Culture
Attention to detail is evident throughout the Baillie Lodges guest experience, from operational processes through to design and the broad product offering, and is core to the overarching culture and values.
Baillie Lodges’ commitment to product excellence and reinvestment is evident in the significant lodge refurbishments and routine maintenance closures at each property to ensure that they remain at their world-class standard.
Detailed process systems ensure Baillie Lodges delivers comprehensive, on-the-job training for the team and ultimately guarantees an exceptional guest experience every time.
The Baillie Lodges culinary philosophy drives a daily-changing menu where local, in-season ingredients are delivered in a world-class dining experience. This food and beverage philosophy is at the heart of the guest experience: a curated selection of Australian wines, craft beers, ingredients sourced from local suppliers and a fine cuisine style showcasing fresh, seasonal produce is on offer every day.
Working life
A career with Baillie Lodges opens up a world of discovery, with travel to extraordinary destinations and the chance to meet a network of new friends – who happen to be tourism and hospitality professionals too! It’s also a gold star on the CV.
Working at a Baillie Lodges property offers a chance to really work as part of a collegiate team, where departments work together to deliver an exceptional and personal guest experience and learning across departments is encouraged.
It’s also a chance to discover a new destination, it’s experiences and its locals: fishing and surfing on Lord Howe Island, hiking and testing of small batch brews and spirits on Kangaroo Island and exploring the Red Centre at Uluru-Kata Tjuta.
Working at Baillie Lodges is a kick-start to a new career, new friendships and the start of a new personal era.
Baillie Lodges is an intimate portfolio of luxury lodges setting new benchmarks for premium experiential travel in Australian style. The trio of remarkable lodges that make up the Baillie Lodges portfolio are Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island, Capella Lodge on Lord Howe Island and Longitude 131° at Uluru-Kata Tjuta. Soon to join them will be Silky Oaks Lodge in the Daintree Rainforest, following a $15million refurbishment planned for 2020.
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Southern Ocean Lodge
Globally celebrated and multi-award winning, Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island is Australia’s most acclaimed wilderness lodge. The Southern Ocean Lodge team provides the highest level of personal service to discerning guests from Australia and around the world. Driven by passion and a desire for excellence, our team constantly strives to exceed guests’ expectations. Being part of the ‘SOL family’ is a reward in itself, and a fun lifestyle with the team on the wildly beautiful Kangaroo Island is part of the appeal. View and download our living and working guide here.
Destination
Kangaroo Island is a diverse, wild destination, just a hop off the South Australian coast. It’s Australia’s third largest island, made up of pastoral land, wild coasts, pristine deserted beaches and national parks and wilderness sanctuaries, Known as Australia’s Galapagos, the island is home to a microcosm of Australian wildlife, with kangaroos, koalas, echidnas, sea lions and fur seals roaming freely to the delight of visitors and residents alike.
Lodge
Southern Ocean Lodge has twenty-one luxurious suites that run along the curve of the coast, each with uninterrupted views of the wild Southern Ocean. The Great Room is the helm, home to the bar, lounge and restaurant, and where guests depart on signature experiences of Kangaroo Island or plan their next adventure. The lodge offers a range of hospitality positions, from Food and Beverage to Housekeeping, Front Office and Experiences. With its remote location and ever-changing views, Southern Ocean Lodge has a close-knit team where opportunities are on offer to gain experience across departments.
Lodge Managers
Life partners John Hird and Alison Heath together head up the team at Southern Ocean Lodge as Lodge Managers. Together they create a close-knit, family like culture that welcomes hospitality professionals as well as students from around the world, making a wonderfully diverse and inclusive team. John and Alison are supported by Assistant Managers Lucky Legong and Sally Sowden.
Staff Lifestyle
Spending time ‘like a local’ on Kangaroo Island offers a chance to learn about the island’s ecology, meet the wildlife, explore its great food, wine beer and spirits producers, head out on hikes along the coast and relax at some of the world’s best beaches on days off. The team’s accommodation is in a purpose-built staff village onsite, where single and couples can choose accommodation to best suit their lifestyle. Staff bar Bosco’s is a great spot to grab a drink and share a laugh at the end of the day. Staff meals are also provided.
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Capella Lodge
Renowned as Lord Howe Island’s most glamorous lodge, Capella offers guests an exclusive and luxurious island escape. The island’s only accommodation with views of the ocean and lying at the feet of the mesmerising Mounts Gower and Lidgbird, Capella is a beach-house style accommodation with a barefoot luxury vibe. The team at Capella is close-knit and friendly, offering a warm welcome and which genuinely cares for guests. Being part of the Capella team is the a highly sought-after position, and with a chance to surf, fish, hike and be a Lord Howe local an opportunity at Capella is one too good to miss. View and download our living and working guide here.
Destination
World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island is part of New South Wales and is located just 600 kilometres – or a short two-hour flight – from Australia’s east coast. The tiny, remote island is just eleven kilometres in length, with a crescent shaped lagoon home to the world’s southernmost coral reef. Warm currents flow southwards from the Coral Sea, making diving or snorkelling straight from the beach an easy option, where a vibrant sub-marine world is home to a kaleidoscope of corals, tropical fish, turtles, shipwrecks and a friendly Galapagos reef shark. A range of hikes explores clifftops and subtropical rainforests, ventures along deserted beaches perfect for beachcombing.
Lodge
Nine beach-house style suites at each offer a different view of Lord Howe, some with views of the ocean, others with views of Mounts Gower and Lidgbird which preside over the island and all with the swish and sway of endemic Kentia palms in the background. The main lodge is home to the lounge, bar and restaurant, where floor-to-ceiling windows expand to welcome the outside views indoors and lead to Gowers Terrace, where loungers and a horizon plunge pool invite guests to relax and switch off. Capella’s friendly, close-knit team really make the guest experience a standout, and keeps guests returning time and time again.
Lodge Managers
Life partners Libby Grant and Mark MacKillop lead the team at Capella Lodge. Arriving when Capella first opened as a Baillie Lodges property in 2004, Mark and Libby are as much a part of the Capella experience as the lodge itself. The team at Capella is very close-knit, with staff opting to stay and enjoy the island working lifestyle, which is both professional and friendly and with lots to enjoy both in and out of hours. Mark and Libby are supported by Assistant Manager Viktoria Dickson.
Staff Lifestyle
The lifestyle for Capella staff conjures up images of a real Treasure Island, or fun in the sun, with ‘office’ features including white-sanded beaches, turquoise waters, sheer mountains and subtropical rainforest. Adventure awaits, with some challenging and easier options including the Mount Gower, Goat House and Kim’s Lookout hikes all offering panoramic views of the island, as well as world-class diving, snorkelling, swimming with turtles, foraging and fishing. It’s an island lifestyle that’s addictively appealing. Most staff live onsite in a new, purpose-built staff village complete with lounge and kitchen facilities. Staff meals are also provided.
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Longitude 131°
The ultimate luxury basecamp, Longitude 131° offers a very personal encounter with the landscape and heritage of Australia’s iconic Red Centre. Located adjacent to the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park, Longitude 131° offers views of both UNESCO World Heritage-listed icons from every corner; from the restaurant and outdoor terrace in the Dune House, from the elevated outdoor lounge and spa in the Dune Top and – in guests’ luxury tents – from the end of the bed. An itinerary of signature experiences delivers a personal understanding and unforgettable connection with Australia’s spiritual heartland. View and download our living and working guide here.
Destination
Uluru-Kata Tjuta is regarded as Australia’s spiritual heart, the two attractions invoking a personal connection with many visitors who sense the tremendous cultural heritage and ancient living history about the destination. During a stay at Longitude 131° guests have the chance to discover the two very different rock formations on personalised tours led by lodge naturalist guides. Guests walk through the gorges of Kata Tjuta and to the cool pools of Uluru’s plunging crevices. Others choose to walk The Valley of the Winds or do a lap of Uluru, while sunset camel rides, Segway tours and even a turn on a Harley Davidson make Australia’s Red Centre the nation’s most accessible adventure.
Lodge
Famous for their floating safari-style canopies, sixteen luxury guest tents line the red sand dunes, each with a view to Uluru. Each pavilion has an outdoor balcony complete with lounge, ‘campfire’ and daybed upon which a swag is unfurled by night for sleeping under a blanket of stars. The central Dune House is the hub, where guests dine in the restaurant or on the terrace, enjoy a drink in the bar and join personalised tours of the outback. Staff at Longitude 131° meet guests from around the world, come to visit Australia’s premier natural attraction.
Lodge Managers
Husband and wife team Ben and Louise Lanyon took the reins at Longitude 131° in 2019, having already spent time managing sister property Southern Ocean Lodge. The couple have made their home at nearby Yulara, along with their three young boys who are enrolled at the local school. Assistant Manager Kate Hollick offers invaluable support to Ben and Lou in running what is a very finely tuned, tight ship!
Staff Lifestyle
Joining the team at Longitude 131° is a life-changing chance to discover Australia’s Red Centre, joining a diverse and collegiate outback family. There’s a larger community of employees who work at the neighbouring Voyages Indigenous Tourism accommodation group so opportunities exist to form new friendships and networks. All Longitude 131° employees live at the staff residence at nearby Yulara, and meals are provided during rostered hours.
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Silky Oaks Lodge
Neighbouring the World Heritage-listed wilderness of the Daintree National Park, Silky Oaks Lodge offers guests a stylish rainforest escape. Long regarded as Tropical North Queensland’s luxury bolt-hole, Silky Oaks Lodge is ideally located for access to the region’s spectacular natural attractions, including the Daintree Rainforest, Mossman Gorge, the Great Barrier Reef and Cape Tribulation. It’s also an easy transfer to the stylish restaurant-and-shopping precinct at nearby Port Douglas. View and download our living and working guide here.
Destination
Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) is a remarkable region which stretches from the Great Barrier Reef taking in the Daintree Rainforest and extending to the outback. One of the most popular TNQ itineraries is the combination of reef, rainforest and outback, with Silky Oaks Lodge a central stopover. Australia’s celebrated Daintree Rainforest meets the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef at Silky Oaks Lodge, and within easy reach are Mossman Gorge and the magnificent Cape Tribulation wilderness.
Lodge
Silky Oaks Lodge is set among the leafy canopy of the pristine Daintree Rainforest above the gently flowing Mossman River. A central guest lodge houses the open air Treehouse Restaurant which looks out to a foresty sea of cool green, while the river flows below creating a soothing soundtrack Tropical North Queensland dining. The space is also home to a bar and lounge areas, and it’s the departure point for touring adventures in the region. Forty treehouse-style guest suites offer wooden floors, rain showers and hammocks to relaxing in the afternoon breeze.
Lodge Manager
Lodge Manager Sonya Boaden joined Silky Oaks Lodge in 2019 to help transform the lodge and its operations to the Baillie Lodges style of management, product standard and guest experiences. Silky Oaks Lodge will officially join the Baillie Lodges collection following a significant refurbishment planned for 2020. Angelique Helmchen has recently transferred from her Assistant Manager role at sister property Southern Ocean Lodge to support Sonya and the team in a parallel role, while Executive Chef Mark Godbeer has also moved to the tropics from his twin role at Longitude 131°.
Staff Lifestyle
Tropical North Queensland is an adventure playground, offering an exciting lifestyle for staff at Silky Oaks Lodge. Just 60 minutes’ drive from Cairns and 20 minutes from Port Douglas, Silky Oaks Lodge is a tranquil working environment, with the soothing sounds of the river and leafy green outlook, while on days off there’s the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation wilderness all on the doorstep. Limited staff accommodation is available onsite. Meals are provided for rostered hours.
Success stories
Embarking on a career with Baillie Lodges is an exciting and rewarding experience, with the promise of adventure and life and work achievements ahead. Meet some of the Baillie Lodges family here and learn more about their stories.
Ben Mitchell
Ben has a passion for wildlife, photography and for his own backyard – Australia – so the Baillie Lodges collection suits him perfectly. Like other team members, Ben has worked at more than one lodge across the portfolio.
Read Ben's story
Callie Haden-Smith
Experiences Manager Caroline Haden-Smith – or ‘Callie’, as she’s affectionately known – caught a plane from one wilderness landscape to another four years ago, leaving the game parks of South Africa for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.
Read Callie's story
Cooper Dickson
Cooper started at Capella Lodge in 2004 as a fourth year Apprentice Chef. Fast forward to 2015 with time spent in the kitchen at Southern Ocean Lodge, Cooper returned to Capella as Executive Chef.
Read Cooper's story
Lucky Legong
South Africa-born Lucky Legong relishes being Assistant Manager at Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island and brings such warmth and zeal to her role that she creates an atmosphere of joy to all those around her.
Read Lucky's story
Mark Godbeer
Mark joined Baillie Lodges as Sous Chef at Longitude 131° in 2017 before quickly being promoted to Executive Chef in 2018. He’s recently traded the red desert dunes for the lush Daintree Rainforest to take on the role as Executive Chef at Silky Oaks Lodge.
Read Mark's story
Matthew Baker
Matthew’s commitment to hospitality is evident in everything he does. Matt has studied and undertaken work experience in the industry, and his long-held ambition to advance into hotel management has been realised at Southern Ocean Lodge.
Read Matthew's storyCurrent Opportunities
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