Holiday Inn Townsville Hotel

The best part was the front office staff. They handled my requests, questions and quandaries efficiently and professionally, always with the most genuine smiles. The price was quite reasonable for a centrally located hotel, too. The place is ancient and a bit run down, and the rooms are small compared with other queen bedrooms I've stayed in. There are steps between the bedroom and bathroom. The TV is tiny and outdated, there's no microwave, and the crockery is minimal: two cups and saucers, no plates or bowls, and one teaspoon. There was no concierge information. Still, it was rather clean. It could use a complete renovation. A Holiday Inn type of venue would be a perfect fit. No offence meant! I didn't take any photos, that's why there aren't any. Cheers! B B 🙂

The most concerning thing we found was what appeared to be drug paraphernalia, a crack pipe, lodged between the room's seat cushions. That raised serious concerns for us about housekeeping and the environment the hotel caters to. The room showed the same neglect as the rest of the property. It was cramped, with damaged walls and worn, low-quality carpet. The air conditioning was noisy and kept leaking or dripping. The bathroom was tiny, with rusting towel rails, rusty door hinges and a broken handle. A sign threatening fines if the door was left open because of fire alarm issues only added to the sense of poor maintenance. The hallways on our floor were in terrible shape, with chipped and scratched paint, damaged walls, stained dirty carpet and a lingering unpleasant smell. Only one elevator was running, and it was lined with temporary plastic sheeting. The front awning was broken, and reception was dirty and worn, with cheap furniture unlike the promotional photos. Our first impression on arrival was very disappointing. Wotif advertises this as a four-star hotel, but the actual place was completely inconsistent with its online photos and description. We felt genuinely misled. It would struggle to justify even three stars. We wouldn't stay again and strongly caution future guests to manage expectations or look elsewhere.

There was no escape from the damp, cigarette-smelling air in the building. Black mould was growing in the room's air conditioning, and the bathroom exhaust vents didn't work, letting smoke in from other rooms. All night I could hear people shouting elsewhere, with no sound insulation, and a street light outside my window lit up the whole room. The room was filthy and poorly maintained. The sheets and carpet were stained, the glasses hadn't been cleaned, and the ceiling was dusty with something splattered on it. Someone had burnt the smoke alarm with a cigarette lighter, and electrical cords ran through a hole punched in the wall. I travel often for work, and this was the most unhygienic, badly maintained hotel I've stayed in. Don't stay here.

We booked three nights, but left as quickly as we could after finding a rat in the second room they moved us to. The first room we'd been given was disgusting and smelly. We demanded a full refund. The receptionist seemed not to care about our concerns and gave us the manager's email because nobody was on duty. What kind of hotel has no manager on duty at 4pm? We emailed twice and got no reply or sign of concern. Management is a joke. I've already contacted the health department and the hotel's owners to tell them how vile this place is. Never stay here. I can't understand how it has four stars.