LED candles and I tried turning a few on and they weren't working, I noticed a few had burned through the plastic on the side of the candle. On our first night we lost power to some of the tower, to no fault of the business, and Ausnet came and attended to it. However with a background in health and safety I checked the test and tags on the electrical items in the lower level and they were all over due for testing, they should have last been done in Feb 2024. When we left I filler out a feedback form explaining all these issues and I received a message from the owner saying she would like to talk but she needed a few days as she was very upset by what she read. I said that's fine and I haven't heard from her. I don't recommend staying here if you want to have a relaxing getaway.

My wife and I stayed in The Sanctuary Tower during a recent holiday in Mount Dandenong. This Tower has 3 levels of accommodation with the bedroom at the top level and the living room in the second level. The bathroom and toilet are at Ground level. The staircase can get tiring after a few climbs. During our stay, the occupants in the next unit (Gallery Suite) played loud music for several hours during the night and the noise intruded into the place we stayed at, which was a nuisance. We will not book this place again.

This place is a gem. Scenery is spectacular, certainly is a rainforest retreat. Stayed here 3 times with my partner, certainly a romantic place for couples. Hot breakfast delivered to your door, absolutely delicious and the choc muffins are lovely. Jodie is great, very accomodating, helpful and friendly. Beautiful views from the rooms overlooking the scenery from the windows. Rooms are provided with champagne and wine and the mini bar is well stocked. Great heating and the spa is really relaxing, especially with the direct views of the beautiful rainforest scenery. Bedding is really comfortable too. Slippers and robes provided as well. We will definitely come back again.

Stunning scenery from the Garden Retreat. Plenty of windows to admire the forest views. The furniture was comfortable and adequate for the mountain atmosphere. We enjoyed the lounge music playing on arrival. It was easy to collect the key fob to open the room. The breakfast delivered to the room made the stay more intimate for couples. The jacuzzi in the living room was a bit different and it was a shame about the new Victorian regulation probibiting candles. However, they provided LED candles, which is ok visually but does not replace some beautiful candle smell scents. On the minus side, I would rate the breakfast average. Coffee lovers would not like to be provided with nescafe. I was expecting fresh local jam and butter, but got plastic containers. The breakfast was also not delivered when it was supposed to and I had to phone and mobile text. Unfortunately, I received no acknowledgment. Breakfast turned up about 6 minutes later. To get a 5 star, this establishment would need to become more environmentally friendly - no gas fire, no polyester bathrobe, no single-use plastic.

Wow, stunning. We stayed in the Garden Room and it was exactly what I had hoped for: relaxing, ambient and soulful. The owner had prepared our room beautifully. We entered the room to mood lighting and some soothing Brazilian chill out music - my wife is Brazilian; so it was a happy coincidence. Another happy coincidence was the thunderstorm that occurred during our stay. I can now say, you've never quite experienced a thunderstorm until you've experienced it from a spa in the living room surrounded by the beauty of the Dandenongs! We live not far from Linden Gardens, and we are sure to be back for a treat in the future. My wife and I agreed...it was right up there with the best accomodation we have enjoyed...and we have travelled extensively and globally. Sometimes the best experiences are right on your doorstep!