Ocean Beach Backpackers

The sunset is about the only thing this place has going for it. It's been terrible for ten years, and as a local I feel that familiar sadness whenever another old friend or family member books the restaurant. Somehow it keeps getting worse. Service can leave you waiting about twenty minutes after being seated, thirsty in the nice weather, with nobody offering a drink. The wait staff seem miserable and inattentive, and make you feel like your business is a nuisance. Whatever system they use out front seems designed to ruin your evening. At least the wait gives you time to study the uninspiring pub menu and accept that the view is built into the price. The parmigiana costs like a Michelin starred meal, though it won't win one. If you don't want it, the waiter may roll their eyes and say the chef doesn't do specials, then offer chilli mussels, which I really wouldn't recommend. So you end up ordering the parmi. Paying is the final indignity. You can stand around for as long as it took them to prepare the food, while staff watch from a distance as if you've interrupted a moody teenager. I mean this sincerely: waiting alone in the middle of the restaurant, feeling ignored and unsatisfied while preparing to hand over a week's food budget, is something everyone should experience once. It might make you grateful for home cooking. And if you're a returning customer, brace yourself for that sore stomach that feels suspiciously like poor food quality control. It seems to come back every time. If you're an acquaintance checking whether this is a good place to book dinner together, move on. I'd rather eat from a bin.

The rooms are spacious, and the bar and restaurant serve great food at equally good prices. Staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating. When I had a bathroom issue, they offered to move me to another room before I even asked. The location is great too. The building and rooms are showing their age, though that's not much of a complaint given how well priced the hotel is. I had a great stay and would recommend it.

C'blu, the restaurant just above the Bar, was much quieter. The food and service were fine, and the bottled wine was reasonably priced. I enjoyed the mushroom arancini and crispy salt and pepper squid. Get a table by the window for the view. It's an older hotel and a little rough around the edges, but a pleasant enough visit.

The rooms are simple but comfortable, and the bed was fantastic. It's a relaxing place in a great location. I had excellent meals and especially enjoyed afternoon drinks during happy hour from 6 to 7pm. I'd stay and have drinks here again.