Beach & Bay Stay

We left two days early because the room was so unpleasant. It smelled strongly of dirty drains or a toilet as soon as we walked in, and the floors were very dirty and everything was dusty. The booking was made in January 2025 for December 2025 through Booking.com. A couple of days into our stay, emails arrived saying the booking had been cancelled and we had to leave. The woman I spoke with said it was a miscommunication between the motel and Booking.com, which was ridiculous, especially with people staying there with children. I had my baby with me, so getting that email was stressful. I wouldn’t recommend the place or stay there again.

We decided not to travel after the SES issued an extreme weather warning for the whole weekend and advised people to avoid non-essential trips in the area. The property owners wouldn’t let us change the booking or refund us, not even 50%. We booked directly on the agency website, where apparently a lease agreement is signed to confirm the booking. I asked twice for a copy, once by phone and once by email, because the agreement had disappeared, but they never sent it. It felt like money mattered more to them than their guests. I highly recommend avoiding this property and its managing agent, PROFESSIONAL HOLIDAY HOMES!

The room we chose was specifically because it was supposed to have two single beds. I had requested that through Booking.com nine months ahead, and the property confirmed it, but on arrival there was just one bed. Nobody was at the on-site office. When we called, we were told the request had been made before the change in management and hadn’t been seen. The new managers should have checked earlier reservations for requests like this. There was also no bathroom soap, and the couch had stains and hair on it. It didn’t look cleaned. I’d avoid booking here.

Our confirmed booking for 29-30 December didn’t get us very far. At Beach & Bay Stay Motel, Callala Beach, nobody was there to check us in, and we had no room number or access code. Other guests said they’d received an email with check-in details, but nothing reached me, including spam. We called the advertised motel number and another one found online, with no answer or callback. We spent hours outside trying to sort it out and made several calls to Booking.com, who couldn’t reach the motel either. It was stressful and completely derailed our holiday plans. The communication and support were unacceptable. Booking.com should ban this business for operating and cheating customers.