Nautilus Beachfront Villas & Spa

The rooms are top tier for the price, and there are plenty of amenities and services for different needs. It’s tucked out of the way and takes some effort to get to, but I’d still highly recommend it to anyone passing through or holidaying around Coffs Harbour.

Unit 169B was a studio that felt like a room assembled from leftovers. The furniture didn’t match, and there was a clothes dryer at the end of the bed. Everything looked old and dated, and the bathroom was so tiny I had to change in the kitchen. The amenities, though, were fantastic.

The gardens and amenities are amazing, and the Thai restaurant was the best Thai food we’d ever eaten. Since the kitchen was unusable, we ate there every night. Still, this was the dirtiest, worst place we’ve stayed in all our years of travelling. The photos look amazing, but I’d definitely say don’t stay here. We booked a week, and it cost more than the other eight places we stayed at. We arrived around 3 o’clock to beat the office closing time, only to learn we had to call to get into our room. The office hours posted on the door were wrong. We never saw it open all week. There were dead black insects all over the bed when I went in. The sewerage smell was so bad my husband had to boil the kettle and pour water down every drain each day. Everything in the kitchen was dirty, some pots had mould, and we couldn’t cook all week. For two people staying a week, they left us just two half-rolls of toilet paper. What a joke. We had to come back ten minutes after leaving because I’d forgotten my medication. The cleaner couldn’t have cared less about my concerns.

After an eight-hour trip, we arrived to find our booked room had been changed. They said the new one was better, but didn’t explain why they’d switched it. The rooms are average motel or unit style, and the split-system heating didn’t work. There was no bath in the replacement room, and the beds were hard and lumpy. Parking bays and driveways are really tight. It’s also a long walk down a steep hill to the beach, so it wouldn’t suit anyone with mobility issues. Sound echoes everywhere, and we could hear people talking outside and cars pulling up. I’ve stayed at a lot of resorts, and this one was very average. The best part was the nice view from down at the beach.