Seranin Bathurst

The reception staff were friendly, but they weren’t in the office, so we had to call. They brought a fan after we rang, though we had to assemble it ourselves and first make a trip to Bunnings for a screwdriver. Maybe bring your own fan. There’s no air conditioning and it was very hot. The TV didn’t work, the fridge wasn’t turned on, and there was only one towel for a couple. The room was clean, cheap and very compact. The bathroom was new, but the light runs on a timer and the door has to stay shut. The location was good and it was quiet, though it might be noisy when busy. Parking is at the back, away from the complex, and a bit confusing. The outside needs mowing. It feels like former student accommodation.

We stayed just over three months with two friends, and all of us had a horrible time. On many nights another tenant screamed and the police had to be called. Another tenant was once lying naked outside in the early hours, extremely drunk. The room itself was okay, clean and had a fridge and TV. There’s only one women’s bathroom, compared with three men’s, and no sanitary bin in the toilet. The men’s bathrooms were repeatedly left with feces. The kitchen and common area were disgusting, with ants everywhere and spiders gathered above the sink. There’s no kitchen bin. That’s not even half of what went on during our stay. I never got my full bond back. I called several times to ask for the rest of my money, but the number on the website went straight to voicemail. UPDATE: It’s been eight months. They’ve blocked my number and blocked me on Instagram and Facebook, and still owe me money. Please don’t stay here if you want your full bond returned.

I paid $225 for this awful accommodation, and they tried to charge me twice. I’m lucky I don’t keep extra money in my card account, or I’d be chasing that up too. My problems definitely aren’t resolved. I’d never return, and would have been more comfortable in a tent. The grounds were messy and unkempt, and the building looked dilapidated from outside. Wheelie bins blocked the front drive, so we had to use a side alley to reach what looked like a small paddock. I was glad to have a 4WD for the knee-high weeds, which I then had to walk through in open sandals. There’s no lighting there if you come back late. An old broken washing machine had been left in the entry. The room looked basic but clean at first. For our sports weekend, I tried to put drinks in the fridge, only to find it unplugged and with no obvious nearby socket. The manager told me to pull it to the nearest power point and use the extension cord on the windowsill. I must have sounded unhappy, because he came over and climbed into the covered space under the sink to plug it in. When we got back from dinner at 10:30, the room felt like a sauna. The wall radiator had been heating it while we were out. The manager said other rooms had complained too, but the heating and water were on one system and he couldn’t fix it. He offered a fan in a sealed box. Without a toolbox, I used a butter knife to assemble it, and it wouldn’t even switch on. The manager later called to say he’d turned something off in the boiler room and the heating should stop. I woke to a cold shower because there was no hot water. I paid a ridiculously high price for substandard accommodation and guarantee I’ll never be back. I uploaded a photo of the washing machine. Does that look like a working machine? How honest is your response?

The room and bathroom were dirty. There were no bins in the women’s bathrooms, no soap in the toilet and nothing to dry your hands with. The shared bathroom had one shower that couldn’t be locked. The housekeeper said rooms are only cleaned once a week and gave us attitude when we asked for a quick vacuum. There was algae in the water too.