Cardiff Executive Apartments

The apartment was clean enough, though it showed some wear and age. Ours was beside the main road, so there was some traffic noise, and we could hear people upstairs stomping around. It's within walking distance of the RSL and not too far from the big supermarkets.

The owner or manager was rude and dismissive when I reported the problems and asked for a refund because the place wasn't fit for purpose. He got cranky, laughed, and told me to “do a review – see if I care.” A few minutes later he called my friend, claimed he was a lawyer, and said he only had to provide alternative accommodation. That isn't right under Australian Consumer Law. Accommodation should be safe, reasonable, and match its description, or a full refund is due. The apartment itself was nothing like advertised: a tiny one-bedroom place in poor, unsafe condition, with a hole in the wall, no toilet door, and a dirty, unhygienic range hood. Cleanliness and maintenance were unacceptable. The behaviour was as disappointing as the accommodation. Save yourself the stress and book somewhere else.

The manager, Tony, was extremely rude and arrogant. The apartment we got looked nothing like the two-storey one we booked, and it was dirty. The extra bed hadn't been made up either. The photos didn't match the booking. One staff member said we'd been downgraded because it was double booked, while another blamed a system error that showed the wrong photos. They call it a system error, but it felt like false advertising.

Such a cool place, with loads of room, and it was clean when we stayed. I booked through booking.com and it exceeded my expectations after all the negative reviews I'd seen. It's close to everything. The garage is narrow, but otherwise it was amazing. Thanks, guys!