Mantra Nelson Bay

The apartment was spacious but still cosy, with a large balcony where I enjoyed sitting and looking over the pool. The main bedroom was a great size, though the kids’ room was small and we had to push two beds together. The split system cooled the main living area well, but only the main bedroom had a ceiling fan. The Mantra is in a great location and I felt safe there. The pool is long, a good temperature and big enough for plenty of people. The area around it needs some attention, though: some pavers need moving, the pool wall tiles and spa need cleaning, and the outside retaining wall has chips and cracks. The toilets and showers are very well positioned. We had an enjoyable stay.

The location really made it for me. It’s an easy stroll to the marina, handy if you’ve got dolphin activities planned, or if you just want to stand by the water and have a dramatic K-drama moment about your life choices. Inside, the apartment felt calm, tidy and genuinely liveable. The layout was roomy enough for a small conference on “Why Irons Should Stay Folded,” and the living room opened onto a pleasant little outdoor space full of natural light. The modern, clean kitchen had everything we needed, even a kettle that boiled so quickly it almost made me feel judged for taking my time. Great apartment, great spot. I loved it.

We were assigned apartment 33, and it was nothing like the advertised photos or description. It was meant to have a resort view, a nice room and stainless appliances, but instead we found an old fridge, broken dishwasher, damaged carpets, holes in the walls, smells and mould. The pool was okay, though its waterfalls weren’t working. It seems a few apartments are used in advertising for Mantra in Nelson Bay as a hook. If you get one of those, you’re lucky, which might explain why people give five stars on one visit and one star on another. This place is poorly managed, and we believe the advertising is false and gives an unfair market advantage. We’ll report it to NSW Fair Trading and hope the regulator follows up to prevent harm to the public. We all run, manage or work in businesses, and honesty matters. Don’t go here.

The room was far too hot to sleep in. There was no fly screen on the balcony door, and the ceiling fan didn’t work. The couches were unusable because they were dirty and smelled strongly of urine, and the room itself was extremely dirty. I’ve stayed at Mantra before and had good experiences, which made this visit especially disappointing.