Highlander Hotel

For a solid pub meal and consistently good service, I’d recommend the Highlander. We had a lovely Mother’s Day lunch, and even with an unexpected extra person showing up on one of the busiest days of the year, the staff didn’t bat an eyelid. They arranged a larger table and gave us the same excellent service we always get. I can’t give the Sunday staff enough credit.

We paid for two spa rooms through a third party, expecting them to connect, but found out after booking that this wasn’t possible. We ended up with one spa room and one regular room, with no discount because we’d booked through another website. The spa didn’t even work. I told them three times over the weekend and again after we got home, but never received a discount or anything. Both rooms also had pretty gross carpets. Annoying, and we won’t stay again because of it. 25/26

The hygiene and service made this my worst hotel stay by far. The toilets were dirty, with waste on the outside, and I had to ask cleaners to deal with it. I was also charged for water, so breakfast came without complimentary water. There was no kitchen area or separate sink for water, so I had to drink from the bathroom tap. The room had no microwave or toaster, and nothing to prepare or heat food. Staff hadn’t clearly explained that some room items cost extra. They pointed to a folder saying packaged food was chargeable, but that was confusing because the breakfast I’d paid for was also packaged. I checked the folder and couldn’t find a page listing charges for each item. There was no clear notice in the room either, so I couldn’t know in advance. A week after my stay, I got a call demanding payment for those items. It felt unfair and was handled very poorly.

We had a group function with a $40 two course menu. The barramundi was delicious, and the staff were lovely. The self serve vegetables were cold, even after they tried reheating them, and the individual pavlova wasn’t very nice. I’m not a fussy eater and eat anything, gluten free.