Expected to run to more than $10 million, the project is designed to align both the features at Silky Oaks Lodge and the guest experience of the Daintree Rainforest with Baillie Lodges existing portfolio of Australian luxury lodges.

Newly inclusive rates, premium suites and a more stylish experience of the World Heritage-listed Daintree are all slated, with Port Douglas-based architect Gary Hunt engaged for the design and Amanda Pike of Pike Withers for the interiors. Envisioned is a more contemporary feel for the lodge, while playing to the property’s original rainforest influences. Local builders and tradespeople will be sought for the refurbishment, while indigenous artworks, as well as custom furnishings by North Queensland designers will evoke a real sense of the tropical north.

Silky Oaks Lodge will close for works from April 22, 2020, with the new-look lodge set to launch on September 7, 2020. Current 2019/20 season rates will be extended to guest stays until closure. On reopening in September, a schedule of new rates will reflect enhanced inclusions at the property: gourmet breakfast, evening sunset drinks and a four-course daily changing dinner menu with premium wines to match.

A new ultra-premium suite, the exclusive Rainforest Pavilion, will deliver a new level of luxury rainforest retreat, with floor-to-ceiling glass and skillion ceilings offering an immersive experience of the forest. Generous lounging and two separate sleeping areas provide space to enjoy the company of friends and family or the quiet of the moment, with just the sounds of the river and birds as background. Outdoors, extensive decks feature open air lounging areas, bathing under the treetops and an infinity pool extending into the cool forest.

See also: Baillie Lodges expands with North Queensland hotel, Silky Oaks Lodge

Three enhanced Billabong Suites will each offer king bed, generous indoor areas with built-in desk and lounge, extensive outdoor decks with daybed, a hammock ready to sway in the afternoon breeze and stylish open-air bath tub. Private outdoor plunge pools overlooking the river complete a premium rainforest experience. The makeover will also extend to the River Treehouse categories, which will see new furnishings and timber finishes, as well as outdoor bathing options and a hammock set to overlook the Mossman River.

Silky Oaks Lodge guests will enjoy a new experience of the outdoors, including a reimagined riverbank area where a firepit will ignite a rainforest vibe. The pool area will be modernised, with loungers and cabanas added to offer a cool retreat. Plans are also at hand to develop a new kitchen garden, The Edible Garden, both for cultivating tropical ingredients for the restaurant and for guests to explore.

Silky Oaks will continue to work with valued local operators to offer a full range of bespoke adventures of the surrounding Daintree Rainforest, Great Barrier Reef and Cape Tribulation, and aim to align these experiences with the very personal, high-end Baillie Lodges offering. As part of its expanding experiences program, Silky Oaks Lodge will also develop its own full-day private safari of the Daintree region, complete with gourmet dining and personal guide.

Set adjacent to the World Heritage-listed wilderness of the Daintree National Park and along the banks of the gently flowing Mossman River, Silky Oaks Lodge offers guests a stylish rainforest escape, with experiences spanning river-snorkelling, driving safaris, indigenous guided walks, the lodge’s own Healing Waters Spa and access to Port Douglas and the Great Barrier Reef.

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