Charlesworth Bay Beach Resort

The restaurant’s setting by the lake is lovely, but the two meals we had there were a letdown. The breakfast hot dishes were lukewarm, and at $28 each it felt expensive. The selection might have made that price worthwhile if the hot food had actually been hot. At dinner, the battered fish was greasy with dried-out fish inside. The prawn linguine was mostly pasta swimming in butter and oil, with just a few prawns and no flavour. A huge pile of grated cheese, not parmesan, had glued it into a lump. The chips were good, at least. Our Ocean View Studio was up four or five flights of stairs on the top floor. That was fine, as the hotel makes clear there’s no lift. The grounds were spacious and well maintained, and we liked the location. The room was quiet, big enough, functional and had good air conditioning. It did the job, though the bathroom, especially the shower, was dated. Reception was easy, friendly and efficient for both check-in and checkout. Still, the meals are why I can only give service two stars.

We paid $710 for one night, and I wouldn’t return. After checkout I complained to management, but they insisted the room was clean enough and brushed off my concerns, including by pointing to their “solution” of putting a towel on the sofa. We’d spent as little time in the room as possible. We were there on January 1, when accommodation choices were limited, so we felt stuck. Finding our room took effort because the map was badly drawn, and after a tiring climb up steep steps we were met with a smell of mould and grime. The room was filthy. I called the front desk, and they said someone had cleaned it, but it clearly hadn’t been enough. The air conditioner was old and kept shutting off. I told them it was urgent because we had a seven-week-old baby, but the response was inadequate. The receptionist tried to fix it herself, and we were told maintenance wasn’t available. When someone finally came to inspect, they said the room was just old and could therefore look unclean, despite the visible mould, dust and odd stains. They left a dust cloth and towels on the sofa. I’d researched the place on booking.com and expected the updated, clean rooms shown in the photos. At reception, an angry guest was complaining about room safety, and staff seemed uninterested and dismissive. I don’t usually write reviews, but this was the worst resort stay I’ve had.

I travel a lot, and this was the dirtiest, oldest and most disappointing place I’ve stayed. I spent ages choosing accommodation for my holiday, but somehow ended up in what felt worse than a roadside motel. If you’re looking around Coffs Harbour, I’d avoid this hotel. The room had a strong mouldy, musty smell as soon as I walked in, and there was a large used tissue with blood on the floor near the bed. Everything felt old, run-down and dirty. The lock was very insecure, with just a basic key and no room card. The shower toiletries were tiny, poor-quality sample bottles. Two towels had obvious old blood stains, and the hair dryer was so greasy and filthy that its smell made me feel sick. The female receptionist was impatient and dismissive, as though any question was a bother.

We’ve visited the Coffs Harbour area regularly and thought we’d give this resort a weekend. The location is fantastic, but the rooms were terrible. Our balcony door wouldn’t open, there were bugs everywhere, including a cockroach in the coffee machine, and the kitchen cupboards smelled so foul that using the kitchenette was unbearable. We were trapped for hours in the dodgy elevator with our toddler. Staff showed little care or empathy and said the elevators belonged to strata, as if that meant it wasn’t their problem. They had no technician available, so we had to wait inside until one could be sent. Save your money and stay elsewhere. EDIT: Despite the carefully worded reply below, nobody from the hotel has contacted us about the elevator or offered compensation or an apology. We’ve tried reaching management several times, but they keep ignoring us and then writing this BS response. Don’t stay here, this hotel is horrible!