Odyssey Apollo Bay

The kids especially enjoyed the ocean view from our semi-penthouse apartment. We had booked two bedrooms with a kitchen, and the balcony was decent. There's plenty of space in the basement car park for guests. Shops, restaurants and the beachfront are close by. In my opinion, though, the price was a bit high.

We messaged the hotel with our complaint after leaving, since reception was unattended again when we checked out at 10am and we couldn't raise the issues in person. The long wait for the room also meant we had to rush off to our evening plans. We arrived at The Apollo around 4:30 or 4:45pm, before 5pm, and found a sign saying reception would be back at 5, with no indication of how long it had already been empty. When staff returned, they said our room wasn't ready because the linen hadn't arrived, even though check-in started at 3pm. We finally got bedsheets around 6pm, but the room still seemed unfinished. It wasn't very clean, the sofa bed was stained, and there weren't enough plates or cutlery. The missing mattress topper may explain why the sofa bed was so uncomfortable. We barely slept, and both ended up with very sore necks and backs. The staff member we spoke to was unhelpful and offered little reassurance or apology. Poor communication, cleanliness, uncomfortable beds and the lack of staff around made this a frustrating stay. We wouldn't return or recommend it.

The room was spacious, with daytime privacy curtains and blackout curtains for night. There was undercover parking, though it had a height restriction, and more parking on the street right outside. The motel is nicely located opposite the beach. Still, we wouldn't stay again. It felt unsafe, though the stay was okay for one night. My parents' room (#2) door stayed open by about a centimetre even when locked and wouldn't seal. When we arrived at 10pm, doors into the hallways for other apartments had been propped open with large rocks, so anyone could enter. Late check-in keys were left in an unlocked letter box at reception, where anyone could take them. There were still keys for other guests inside when we collected ours. This should be changed to a code-protected key safe. My parents also had no warm water for their morning shower. The bed linen was stained, and the bath and shower weren't very clean.

The sofa bed made for a miserable night. We could feel every spring, it creaked loudly, and the itchy mattress meant we had to sleep in long sleeves and trousers. No blanket was provided, and the one in the wardrobe was very dirty. We had booked an apartment with one double bed and one sofa bed for $600, for us and our two children. When we arrived, only one bed was set up. Staff told us there was a sofa bed, and we eventually worked out that one sofa converted, but it had no sheets or pillows. When we asked for it to be prepared, the receptionist just brought two sheets and left us to make it ourselves. Thankfully we were there for only one night. A very poor experience for the price, and I wouldn't recommend staying here. Don't waste your money.