In the heart of the Otway Ranges, Forrest Guesthouse accommodation is the perfect getaway to stop, relax and soak up the fresh country air.
Forrest Guesthouse is set in beautiful gardens right in the heart of the Forrest township.
It has four self-contained suites that are suitable for friends, couples or small families.
The Forrest Bower Bird Cafe is on your doorstep - breakfast hampers or meals can be pre-arranged with them for your stay.
Forrest MTB Hire is also onsite so if you're keen to explore our trails, save 10% on bike hire by staying with us.
We love sharing local events with our guests and locals - check out "What's on in Forrest" to see what's coming up! This includes retreats and tours hosted at the guesthouse.
Forrest Guesthouse is the home of all things bikes in Forrest. We offer hire bikes, guided rides, and skills sessions through our sister businesses. We even have a range of spare parts for those needing some mechanical assistance.
Onsite Cafe
Forrest Bower Bird Cafe opened mid 2026 at the front of our property. It shares the front building with Forrest MTB Hire.
Leanne creates an array of delicious food from scratch, taking into account many dietary requirements and preferences. Cakes and slices are freshly made, while savoury options like pies, pastries, pizza, toasties and soup with house-made focaccia can fill you up at lunch. The menu changes every week so check in on her facebook page to see what's cooking this week. Coffees and a house-made chai blend are local favourites also.
Breakfast hampers can be purchased from Forrest Bower Bird Cafe and be placed in your suite on the day you are checking in. Check out the breakfast menu here.
If you need ready-to-heat meals for an easy dinner during your stay in Forrest, get in touch. You can reach Leanne on 0486 006 603.
Unmissable Otways Experiences
Things to do in Forrest and the Otway Ranges all year round
Upcoming Retreats and Tours
Food and Drink
Mountain Biking in Forrest
Bike Hire Forrest
Gravel Grind Forrest & The Otways
Bushwalking
Platypus Tours
Bodysmith Massage and Bowen Therapy
Reviews
Right in the middle of the tiny town, very close to the brewery.
Michelle really looked after us. Great that it's doggo friendly.
Will definitely recommend to anyone looking to get away.
James - Google - July 2025
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My third (or fourth?) stay at the guest house. Comfy, quiet, clean, everything I need for a short stay. Shall return either for a quiet escape, with lovely walking tracks, or to join up with a large family get-together in Forrest as in this trip.
Jan - Google - April 2025
Great homely vibe. Lovely family that run the place. Very accommodating. Plenty of area for our kids to run around and enjoy the garden surrounding the place. Perfect place to stay for a mountain biking trip with a big group or just the family.
Bethany - Google - April 2025
We stayed in the Forrest suite for 2 nights over the weekend. It exceeded our expectations. Fully self contained and such a lovely garden setting. Set up to cook for yourself if you want to, even had insect repellent, which was needed when sitting outdoors in the evening. Close to the fun bike trails and a short walk to the brewery.
Kevvy - Google - Nov 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
Our host Michelle went to great lengths to make our bike packing trip through Forrest run smoothly.
Highly recommended.
Paul Lazarou, Google, April 2023
The accommodation is just perfect. Great size for the 2 of us, comfortable bed, plenty of room, great little kitchen and ideal location for our bike event!
Kathryn - Google - Feb 2025
This was I think our very favourite stay out of the places we've been throughout the Otways. The room and space was super cozy but SO well appointed. Honestly I don't think I've ever noticed a space that has been so well thought out. The kitchenette was so small and yet SO functional. Everything that I wanted to be there...was there! And the little touches around how to clean, how to look after things and also how to use things were super helpful. I love that there was a simple QR code to watch a video on how to use the plug in stove top. The shower was really warm, the bed was beautiful and clean and really comfy - and the rug over it was so nice and soft! It was the best sleep we'd had and my hubby has dust allergies. In the previous two places we stayed it set off his allergies but this one practically cured him. The garden outside was absolutely gorgeous too, I wish we could have stayed another night to just enjoy the beautiful space that Michelle had created.
Michelle, Airbnb, 5 May 2021
Forrest Guesthouse was delightful set in a sprawling treed garden. We enjoyed late afternoons on the sunny verandah. Our themed suite was spacious with everything needed in the cute kitchen and comfy sitting area. Michelle was most helpful with insights about walks and bike tracks as well as history of the local area.
Colin, Riparide, 9 April 2021
We absolutely loved our stay at Forrest Guesthouse. The location was perfect (1 min walk to the pub & cafe & close drive to many Otway walks, in addition to being in the middle of Lorne & Apollo Bay). The gardens are beautiful & our room was gorgeous (clean, comfortable, many thoughtful touches & well styled). In addition to all this, the service we received from Michelle was exceptional, making check-in & check-out seamless. We would definitely stay again.ÂEmma, Google my Business, 2 May 2021
Easy check in and parking, friendly and responsive host, central location, clean and well appointed rooms, pet-friendly. Overall it is great value for money.
Sarah Rusdiah, Google, Feb 2023
Another great example of a dog friendly accommodation that has everything you need for a weekend away. We stayed at the Forrest suite which is next to 3 other accommodation suites. Room was clean, well stocked kitchen amenities and plenty of room for your dogs to chill and relax with you. Your beer and coffee cravings will be well matched with the conveniently located Forrest Brewing Co. And Forrest general store. Michelle was a very responsive host and provided excellent local knowledge of the Otways. Will definitely be back! Thank you to Michelle and team.
Kathlyn, Airbnb, 14 June 2020
Forrest Guesthouse is a perfect place to stay when on a trip to the Otways. It has lovely self-contained units set in a lovely garden, and is perfectly situated to access the many mountain bike trails Forrest is famous for. We had a 2 night stay and found everything we needed in the unit, and plenty to explore a short ride or drive away. Michelle was really helpful with any enquiries we had, and we found the elevated bike rack really useful for washing off the mud! We will definitely be back to stay here for more mountain biking!
Clare, via Email, 28 Sep 2020
We loved our stay at the Forrest Guesthouse. Michelle went above & beyond. Our suite was spotless, well appointed and with great facilities. We had an evening drink on the veranda which was the perfect way to end the day, looking out at the beautiful garden and visiting birds. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the guesthouse, we would definitely stay here again.
Dan, 14 Mar 2020
What a beautiful little place. Clean comfortable accommodation (beds are great), right in the heart of the little historical town, with a maze of mountain biking tracks covering all abilities and fitness. Very friendly hosts. Eat your breakfast out on the veranda and take in the sights of the beautiful gardens. There is even a bike washing station to take care of your bike. Highly recommend. You won’t be disappointed.
Natasha, Trip Advisor, Oct 2019
Michelle's place was amazing! It was perfect for a little getaway - the space was super cosy, the kitchen was great as we could cook a proper meal and the garden was really lovely too. Michelle was very accommodating and easy to communicate with. We'd definitely love to come stay again!
Emily, Airbnb 29 Sep 2019
We had a wonderful time and are looking for the next child-free weekend we might have to come back.Â
Rob, 24 Aug 2019
Beautiful, clean and cozy cottages. Well equipped and great hosts. Location is perfect and the garden was fun for kids to play in. Would stay again without hesitation.
Scott, Google, 10 Jan 2020
I brought my aunty and uncle here while there were visting from Ireland. Michelle could not have done more for us, she went above and beyond to make us feel so so welcome. She took us to see waterfalls, which we absolutely loved. (Our car could not have handled the terrain en route!!) The rooms are beautiful, the garden, the general store across the road had delicious coffee and snacks. Thanks Michelle!
Aine, Google, 14 Sep 2019
Michelle was an amazing host from the get go. Fantastic communication from first booking through to check out. Her property exceeded my expectations, lovely amenities and extremely comfortable room. I would highly recommend the property to friends & families.
Kate, Airbnb, 12 Jun 2020
Very happy I got up early this moring and found this beautiful walk along West Barwon Lake. Also cannot recommend Forrest (especially @forrestguesthouse and @forrestbrewery) enough if you're looking for somewhere peaceful yet beautiful to head for the weekend.Â
Stephanie, 24 Aug 2019
Michelle and her family are fantastic hosts. Friendly, warm and welcoming. Nothing was too much trouble for them. The property is really lovely and we enjoyed an amazing family weekend away.Â
Helen, 2 Sep 2019 (Airbnb)
We loved our stay in Forrest. Its a beautiful small village and the rooms are set in a gorgeous garden where all sorts of parrots and cockatoos come to eat seeds out of your hands. Michelle is a lovely and helpful host. The room was spotless and had everything we needed. We enjoyed visiting the brewery down the road.
Anna, Airbnb, 25 Dec 2019
Very quaint accommodation in Forrest! Very clean. Nice & spacious too. Michelle was a great host with excellent communication, offering to go above & beyond for us.Â
Sophie, Airbnb, 25 Aug 2019
V cute stay and deff check out Stevenson's Falls close by.
Nick, Airbnb 30 Sep 2019
Lovely suite in the heart of Forrest. Clean, tidy and quiet, with all the amenities you could need. The hosts were fabulous - very accomodating and the girls loved playing with our dog. Highly recommend.
Kate, Riparide, 5 May 2021
Great little place to go if you want to get away from reality & relax. Has everything you'd need!
Bella, Airbnb, 3 Nov 2019
A lovely stay in a lovely village. The room is very comfy decorated with lots of love and nice details. We enjoyed our stay. A small, lovely general store and a brewery are just 100 meters away.
Dominik, Airbnb, 1 Jan 2020
A very comfortable and cosy room with a beautiful big garden right out the front of the verandah. Very peaceful!
Priscilla, Airbnb, 11 Nov 2019
We absolutely loved staying at Forrest guesthouse. Everything was perfect, and Michelle was a brilliant host. The rooms were all very tastefully decorated and were spotlessly clean.
Ella, 10 Jan 2020
Staying at Forrest Guesthouse was such a lovely experience! Michelle was lovely, the place was small but very well organised; it somehow had everything you need despite its size. There was so much useful info about the town and it's surroundings, and we had such a lovely stay in the middle of the Otways!
Laurel, Airbnb, 24 Jan 2020
Unreal accommodation! Beautiful little town with a cool brewery/cafe.. Michelle was really good at communicating and the accommodation was perfect! Will stay again!
Anthony, Airbnb, 29 Jan 2020
What a lovely guesthouse, with great amenities and a homely and comfortable feel. Such a great stay for a mini-break with access to the Otways and all the activities on offer. The hosts were more than accommodating and I wouldn't hesitate to visit again.
Sophie, Google, 29 Jan 2020
Really lovely and clean place!! Enjoy your stay at Forrest Guesthouse!! Thank you Michelle!!
Moises, Airbnb, 10 March 2020
Beautiful little place to stay. This was our second time here and loved it as much as the first time. Beds were comfortable. We really enjoy staying here and will be back.
N_kop71, Trip Advisor, 1 Mar 2020
It was old style charm with all the modern conveniences we needed.
Anne-Maree, Google Review, 24 Nov 2020
Fantastic little getaway amongst a lush garden and fantastic hosts. Private and well equipped suites right on the main drag, close to walks, local coffee spots and natural attractions. Could not recommend more highly!
Phillipa, Riparide, 3 Mar 2021
Michelle was fabulously helpful and accommodating. We had a lovely clean, warm and pleasant stay. The area is wonderful and we would recommend to friends.
Sophie, Airbnb, 21 April 2021
Absolutely lovely place to stay. The room was well appointed and the ambiance superb. We enjoyed a few drinks by the fire pit while the kids played on the lawn. Michelle couldn’t have been more helpful and welcoming. Highly recommend.
Chris Gregory, Google, 25 Sep 2022
