Northwind Beachfront Apartments

The complex feels thoughtfully cared for by the management team. There's spacious undercover security parking, a small but popular pool, and a games room with board games to use. Our economy apartment was large, as you'd expect in an older building, and the rate reflected the category. The décor was modern and the bedding and towels felt luxurious, though the bones of the place are showing their age. We saw a superior apartment on a higher floor, and it was amazing, with a fully renovated kitchen and bathrooms. I'm sure the owners will renovate ours in time.

Room 22 on level 7 felt dated, the floor was a little sticky, and the sheets had stains. The lounge and balcony were the only places with a view, and the outdoor pool was small. The old spa had broken steps. The games room cost extra and was underwhelming, just a pool table and pinball machine. At least Coles, the playground and esplanade are very close. There was constant noise from cars and motorbikes. If you know what you're booking, that might be fine, but given what we paid and the online photos, we wouldn't return.

You can walk everywhere from this perfect location, with everything you need nearby. But the unit was very run down: paint was chipped all over, the walls had holes and needed a proper freshen-up, and the oven and baking tray were still dirty. The beds had old mattresses and just didn't feel clean. Two nights was expensive for that. I used to stay here all the time years ago and it was great, but now the place is run down.

We had a great setup in the penthouse, with my husband and me in the upstairs bedroom and ensuite, and our daughter, son-in-law and grandson downstairs. We had everything we needed, including an air fryer, sandwich press, pantry basics and a bottle of dishwasher powder, not just the usual two sachets. The staff were lovely and quick to respond to requests, mostly for fresh towels. The supermarket, restaurants and cafés were close without being right in the middle of The Esplanade, where we've stayed before. We stayed four nights and wished we'd booked longer. The photos don't do the penthouse justice; it's superb. The glass walls in the upstairs lounge make it a little hot, but the AC handles that, and the views are among the best in Mooloolaba. The pool is small, but worked fine for us with a 3.5 year old. Mooloolaba can be noisy near the esplanade, but with doors and windows closed we couldn't hear street noise. The only small gripe was the pillows, which weren't very comfortable. We're so used to our own that we should've made room in our bags to bring them. We didn't see the other apartments, but would book the penthouse again in a heartbeat. It was worth every cent.