Villa Mar Colina

We spent three nights in a lovely, clean two-bedroom apartment with beautiful views. The staff were really nice too.

The bedding and appliances were very good, and the staff were great. The location is good too, but the run-down building let the stay down. The room smelled damp, and while the couch cushions may have been cleaned, they were left leaning against each other. The entrance door frame was rusty, and in several places the plaster was rotten or coming away. There was mould around the bath plug, and pulling it up brought the whole drain with it. Mould was also on the bathroom ceiling and door frame. Some louvres were broken, while others couldn’t be moved. The iron was broken and its handle was foul, the toilet seats were old and needed replacing, and ledges were dusty. The place needs a serious clean and renovation. At $150 a night, I wouldn’t complain, but they charge rates similar to much newer two-bedroom apartments in Yeppoon. Until the owners repair these things, I wouldn’t call it a three- or four-star standard.

The views were great, and we loved the sea breeze. The room was lovely, and the rooms and beds were clean apart from the fold-out bed, which had sand that had slipped down behind the couch. Getting to the three-bedroom apartment meant climbing a lot of stairs, and there was only one parking space. Parking is limited, so with more than one car in your booking you’ll probably need to leave one down the hill.

The terrace is gorgeous, with an amazing 180° view over the ocean.