Allure Stradbroke Resort

We had a really enjoyable stay, and the staff were very helpful whenever we needed anything. The self contained apartments come with lots of handy things, and it's a great resort for a trip to Straddie. One small issue, the morning sun through the skylight made the bedrooms bright, so I woke earlier than I wanted. It would be nice to have a way to cover it.

At AUD $400 a night, I expected the Beach Shack to let us sleep in. There were no light blocking curtains, so we woke early each morning. We only noticed on our last night that neighbouring shacks did have curtains, which made the room standards seem inconsistent. I contacted management to ask if this was normal or a maintenance oversight. The booking had been rescheduled under the property's policy, and I don't think using Booking.com should change the basic standard of accommodation or customer care. The lack of curtains directly affected our rest. Manager Helye replied, “This is our cheapest room,” and, “You booked via Booking.com.” It leaves me concerned that the business may be balancing platform commission costs by lowering the guest experience. Paying customers shouldn't have to bear that.

The Webber gas barbecue was great, though dirty when we arrived. A quick scrub and it was ready to use. The washer was good too, and the linen and most surfaces in the shack smelled clean. The bed was a little firm, somewhere in the middle for comfort. The aircon filter was packed with thick, disgusting dust and irritated our throats. Tea, coffee and soap provisions felt short for anything beyond one night. The old soap containers had faded writing, and the soap was hard to lather. Please don't sell this as eco green either, there isn't a single solar panel. There are some proper maintenance jobs needed, beyond handyman fixes, though the beachside location does mean rust and wear. The pool was good, and the woman who greeted us was friendly, gave us a map and explained the area. The location is about on par with other island options, with a bus stop across the road, a big plus if you don't have a car. If you book a shack, parking is in a lot away from the cabin. It's probably 40 metres, but carrying all your things back and forth is a pain, especially in the rain. Guest luggage trolleys like the Kmart beach trolleys would help, since they already rent other Kmart items too. The Webber was a beauty once cleaned up.

The heated pool, restaurant and service were nice, but the villa room was a real letdown. The floor was wet when we arrived and smelled strongly of chlorine, as did the tap water. The toilet door wouldn't lock, the bed creaked even with a bag on it, the blankets were stiff, and the stair handrail was coming apart. For that room quality, the resort felt overpriced and not worth it. The photos on the website had left me extremely disappointed with the reality. It came across as false advertising.