Mantra French Quarter Noosa

You’re only steps from Hastings Street and the beach, and the pool has lots of room to relax. We loved our stay at Mantra French Quarter in Noosa. Our room was immaculate, with a cosy lounge suite, a useful kitchenette, a spacious bathroom and even a laundry. The bed and pillows were very comfortable, and the balcony was a lovely place to unwind. The reception team made a great first impression, warm, welcoming and very professional. One small idea for an already lovely stay: some soft, relaxing music around the pool would add to the atmosphere. We can’t wait to come back.

I gave it two stars for the location. The stay itself was a one-star experience, and I regret booking. We won’t be back. We’d stayed here before and expected something similar, so I’d hoped for a room overlooking the pool. Instead, after paying a high Christmas price for three nights, we got a room facing the street, with a wall, some trees and constant traffic noise. The balcony was unbearably hot, and its broken fan made it unusable. We spent the whole stay cooped up in a small apartment with our two-year-old grandson and no fresh air. My husband had just been diagnosed with cancer, and I’d booked this family break because we badly needed one. We ended up counting the days until we could go home. Reception staff seemed disorganised, unhelpful and uninterested. When I reported the fan, I was told maintenance would fix it. The worker only showed up as we were carrying our bags out on checkout morning. It was clear nobody had taken the problem seriously.

The noise was horrendous. Drilling from both sides meant we couldn’t stay in our room between 9-3pm, and I ended up with a migraine. Even by the pool wasn’t much better, with no staff around and guests smoking and vaping in the open spaces, including one person smoking marijuana. I’d booked two nights as a treat for my partner’s 60th birthday. The email about the renovations came only three days before check-in, after the cancellation window had passed. Reception staff were extremely unhelpful. For the price we paid, these were a couple of awful, deeply disappointing days.

Jackhammering started directly against our apartment wall during the day, and we had to move rooms. Then someone began painting the balcony while looking into our apartment, with no warning. We’d already paid when we were told, just a few days before our stay, that general construction might happen. Work like this shouldn’t seriously disrupt a guest’s stay. If it might, give a clear warning well in advance and offer a discount. Don’t stay here.