Harp Hotel

The room itself was clean and thoughtfully laid out, if a little small. The queen and single beds were comfortable, the shower was spacious, and the reception staff were cooperative despite a slightly questionable feel at check-in. We found the parking entrance a bit hard to locate, but our bond was returned promptly. The trouble was sleeping. The pub and nightclub downstairs runs until 2 a.m. on weekend nights, and the rooms above it get a lot of noise. After the music stopped, people were still going up and down the stairs. Around 3 a.m. someone kept banging on the door beside ours and woke everyone. We checked out early after a dreadful night. We’d booked an extra Saturday night during a family trip with a child, and I wouldn’t recommend weekends here, especially for families. Also, the rooms are on the second floor and there’s no lift, so you have to manage several flights of stairs. That’s a poor fit for elderly guests or anyone with mobility issues. The club may be well known as one of the city’s leading venues, but I wouldn’t stay here on a weekend.

The staff were friendly and helpful, and for the price and Crown Street mall location, Harp Hotel is worth considering. You’re about a 500m walk from both the beach and the main shopping centre. Free parking is available in the rear carpark, subject to space. The tropical fish aquarium behind the bar is impressive, though the bar itself felt a little dark and grungy. Our room was modern, clean and compact, with comfortable beds, a small bar fridge, a huge flatscreen TV, and working aircon. Toiletries, tea, coffee, hot choc and bickies were supplied. The bathroom kept its original decor and was mostly clean, but there was grime at the bottom of the sliding shower door, which I cleaned myself. We stayed Monday and Tuesday. The hotel is upfront online and in pre check-in emails about karaoke noise downstairs. On Monday we heard singing from 11pm to midnight; our room was at the far end of the pub, not directly above karaoke, and earplugs were available in the common area. The pub had very few patrons those nights, though a handful of people were singing. Management might get more hotel bookings by keeping karaoke to selected nights such as Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It’s fun for the singers, but not so much for everyone hearing the bad singing.

The updated room was small, but the bathroom was a good size, with a great shower and soft towels. The bed and pillows were comfortable, and I’ve paid more for less elsewhere. They offer earplugs, which is a nice extra given the popular pub downstairs at night; the guest and pub areas felt safely separated. Getting there was straightforward, with clear directions provided at booking. Parking was close by, behind the pub via a quiet back lane. Staff on duty in the pub that day were especially friendly and helpful. I’d book again for an overnight stay around the next Win Stadium event.

The room was comfortable, and paying for it through Expedia went smoothly. The $200 bond was fine, but at check-in the eftpos machine wouldn’t accept our savings cards. Milly, the bar attendant, had to contact the publican to ask whether we could leave cash instead. We waited 45 minutes, eventually left the bond, and arrived an hour late to our dinner booking. Housekeeping Lyn was amazing the next morning. She checked the room and returned our bond. Thank you, Lyn. Milly was very rude and her customer service was terrible. I wouldn’t stay here again.