I have booked the Retro Retreat for the same time for the past 9 years. It has a great view, lots of space and its retro feel is part of the charm. I'm not a five star hotel person, and the property has everything I and my family want or need (since adding a good BBQ about 6 years ago). I book it for a week over summer. It is old, and like most Lorne properties, about 300 meters up a hill. Overall, we love it. It has a great balcony, with a view across the bay and to the pier and there is generally plenty of cockatoos and kookaburras.