Aqualuna Beach Resort

The unit smelled pretty bad, and the walls and doors were filthy throughout. There was no one around at reception, and the restaurant looked abandoned too. Entry to the unit was keyless. It felt like a lot of people lived at this “resort” full-time. There was a broken, unregistered vehicle and motorbikes in the parking bay beside ours, plus broken furniture in the garden beds outside our room. I wouldn’t bother leaving a review if this place were dirt cheap, but it isn’t.

The ocean views are lovely, and the location is the one redeeming thing. The hotel itself is run-down and badly needs a thorough clean and maintenance. I’ve never seen passive-aggressive notes at a hotel before. Check the photo if you don’t believe me. I doubt they can legally say a bed is off limits just because they don’t want to make it after checkout.

The villa was cute, clean, and comfortable, with good beds and pillows, a jacuzzi, and cooking facilities. The hosts deserve credit for that. Just think of it as staying in someone’s Airbnb, because this isn’t really a resort. Check-in was very easy, with a key in a lockbox. It’s a stone’s throw from the beach, though the water isn’t suitable for swimming. The beach is great for long walks. There’s also a tennis court and a shared area with a BBQ and cooking facilities. Even during peak season, the place was very quiet, which suited us for two nights of downtime before heading back to Sydney. I’d call it a cluster of what are probably investment properties rather than a resort, so it didn’t have much of a holiday atmosphere. I’d personally choose an actual hotel or resort. I don’t understand why Coffs Harbour gets so much hype. The Big Banana was okay, but we’d just come from Gold coast, so there was no comparison. I’d hoped for a cute tourist town with bars and restaurants, but that expectation was my mistake. The town felt about as exciting as the shared area by the tennis court, and that “resort” was about an eight-minute drive away. I checked the list of things to do and didn’t find much that excited me. Maybe I missed some hidden gems. One stop I did enjoy was the Clog barn, a cute little Dutch shop, and I’m Dutch too, lol. You can try Dutch processed sausages like frikandel, kroket, and bitterballs. In the workshop next door, they demonstrated how clogs are made, and there’s even a miniature Dutch countryside. That was pretty cool!

For a short, budget-friendly beach stay, the location and views are appealing. But if modern rooms and good service matter more to you, there are better choices around Coffs Harbour and Sapphire Beach.