Waters Edge The Strand

Very stressful and deeply disappointing. We booked through Booking.com and paid for an upgrade to a seaview room on arrival. When we got there, the walls and floors were saturated and wet. The balcony doors had been left open to help dry the room, but the floors were also dirty and unsanitary, with hairs across the floor and bed. Moisture kept building up on the walls and floors overnight, creating a serious slip hazard. My friend slipped despite our efforts to dry it. We notified reception straight away and emailed photos. Because of the safety risk, we asked staff to inspect before we left, but nobody did. We were told all rooms had similar issues. At checkout, nobody raised any damage or the issues we'd reported. Hours later, when I contacted management about getting the bond back, I was told it wouldn't be refunded because of alleged smoking. I said nobody had smoked in the unit, that I'm a non-smoker with health conditions, and that the room already had an odour when we arrived. We had mentioned that in our original complaint. I still haven't received any response about the reported safety hazards or the return of the bond. They withdrew the $200 security bond on arrival without my knowledge. I understand an imprint is taken, and that any damage is assessed at checkout. I believe retaining the money this way breaches the terms of stay and is unlawful access to funds. We've started formal legal proceedings over the unauthorised deduction and retention of the bond. Shonky. We felt ripped off.

The location is great, and they offer free parking, but there was literally no human interaction. We got our keys from a lockbox during normal business hours. When we entered the room, a towel was jammed in the air-conditioner because it was clearly leaking. It stopped working in the middle of the night, and nobody answered when we tried calling.

We booked for two people and got one bed. I asked for a water view, but all we could see was three walls of the building. I ended up sleeping on a couch for two days and got a sore neck. When I asked about it, the young receptionist was unfriendly and unwelcoming, and said I'd have to pay an extra $30 to use the sofa bed. The shower's hot tap was broken.

The view was great, the bed was comfortable, and the place was very clean. Parking was gated, and the staff were friendly, warm, and welcoming. I'd definitely stay again.