Southern Ocean Lodge Reclaims Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice in Australia

The results of the coveted United States' Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards have been announced today, with Baillie Lodges flagship property Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island coming in as first in Australia and 29th in the world in the Best Hotels in the World category and in second place in the Top 20 Resorts in Australia and the South Pacific category. The luxury lodge scored 98.63 from a possible 100 in the awards.

The award sees the multi-award-winning lodge which reopened in December 2023 reclaim her position as readers' favourite Australian hotel on the prestigious list. Southern Ocean Lodge had previously held the honour in 2019, just prior to the wildfires which had swept across Kangaroo Island in early 2020, razing the lodge and occasioning her four-year rebuild. Across the globe, Southern Ocean Lodge has also featured on the United Kingdom's Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards World's Best Resorts list, coming in sixth place in the Australasia and the South Pacific category with a score of 92.61. Baillie Lodges sister properties Longitude 131° has come in fourth place in the same category with a score of 95.38, while Silky Oaks Lodge has come in fifth place in the awards' Best Hotels in Australasia category with a score of 97.02 from a possible score of 100. Sister lodge Capella on Lord Howe Island also ranked on the US Readers' Choice Top 20 Resorts in Australia and the South Pacific list at number eighteen with a score of 94.37.

Southern Ocean Lodge's triumphant return to the top ranks of the Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice lists comes just weeks after the lodge was named as best hotel in Oceania in The Telegraph's inaugural Top 50 Hotel Awards 2024 in the United Kingdom.

This latest accolade also aligns with Baillie Lodges revealing 'Sunshine Rising', the documentary it commissioned from South Australian film producers 57 Films. The film charts the course of Southern Ocean Lodge's rebuild and the very personal commitment to its enduring success on the parts of Founders James and Hayley Baillie. The 30-minute film is available to view here.

Baillie Lodges Chief Operating Officer Craig Bradbery said each award win was an emotional event for both the team on the ground at Southern Ocean Lodge and the extended Baillie Lodges family.

“Seeing Southern Ocean Lodge return to the top of the Condé Nast Readers' Choice list after the significant project of her rebuild is especially poignant,” Mr Bradbery said.

“We really set out to return the magic of the original Southern Ocean Lodge to the wildly beautiful clifftops of Kangaroos Island for our guests, and it's on receiving accolades like the Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards that bring with it the endorsement of the world's most dedicated travellers that we have the sense that we have been successful in our mission,” he said.

“It's an ongoing commitment of course on behalf of the whole team. We've had an incredible chance to recreate Southern Ocean Lodge, ready for the next generation of traveller and a sustainable future,” he said. For more information and to make a booking, please visit southernoceanlodge.com.au, email reserve@bailielodges.com.au or call the reservations team on +61 2 9918 4355.

ABOUT

Baillie Lodges: Baillie Lodges is a growing portfolio of luxury lodges renowned for setting benchmarks in premium experiential travel. Set in exclusive locations of unique natural or cultural significance, the boutique properties appeal to the discerning global traveller seeking a remarkable experience. The Australia-based collection was founded in 2003 by James and Hayley Baillie and includes Longitude 131° at Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Capella Lodge on Lord Howe Island, Silky Oaks Lodge at the Daintree Rainforest, and The Louise in the Barossa Valley. Flagship property Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island was razed in the 2020 bushfires and reopened in December 2023. In 2019, an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners acquired Baillie Lodges with the aim to further expand the unique collection of luxury lodges. The 2022 addition of Chile's esteemed Tierra Hotels group marks a continuation of the collection's foray into international waters, joining the Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge on Canada's Vancouver Island and New Zealand's Huka Lodge. Baillie Lodges' Australian properties are honoured as members of Luxury Lodges of Australia. For more information, please visit baillielodges.com.au.