Ramada Hotel Hope Harbour

We'd booked for two nights but left after one. The floors were sticky, and the couch looked splattered with paint. Our pool view room was noisy because other guests socialised on balconies that all faced each other. The rooms seemed old and dated, with an unclean appearance. Reception took a while to come help us, though they were very helpful once they arrived. It was a last-minute booking, but the price was much higher than the accommodation's presentation justified. I've stayed in hundreds of hotels and was quite disappointed.

The food was inedible and full of oil. We got two free breakfasts on our first morning, and the bar closed at 7pm, if it opened at all. There was no service to speak of, and I wouldn't recommend this hotel at any price. We stayed for convenience, but it was the worst two nights. The first room hadn't been made up, and another room we were assigned already had people in it. I don't trust the security here. The manager was only available by phone. She promised a full refund if I checked out, then hung up. We heard her make the same promise to several other guests. One woman made up her own room. We ended up in a fifth room that was smaller than the one we booked, and they refused to refund the difference. The manager just sat with her head in her hands and didn't apologise.

We mostly needed somewhere affordable near the theme parks, and the hotel did serve as a place to sleep without disrupting our trip too much. We've stayed twice before and had fairly similar experiences. It cost approximately $520 for seven people in two rooms for two nights. The location is convenient, and with some investment and attention to detail, the property could be much better. There were maintenance issues: the doors were hard to open, and I found several cockroaches in the bathroom. The pool directions weren't clear either. My cousins and I walked around the hotel twice before a child pointed us the right way. Our rooms were clean and tidy, despite the property's age. Booking offers economy, standard, and deluxe options, so cheaper rooms may have older furnishings. The grounds are reasonably cared for, even if some rooms seem tired. The food took ages for one of our family members, who waited over an hour while the rest of us had nearly finished. In the bar, a staff member preparing pizzas touched her face and hair and scratched her leg without gloves, which concerned us from a hygiene and food safety standpoint. The people running the place were nice and helpful, and permanent residents were friendly and shared local suggestions for eating out and things to do. The hotel has potential but would benefit from renovation and better maintenance.

The view was the highlight, and the live band was awesome. This was my third visit, and I'm very happy with the beautiful seafood and amazing hot food. Riley and the staff went above and beyond to make sure everything was good for our group. It's very good value for families. Thanks so much, Riley. We'll definitely bring more groups in future.