Costello Hotels - Seagate Moonta Bay

At nearly $500 a night, this place was an absolute dump. The windows, which I presume are why the price is so high, were filthy with dirt, sand and cloudy crust. The TV picture was completely blue, the lamp beside the bed had faulty wiring and only worked if I held up the cable, and the body wash in the shower had been refilled with water. There were marks and holes in the walls, towel racks nearly pulling out, and the room badly needed freshening up. The back door wouldn’t close properly, so wind howled through so loudly we could barely stand being in the room, let alone sleep. We stuffed a towel under it. The gaps around the door also let the hallway light fill the room, so we wedged towels around those too. There was no kitchen sink, leaving us nowhere to wash our baby’s bottles or basic cutlery. Other hotels I’ve stayed at have provided snacks, complimentary drinks or even wine. All we got was a jug of water. After two weeks of emailing them, all we received was an apology and an offer of a $50 voucher. We’ll never be back. Don’t waste your time or money.

The stairs are worth keeping in mind, there are around 20 of them to get in, so this may not suit anyone with mobility concerns. We loved the location and the views over the jetty from both the room and balcony. The apartment was comfortable and well equipped, with a very comfy bed, a spacious lounge and a generous shower. Some updates have been made, including fresh paint, though a few light switches had been painted over, which was odd. The windows seemed to leak. Wet, brown-stained towels had been left against them, and the stained carpet gave off an unpleasant smell when the room was closed up. That was disappointing in an otherwise high-quality space. With more care on upkeep and cleanliness, it could be a really lovely stay. I’d still recommend it if you’re after a relaxing beachfront break and drawn to Moonta Bay’s coastline.

No bar or restaurant, the bathroom was dirty, carpet stained, and there was no WiFi. We arrived to an absolutely awful place to stay. Wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Avoid.

Self check-in was easy, with good communication. The place was clean and comfortable, and the location was great.