Smiths Beach Resort

The beach location is good and the pool area is nice, but the accommodation and service are a long way from five star. The beach shack units felt like caravan park cabins, with small bedrooms and beds, cheap fittings, and no cupboards, drawers or safe. Rooms aren't serviced unless you stay more than seven days. Reception is open from 9 to 5:30. The hotel doesn't run the restaurant, which is only open for breakfast and dinner, with no lunch service. There's nothing to drink or eat by the pool, either. Beyond checking you in, the hotel offers very little service. I rate it just four stars at best because it's advertised as five.

Everything was extremely clean, and the staff were so helpful. The self-contained apartments are perfect, with the ocean close by, a beautiful pool and a delicious restaurant on site. Thanks for the hospitality with us and our young toddler. We'll be back!

Smiths beach is beautiful, safe and fun, and the location is very good. We relaxed and explored the Margaret River region during our five nights, though two nights less would've been enough for us. The resort advertises itself as luxury, but the apartments felt dated, bland and unwelcoming. The whole place had a communal caravan park vibe. Having a kitchen was handy for taking a break from cafes and restaurants. The pool was beautiful, spacious and well presented, though a few more shaded spots would help. The cafe is more like a bottle shop that serves coffee, with a minimal takeaway menu and very limited groceries, though it has plenty of wine. We didn't try the restaurant. It looked more like a cafe, though it's highly rated and has a great chef, so we may have missed a good opportunity.

We traveled halfway around the globe to revisit a memory, and ended up making a whole new set. Seventeen years ago we were the first guests here on our honeymoon, and it blew us away. Returning with our teenage children at Christmas, while coping with a recent bereavement, I worried it might not live up to how we remembered it. It was even better. The apartments haven't aged, and the grounds have matured into a beautiful, understated, luxurious and unique resort. It feels like the whole place is yours, and you can walk to surf at one of the world's most stunning beaches. Our best holiday stay ever, beats everywhere. Magical. If you get the chance, experience it.