Disappointing stay
Apr 26, 2025 ellebelle141 Sydney, Australia
I was recommended this property but was very disappointed given how expensive it was . I will start with the few positives. The property is Right on the beach which is very convenient and pretty. The outside bar area also has a nice vibe in the evening with live music and nice lighting . The location is very near shops and restaurants. However… Read more
I was recommended this property but was very disappointed given how expensive it was . I will start with the few positives. The property is Right on the beach which is very convenient and pretty. The outside bar area also has a nice vibe in the evening with live music and nice lighting . The location is very near shops and restaurants. However - we booked a basic room in the Diamond tower and quickly realised we needed to upgrade: the room was TINY - we could hardly move. It was also dark and depressing. I immediately paid for an upgrade to a larger room in the same tower (for $75us a night). It was bigger but still dark and depressing. Also I immediately noticed a strong mildew smell. I tried to ignore it and get on with the holiday but after one night I could no longer bare it. I also noticed black mould on the bathroom picture frame and a light fur on mould all over the bathroom door. When I called to complain they sent a cleaner to spray some chemicals in the room to cover the smell which I refused. When I asked for another room option they showed me something smaller which was more depressing and dark (but no smell) which I declined. The service staff didn’t seem to care about the issue and I felt like it was my issue rather than that of the hotels. They later sent another person to open up the air con. He was very nice and helpful but wasn’t able to fix the issue. He changed the picture in the bathroom, which was not the point. When I called again I was finally offered a free upgrade. Someone with some customer service finally did the right thing (to their credit) and we moved to another room in the tower wing. It was a better room with a balcony and more space but still quite dark. But a lot better than the other two rooms. The rooms generally are very tired and need a renovation. Very disappointing for the cost involved. Some other negatives: there are not nearly enough pool chairs for the pool and people reserve them with towels and then leave the hotel for hours leaving no where to sit. Also really expensive to hire a beach umbrella (I think it was $100US a day) which I thought showed a lack of generosity - especially given the lack of pool chairs. There is no shade on the beach. There was a fire alarm which got us out of bed at about 6am one morning. We walked down 14 flights of stairs. It turned out to be a false alarm. I didn’t mind this but what annoyed me was that no one at the hotel was there to tell us if it was a false alarm or what to do. I would not recommend this place or return. Read less
