Astina Suites Forster

The penthouse has a lovely beach view and lots of space. Both bedrooms are nice, with plenty of pillows, and there are heaps of towels and beach towels. The big TV, beautiful kitchen, balcony BBQ area, and amazing bathtub are all great. The balcony also has server windows from the kitchen. The bathrooms even have lovely shampoo and body wash. The kitchen equipment is the main letdown for a place at this price. Bring dish soap, dishwasher soap, paper towels, oven mitts, and more if you plan to cook. I sent the host some detailed suggestions about adding cooking items, so hopefully it’ll be better stocked. There’s no steel BBQ utensils either. The couch could do with a fluff up: it’s a futon style and sags in the middle, though you can use the piles of bedroom pillows to level it out. A simple manual would help. The stove needs the switch on the wall near the coffee machine turned on. For the TV, you’ll know Foxtel if you have it, but Netflix and Stan need your own account login. Some ideas for things to do in Forster or places to eat would be useful too. Spice Monkey was so good, but book ahead because it gets super busy and is closed T-Th. With the sliding doors open, it’s noisy, though closing them helps. Don’t leave the bedroom windows open overnight because of the traffic by the roundabout. I liked the unit, but with a few changes it could feel like proper luxury. It’s the penthouse, after all. 🙂

The BBQ in the apartment shorted out this time, leaving us without power and wasting the meat we’d only half cooked. Astina Management responded quickly and were fabulous. They took our safety seriously, and nothing was too much trouble. A special thanks to Joanna @ Astina Head Office, who’s always been pleasant and professional when I’ve dealt with her. We stayed four days in July on our third visit, and as a family we always have a great time here. The ocean and hinterland views are so peaceful, it feels like home away from home. We also extended our coastal drive to Seal Rocks and Sugar Loaf Point Light House at the tip of the peninsula. The 360 views were breathtaking. Another day we drove through the farms as far as Taree. The kids loved seeing the farm animals, and the view from the mountain tip was another stunner. Forster gives you the best of both worlds. We’ll be back soon, and I’d highly recommend Astina if you’re after some serenity.

The apartment was beautifully furnished and in a great spot. The beds were comfy, and we could walk to everything we wanted to do. We’ll be back :)

Spacious apartment, great staff, and a very reasonable price. It’s an awesome value and a great place to stay when visiting Forster. We’ll definitely book again.