Bellagio by the Sea

We had a lovely stay and were upgraded to a penthouse. The room was really nice, and the location is great for the beach, with plenty of good food within walking distance. It could use some maintenance and more careful cleaning. As a professional window cleaner, I noticed the windows and general cleaning were only average. It wasn't unhygienic, just not immaculate. The painter could slow down a bit too, lol.

The ocean views made this a perfect little getaway, with cafés and a restaurant within walking distance. Big shout-out to sloppy Joe’s cafe for amazing coffee. We loved the beautiful apartment, especially having two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and the beds were so comfortable. Lisa (manager) was very kind. My only real complaint is that they left just two teabags, and I love my tea.

The large room had great amenities, but the oven and cookware were absolutely filthy. There was no wifi during our stay, and reception offered no apology or solution. The balcony furniture was worn and in tatters as well. The receptionist was exceptionally rude and unapologetic, with zero people skills. For what it costs, it hardly seems worth staying here.

In 25 years of regular work travel, this was the worst hotel I've stayed in for somewhere rated 4.5 stars. We're reporting it because our room, and apparently many others, seemed unfit to let. Ours had only been partly serviced: no vacuuming or surface cleaning, cigarette butts all over the balconies, pubic hair in the baths and showers, dirty benches and shower screens, and carpets stained with alcohol. We arrived after 5 pm, once the cleaners had left, so nothing could be fixed that day. The very young receptionist didn't apologize and had little customer service skill. Management was in Melbourne and unreachable until lunchtime the next day, after we threatened not to leave without a call. When Jono finally spoke to us, he said he couldn't verify the dirt since he wasn't there and would follow up after photos could be taken once we'd left. He never did. Plenty of excuses, no apology. Staff said they'd had to force management to close some rooms because of complaints, even though management kept trying to let them out. Other problems included being unable to split a double bed for our kids as requested when booking, because the complex had only two spare single beds; too few guest spaces, so cars had to park at the beach across the highway; a broken water tap and furniture; and a phone that didn't work. It was almost surreal. Luckily we weren't there long, and I feel for anyone who is. Just terrible.