Sails Port Macquarie - By Rydges

The rest of the hotel looks nice, the location is great, and by all reports the restaurant is pretty good. But our stay wasn't great. Avoid rooms 101 - 104. They face the lobby driveway, so people and deliveries coming and going kept disturbing us. For a room overlooking a driveway with road noise, you could book a cheap motel and save $100 or more. The bed was so soft I couldn't sleep, and my back hurts. The hotel wasn't busy midweek, so there was no need to put us in that room. That's a service issue. I found out the desk clerk is the General Manager's partner, so I expect he gets immunity on this one!

We came back for a second visit and will return again. The outlook and pool area are excellent, and it's nice to get that level of hotel care. The GM is friendly and accommodating, the atmosphere is relaxed, and our kids love it. The buffet breakfast has everything you could wish for. Great place.

Our garden-facing room was peaceful and quiet, though we did spot a small animal, possibly a gecko, by the air conditioning pipe. The hotel is a lovely place to relax by the water, with a small pool in a beautiful garden beside Hastings River. Breakfast has a good range, but barista coffee costs extra, and the restaurant looks out over the water. It's about a 15-minute walk outside the town centre, with other shops and dining options nearby. Keep in mind that most restaurants are closed on Mondays, and possibly other days too. Parking is outsourced and costs extra.

We reported the problems to reception at about 11:00am after our first night. They offered us another room, but it had the same issues, so we moved to another hotel the next morning. We had stayed about 18 hours in total and were still charged for two nights. We wouldn't stay here again. We'd booked an Executive Room, advertised as the best in the hotel, but it was very disappointing. It was dated and unclean. The mattress was old, heavily stained and sunken, making for a very uncomfortable, disrupted night. The carpet and couch were stained, the couch was uncomfortable, the outdoor table was rusted, curtain threads were pulling, and the air conditioner smelled unpleasant. In the bathroom, the cold tap only gave lukewarm water and there was no exhaust fan.