The Old Victoria

Maitland's been the best dining I've had. The staff were all so pleasant and made the atmosphere superb. The meals were fantastic, from the entrees to the desserts. I was driving, so skipped the cocktails, though they looked delicious.

We had a great time at The Old Victoria bar. Wednesday's open mic brought out a bunch of talented performers, and the owner was friendly and accommodating. The heritage feel of the place is lovely, and the drinks and atmosphere were excellent. We'll be back, and I'd recommend dropping in for a drink or two. One heads-up: Food by Forman advertises in the latest Entertainment Book edition but doesn't honour it. The portions were small, and the meal felt quite expensive for what we got.

We came for the open Mike session and heard so much talent. We'll be back for the music on Saturday night. Drinks are very reasonably priced, and there's a lovely wisteria-covered courtyard that's dog friendly. The hotel itself is full of historic charm, with period-style rooms and a lovely dining area. The food was delicious, especially the garlic bread.

The building is a beautiful old heritage property, nicely restored and furnished, with a comfortable bed and quality linen. The host was lovely. But our stay was terrible. There was no air conditioning, which was disclosed, and a fan was provided during the hot spell. It was so loud it sounded industrial, though, and almost like it could launch a small plane. The host suggested opening both sets of windows after sundown for a cross breeze. The rail line is about 150 metres away, and coal trains run all night, every 10-20 minutes in both directions, so one passes every 5-10 minutes or so. At 3 a.m. I timed one taking three minutes to pass from end to end. With the windows open, the noise was awful, and shutting them didn't help much either. The night was hot, stuffy, and noisy. There was no running water in the "kitchen". Dishes were supposed to go in a bucket, and "your breakfast" was white bread in the fridge with margarine, Vegemite or peanut butter, a limited choice of single-serve cereal, and milk. Honestly, it seemed best to give up, pack up, and leave as quickly as possible. Never coming back. It's 2024. There are minimum services that accommodation should provide. A lot of the reviews seem to rate the accommodation together with the restaurant, which I'd give 4/5 stars. I don't understand how the accommodation gets 4-something stars, and that says more about the people rating the place so highly. Do not stay here. There are plenty of other options in the area.