Proximity Waterfront Apartments

Kelly stayed late to help me check in, even though reception had closed, and her kindness really mattered when I was close to panicking. John & Kelly were so caring and accommodating, and I can't thank them enough. I was in Scarborough for a wedding after flying in from interstate. I'd booked and paid four months ahead through Booking.com for a privately owned apartment on Flinders street, but on arrival the lock code failed and the owner wouldn't answer. After struggling to reach Booking.com, I was told the owner had left a note saying construction meant the booking had to be cancelled. At 4pm I was left outside with all my luggage and nowhere to stay. I quickly found a nearby two-bedroom apartment on Airbnb and messaged the host. Kelly had already shut reception for the day, but waited for me and got me into the room. The apartment was fabulous, with everything we needed, comfortable beds and a gorgeous view. Waking up to the sun coming up over the water was the best. I'll recommend this place to anyone who asks.

Our family left very upset, and my daughter, who has anxiety, was especially distressed. We were offered a refund for just one night, even though these problems began at the start of the stay and affected the whole experience. We emailed on the day we left asking for a full refund and explaining our concerns, then sent the email again, but got no reply. I've also reported the safety concerns to the relevant authorities and made a formal complaint to the local council about fire safety and building compliance. The main issue was the emergency stairwells. On the second day, the lifts stopped working. When we returned from an outing, staff said we'd have to use the fire exit stairs to reach our room. They couldn't find a key for the exit doors or explain where the stairs went, and suggested one of our group of three hold a door at the bottom while another checked upstairs whether the doors were unlocked, so we wouldn't get locked inside. My daughter was frightened she could be trapped, so we refused to go. At reception, I was told new owners had taken over only two weeks earlier and fire exit training was supposed to happen but hadn't yet, though the hotel was still operating. Staff even asked elderly permanent residents how to get through the emergency stairwells and whether they had a key. A fire or other emergency with that lack of preparation could be catastrophic. We'd booked expecting the luxury stay advertised on the website, but that wasn't our experience. There was a large cockroach crossing the lounge on arrival, which was unacceptable for hygiene. On the first morning there was no hot water, and we reported it; we all had cold showers. In the update to the owner's response, I clarified that hot water being available later didn't change the cold showers we'd already had, and the cockroach was there on arrival whether or not anyone saw it again. Staff only couldn't get access when my daughter was alone in the room, and we were told it would be better to fix it when I returned. The manager was dismissive and didn't apologize, which made an already distressing situation worse. We weren't disrespectful to staff, unless there's evidence otherwise. We were upset because of my daughter's anxiety and our lack of confidence about emergency access. A one-night refund and unanswered follow-up emails don't reflect how serious this was. We stand by our account and want future guests to know about our safety concerns. For a similar price, we stayed at Oaks Hotel on the second night, and the difference was night and day. The staff were friendly and professional, and the rooms were beautiful, clean, well equipped and spacious. I'd recommend booking there instead.

We stayed nine nights as a family of four and had a lovely time. The apartment was spacious, nicely laid out and had everything we needed, including a coffee pod machine, dishwasher, oven, stove, washing machine and dryer. The main bed was large and comfortable, and we loved the ocean view from the big balcony with its outdoor dining area. The pool and gym were good, and it was handy having the RSL next door for reasonably priced meals. The location on the main foreshore street worked really well. John and Kelly were accommodating about our late check-in and check-out, and we'll definitely return.

We'd love to thank the team for making our little getaway so lovely. We only spent a few days here, but what a beautiful spot, with everything so close by.