This famous Aussie resort costs $3000 a night. But is it justified?
'We just don't say no,' says general manager Dylan Counsel. 'The idea is that we make everything happen. Or we at least think about how it could be done.'
It's tempting to push the limits of this in the most obnoxious of ways. A bowl full of green M&Ms, thank you waiter. A bottle of vintage Cristal to my room, free of charge. A few extra nights' stay on the house? No nos, right?
But you don't do that, as probably almost all guests don't, because you're not like that. Instead, it's just small things you ask for. And you get.
Can you sub out one of the wines offered at the restaurant tonight for something else you prefer? Yes. Can you have your evening cocktail sent to your room instead of drinking it in the bar area? Yes. Can you have your entire dinner sent to your room because you don't feel like eating with everyone else tonight? Yes.
These are just small requests because, honestly, you're rarely left wanting at Saffire Freycinet.
This Tasmanian resort is one of the Luxury Lodges of Australia, and the sort of place with instant name recognition, even if you've never stayed there. The resort is also celebrating its 15th birthday this year, so it seems an ideal time to revisit an old favourite and see how it fares.
This might be one of Australia's leading properties, but it's also up there with its most expensive, at almost $3000 a night – can any hotel or resort justify that price?
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The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
What happens when teenagers get to decide how to spend the family budget?
In 2025, budgeting is difficult for anyone. Groceries, clothes, activities and housing can all eat away at your pay slip, leaving many wondering where the money went. So what happens when teenagers take over the budget? That question is explored in the new series of ABC's Teenage Boss. The social experiment sees 10 teenagers take control of their family finances. The teenagers are given free rein over the family's spending money, however, costs, like mortgage payments and school fees, are fixed. Now in its fourth season, host and popular children's entertainer Emma Watkins issued the challenge to 10 Tasmanian families, half from the north of the state and half from the south. The show follows them for one month and tracks whether the teenagers have saved money, achieved their saving goal to purchase an item, which they establish at the beginning of the experiment, and what areas the teens struggle with. "It's a show where the parents are quite stressed," Host Emma Watkins said. "Handing over all of that control to their teenagers is a big deal, not just for themselves, but for the other children in the family." Ms Watkins said the teenagers start the show with optimism, hopeful they can take the family on a holiday and buy something they've had their eyes on. "That doesn't tend to happen," Ms Watkins said. "Sometimes the parents feel the need to step in and keep the teens on track. "That's where I come in." The teens are in charge of everything, including leisure activities, petrol, public transport, home maintenance, and garden maintenance. Despite starting out with the best of intentions, reality sets in, and they are forced to make some tough decisions - with one predictable cost getting in the way. "The biggest cost is always food and groceries," Ms Watkins said. "I think it's a funny irony because teens are always hungry." It's the first thing teenagers try to cut out of the budget. "They just cannot believe how much money goes on food, and they feel that because it's so high, it's the easiest to cut," Ms Watkins said. "They quickly realise they need that money back." Another area where the teens struggled was budgeting in the context of day-to-day living. Similar to what happens to many, life sometimes got in the way, making budgeting more difficult than it needed to be. "That's life. There's school, work, and outside activities - it's easy for them to fall off the path," Ms Watkins said. "I don't want to spoil it, but all the teens did a great job." Previous seasons of the show have been filmed on the mainland and focused on the financial and budgetary pressures there. The key concerns and struggles remained the same in Tasmania, except for one aspect. Normally, the teenager will want to organise a family holiday during the show. In the case of the previous season, filmed in Adelaide, South Australia, this was as simple as packing the car and picking a spot on the map. For the Tasmanian teens, getting the wheels moving on a family holiday proved more difficult. "A lot of the teens wanted to take a trip to Melbourne, for example," Ms Watkins said. "Taking into account flights, expenses and Uber - that was quickly brought to their attention once they got to the mainland. "That's something we hadn't seen before." Ultimately, Ms Watkins said the teens did a fantastic job and knew more about budgeting than people think they do. "Teens, and I mean most children, are very aware of the situation," she said. "They might not be aware of the details, but I think children are really observant and most of them were aware that there was a need for the family to save money as a whole and for their own personal goals." Ms Watkins added the standout of the show was the creativity on display and the learning possibilities adults can gain from watching it. "I'm always in awe of their creative thinking, and I think that's something adults can learn from teens," she said. "They definitely thought about their options to save money in more lateral ways than normal." Feedback from the families involved was also positive, with participants labelling the experiment as a valuable experience. "We received so much positive feedback from families about the show," Ms Watkins said. "I think parents and families, as a whole, will really enjoy the show. "We just had the absolute best time." Teenage Boss: Next Level, premieres Friday, July 25 on ABC iview and July 26 on ABC Family. In 2025, budgeting is difficult for anyone. Groceries, clothes, activities and housing can all eat away at your pay slip, leaving many wondering where the money went. So what happens when teenagers take over the budget? That question is explored in the new series of ABC's Teenage Boss. The social experiment sees 10 teenagers take control of their family finances. The teenagers are given free rein over the family's spending money, however, costs, like mortgage payments and school fees, are fixed. Now in its fourth season, host and popular children's entertainer Emma Watkins issued the challenge to 10 Tasmanian families, half from the north of the state and half from the south. The show follows them for one month and tracks whether the teenagers have saved money, achieved their saving goal to purchase an item, which they establish at the beginning of the experiment, and what areas the teens struggle with. "It's a show where the parents are quite stressed," Host Emma Watkins said. "Handing over all of that control to their teenagers is a big deal, not just for themselves, but for the other children in the family." Ms Watkins said the teenagers start the show with optimism, hopeful they can take the family on a holiday and buy something they've had their eyes on. "That doesn't tend to happen," Ms Watkins said. "Sometimes the parents feel the need to step in and keep the teens on track. "That's where I come in." The teens are in charge of everything, including leisure activities, petrol, public transport, home maintenance, and garden maintenance. Despite starting out with the best of intentions, reality sets in, and they are forced to make some tough decisions - with one predictable cost getting in the way. "The biggest cost is always food and groceries," Ms Watkins said. "I think it's a funny irony because teens are always hungry." It's the first thing teenagers try to cut out of the budget. "They just cannot believe how much money goes on food, and they feel that because it's so high, it's the easiest to cut," Ms Watkins said. "They quickly realise they need that money back." Another area where the teens struggled was budgeting in the context of day-to-day living. Similar to what happens to many, life sometimes got in the way, making budgeting more difficult than it needed to be. "That's life. There's school, work, and outside activities - it's easy for them to fall off the path," Ms Watkins said. "I don't want to spoil it, but all the teens did a great job." Previous seasons of the show have been filmed on the mainland and focused on the financial and budgetary pressures there. The key concerns and struggles remained the same in Tasmania, except for one aspect. Normally, the teenager will want to organise a family holiday during the show. In the case of the previous season, filmed in Adelaide, South Australia, this was as simple as packing the car and picking a spot on the map. For the Tasmanian teens, getting the wheels moving on a family holiday proved more difficult. "A lot of the teens wanted to take a trip to Melbourne, for example," Ms Watkins said. "Taking into account flights, expenses and Uber - that was quickly brought to their attention once they got to the mainland. "That's something we hadn't seen before." Ultimately, Ms Watkins said the teens did a fantastic job and knew more about budgeting than people think they do. "Teens, and I mean most children, are very aware of the situation," she said. "They might not be aware of the details, but I think children are really observant and most of them were aware that there was a need for the family to save money as a whole and for their own personal goals." Ms Watkins added the standout of the show was the creativity on display and the learning possibilities adults can gain from watching it. "I'm always in awe of their creative thinking, and I think that's something adults can learn from teens," she said. "They definitely thought about their options to save money in more lateral ways than normal." Feedback from the families involved was also positive, with participants labelling the experiment as a valuable experience. "We received so much positive feedback from families about the show," Ms Watkins said. "I think parents and families, as a whole, will really enjoy the show. "We just had the absolute best time." Teenage Boss: Next Level, premieres Friday, July 25 on ABC iview and July 26 on ABC Family. In 2025, budgeting is difficult for anyone. Groceries, clothes, activities and housing can all eat away at your pay slip, leaving many wondering where the money went. So what happens when teenagers take over the budget? That question is explored in the new series of ABC's Teenage Boss. The social experiment sees 10 teenagers take control of their family finances. The teenagers are given free rein over the family's spending money, however, costs, like mortgage payments and school fees, are fixed. Now in its fourth season, host and popular children's entertainer Emma Watkins issued the challenge to 10 Tasmanian families, half from the north of the state and half from the south. The show follows them for one month and tracks whether the teenagers have saved money, achieved their saving goal to purchase an item, which they establish at the beginning of the experiment, and what areas the teens struggle with. "It's a show where the parents are quite stressed," Host Emma Watkins said. "Handing over all of that control to their teenagers is a big deal, not just for themselves, but for the other children in the family." Ms Watkins said the teenagers start the show with optimism, hopeful they can take the family on a holiday and buy something they've had their eyes on. "That doesn't tend to happen," Ms Watkins said. "Sometimes the parents feel the need to step in and keep the teens on track. "That's where I come in." The teens are in charge of everything, including leisure activities, petrol, public transport, home maintenance, and garden maintenance. Despite starting out with the best of intentions, reality sets in, and they are forced to make some tough decisions - with one predictable cost getting in the way. "The biggest cost is always food and groceries," Ms Watkins said. "I think it's a funny irony because teens are always hungry." It's the first thing teenagers try to cut out of the budget. "They just cannot believe how much money goes on food, and they feel that because it's so high, it's the easiest to cut," Ms Watkins said. "They quickly realise they need that money back." Another area where the teens struggled was budgeting in the context of day-to-day living. Similar to what happens to many, life sometimes got in the way, making budgeting more difficult than it needed to be. "That's life. There's school, work, and outside activities - it's easy for them to fall off the path," Ms Watkins said. "I don't want to spoil it, but all the teens did a great job." Previous seasons of the show have been filmed on the mainland and focused on the financial and budgetary pressures there. The key concerns and struggles remained the same in Tasmania, except for one aspect. Normally, the teenager will want to organise a family holiday during the show. In the case of the previous season, filmed in Adelaide, South Australia, this was as simple as packing the car and picking a spot on the map. For the Tasmanian teens, getting the wheels moving on a family holiday proved more difficult. "A lot of the teens wanted to take a trip to Melbourne, for example," Ms Watkins said. "Taking into account flights, expenses and Uber - that was quickly brought to their attention once they got to the mainland. "That's something we hadn't seen before." Ultimately, Ms Watkins said the teens did a fantastic job and knew more about budgeting than people think they do. "Teens, and I mean most children, are very aware of the situation," she said. "They might not be aware of the details, but I think children are really observant and most of them were aware that there was a need for the family to save money as a whole and for their own personal goals." Ms Watkins added the standout of the show was the creativity on display and the learning possibilities adults can gain from watching it. "I'm always in awe of their creative thinking, and I think that's something adults can learn from teens," she said. "They definitely thought about their options to save money in more lateral ways than normal." Feedback from the families involved was also positive, with participants labelling the experiment as a valuable experience. "We received so much positive feedback from families about the show," Ms Watkins said. "I think parents and families, as a whole, will really enjoy the show. "We just had the absolute best time." Teenage Boss: Next Level, premieres Friday, July 25 on ABC iview and July 26 on ABC Family. In 2025, budgeting is difficult for anyone. Groceries, clothes, activities and housing can all eat away at your pay slip, leaving many wondering where the money went. So what happens when teenagers take over the budget? That question is explored in the new series of ABC's Teenage Boss. The social experiment sees 10 teenagers take control of their family finances. The teenagers are given free rein over the family's spending money, however, costs, like mortgage payments and school fees, are fixed. Now in its fourth season, host and popular children's entertainer Emma Watkins issued the challenge to 10 Tasmanian families, half from the north of the state and half from the south. The show follows them for one month and tracks whether the teenagers have saved money, achieved their saving goal to purchase an item, which they establish at the beginning of the experiment, and what areas the teens struggle with. "It's a show where the parents are quite stressed," Host Emma Watkins said. "Handing over all of that control to their teenagers is a big deal, not just for themselves, but for the other children in the family." Ms Watkins said the teenagers start the show with optimism, hopeful they can take the family on a holiday and buy something they've had their eyes on. "That doesn't tend to happen," Ms Watkins said. "Sometimes the parents feel the need to step in and keep the teens on track. "That's where I come in." The teens are in charge of everything, including leisure activities, petrol, public transport, home maintenance, and garden maintenance. Despite starting out with the best of intentions, reality sets in, and they are forced to make some tough decisions - with one predictable cost getting in the way. "The biggest cost is always food and groceries," Ms Watkins said. "I think it's a funny irony because teens are always hungry." It's the first thing teenagers try to cut out of the budget. "They just cannot believe how much money goes on food, and they feel that because it's so high, it's the easiest to cut," Ms Watkins said. "They quickly realise they need that money back." Another area where the teens struggled was budgeting in the context of day-to-day living. Similar to what happens to many, life sometimes got in the way, making budgeting more difficult than it needed to be. "That's life. There's school, work, and outside activities - it's easy for them to fall off the path," Ms Watkins said. "I don't want to spoil it, but all the teens did a great job." Previous seasons of the show have been filmed on the mainland and focused on the financial and budgetary pressures there. The key concerns and struggles remained the same in Tasmania, except for one aspect. Normally, the teenager will want to organise a family holiday during the show. In the case of the previous season, filmed in Adelaide, South Australia, this was as simple as packing the car and picking a spot on the map. For the Tasmanian teens, getting the wheels moving on a family holiday proved more difficult. "A lot of the teens wanted to take a trip to Melbourne, for example," Ms Watkins said. "Taking into account flights, expenses and Uber - that was quickly brought to their attention once they got to the mainland. "That's something we hadn't seen before." Ultimately, Ms Watkins said the teens did a fantastic job and knew more about budgeting than people think they do. "Teens, and I mean most children, are very aware of the situation," she said. "They might not be aware of the details, but I think children are really observant and most of them were aware that there was a need for the family to save money as a whole and for their own personal goals." Ms Watkins added the standout of the show was the creativity on display and the learning possibilities adults can gain from watching it. "I'm always in awe of their creative thinking, and I think that's something adults can learn from teens," she said. "They definitely thought about their options to save money in more lateral ways than normal." Feedback from the families involved was also positive, with participants labelling the experiment as a valuable experience. "We received so much positive feedback from families about the show," Ms Watkins said. "I think parents and families, as a whole, will really enjoy the show. "We just had the absolute best time." Teenage Boss: Next Level, premieres Friday, July 25 on ABC iview and July 26 on ABC Family.
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
This famous Aussie resort costs $3000 a night. But is it justified?
They have a policy at Saffire Freycinet that begs to be tested. The idea: 'no nos'. As in, no one on staff will ever answer your request with the word 'no'. 'We just don't say no,' says general manager Dylan Counsel. 'The idea is that we make everything happen. Or we at least think about how it could be done.' It's tempting to push the limits of this in the most obnoxious of ways. A bowl full of green M&Ms, thank you waiter. A bottle of vintage Cristal to my room, free of charge. A few extra nights' stay on the house? No nos, right? But you don't do that, as probably almost all guests don't, because you're not like that. Instead, it's just small things you ask for. And you get. Can you sub out one of the wines offered at the restaurant tonight for something else you prefer? Yes. Can you have your evening cocktail sent to your room instead of drinking it in the bar area? Yes. Can you have your entire dinner sent to your room because you don't feel like eating with everyone else tonight? Yes. These are just small requests because, honestly, you're rarely left wanting at Saffire Freycinet. This Tasmanian resort is one of the Luxury Lodges of Australia, and the sort of place with instant name recognition, even if you've never stayed there. The resort is also celebrating its 15th birthday this year, so it seems an ideal time to revisit an old favourite and see how it fares. This might be one of Australia's leading properties, but it's also up there with its most expensive, at almost $3000 a night – can any hotel or resort justify that price?
The Age
4 days ago
- The Age
This famous Aussie resort costs $3000 a night. But is it justified?
They have a policy at Saffire Freycinet that begs to be tested. The idea: 'no nos'. As in, no one on staff will ever answer your request with the word 'no'. 'We just don't say no,' says general manager Dylan Counsel. 'The idea is that we make everything happen. Or we at least think about how it could be done.' It's tempting to push the limits of this in the most obnoxious of ways. A bowl full of green M&Ms, thank you waiter. A bottle of vintage Cristal to my room, free of charge. A few extra nights' stay on the house? No nos, right? But you don't do that, as probably almost all guests don't, because you're not like that. Instead, it's just small things you ask for. And you get. Can you sub out one of the wines offered at the restaurant tonight for something else you prefer? Yes. Can you have your evening cocktail sent to your room instead of drinking it in the bar area? Yes. Can you have your entire dinner sent to your room because you don't feel like eating with everyone else tonight? Yes. These are just small requests because, honestly, you're rarely left wanting at Saffire Freycinet. This Tasmanian resort is one of the Luxury Lodges of Australia, and the sort of place with instant name recognition, even if you've never stayed there. The resort is also celebrating its 15th birthday this year, so it seems an ideal time to revisit an old favourite and see how it fares. This might be one of Australia's leading properties, but it's also up there with its most expensive, at almost $3000 a night – can any hotel or resort justify that price?
