Riverpark Maroochy Motel

We’ve stayed here four times and usually have a lovely time, so I’ve recommended it before. Sadly, this last visit was different. The owner made us feel like a nuisance and very unwelcome. We called about possibly checking in early, but even if the room was ready, no one was on site to let us in. That was fine; we went for a lovely lunch by the beach, a 15-minute drive away. At 2pm, when we came back for check-in, we had to ring the buzzer several times to get help. There were no pool towels, so make sure you bring your own. Around 7:30am I went down for a coffee and rang the buzzer again. I was made to feel as if she was doing me a favour by selling me one. On checkout day we were out of the room by 9:30 and took the kids for a swim before driving home. At 9:50 we were asked when we’d be leaving. We said we’d checked out and thought we could have a swim since the parking lot was empty and we were using our own towels. She gave us half an hour, then called right on time to check we were leaving. Our car was right outside the room, motel style, and when we got back my daughter wanted to change out of her swimsuit for the drive. It had started raining, so we quickly went into the still-uncleaned, unlocked room so she could change. We wouldn’t have gone in if it had already been cleaned. The owner was waiting and watching outside the glass patio doors, which made us very uncomfortable. I know we’d asked about early check-in and late checkout, and maybe the owner hasn’t stayed in many places. But this seems common at hotels and Airbnbs when a room is available, and guests are often encouraged to leave their bags and enjoy the pool early or late. Don’t expect any special treatment or perks. There was absolutely no sense of hospitality, customer service or warmth. It might suit a quick one-night stay, but not a beach holiday. We won’t be back.

The room was spotless and really comfortable, the pool area was great, and the location was perfect. The staff were incredibly welcoming and accommodating too. We absolutely loved our stay, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone visiting the Sunshine Coast.

A super cute motel, with a charming looking pool and relaxation area. The manager was very friendly. It’s a good place to start a walk along the boardwalk by the river and sand.

The hotel itself is beautiful, and the rooms and overall look are lovely. But the way the manager handled things made our stay very uncomfortable. We were there for a hens weekend and had told staff earlier that we planned a casual game night with pizza and pasta in the communal area, wearing our pyjamas. Earlier that day we asked a younger staff member, who was very polite, when the communal area lights would come on. She said they were solar powered and would switch on automatically at 6pm. At about 6:10pm we went out and the lights were still off. We waited another 10 minutes, checked the switches where they were plugged in and saw they were off, but turning them on didn’t help. Our patio lights were off too, so it was very dark, with only our phone torches and some street lighting. We thought staff might have gone home and didn’t know who to contact. My sister, the bride-to-be, came up with a temporary fix by moving a couple of umbrellas and putting phones near the poles so we could see the table. We’re usually respectful of property and always clean up after ourselves. If we’d known it would be an issue, we wouldn’t have touched anything. The manager came over aggressively and immediately said things like, “Who do you think you are?” and “Do you go to hotels and move their stuff around without permission?” She raised her voice at us as if we were children. My sister explained we’d been told the lights would come on at 6pm and it was now 6:30pm. The manager said, “First of all, lose your attitude,” even though she’d approached us very confrontationally. When we repeated that we’d been told the lights would be on at 6, she said, “Well clearly they aren’t on. What’s the time now?” We said 6:30 and asked when they would come on. She replied, “Oh I don’t know, probably 8pm.” She left, and later the lights started flickering on and off, so we thought she’d gone to a main switch somewhere. I briefly went back to the room, and when I returned I heard my sister apologising while the manager laughed and called us “babies” for complaining about not having lights. Later that evening, right after the manager went to her room, the deluxe suite, she called my other sister and warned that if we didn’t “stop the attitude and snarky comments,” we’d be asked to leave. After this, the mood of the trip changed and we no longer felt comfortable using the communal area. We ate dinner and even breakfast the next day at the public BBQ area across the road because we were worried she’d confront us again. I work in customer service myself and understand guests can make mistakes, but speaking to people in a hostile or condescending way is never okay. A calm conversation or an offer of a solution would have made a huge difference. The hotel is genuinely beautiful, but management’s handling of this situation left a very negative impression.