Hotel Breeze Bay Marina

If you want your holiday to feel like big-city queues and crowds, with crying babies, this is the place. Everything needs to be planned and booked ahead with QR codes, so there’s no room to be spontaneous. Our morning started with a 20-minute wait for breakfast at 6:30, and things didn’t improve after that. We had a balcony, but the aircon compressor blew hot air at us, and we could hear babies crying from the pool. I wish I’d booked a smaller hotel closer to Hirara and gone snorkeling at turtle beach. Definitely not worth the money.

The secluded beach was a nice surprise, with lots of tiny crabs, and the kids’ room kept my daughter busy for a while. Parking is free across the street. The staff were really helpful, too. We didn’t have a Japanese phone number, and they kindly helped us call a snorkeling rental place. We stayed in a family room, and my five-year-old loved the bunk bed, turtle and penguin plushies, play kitchen, blackboard and crayons, and giant character cushions. My husband and I liked the spacious room and large fridge. The room could have been cleaner. The blue couch had stains, some corners were dusty, the bathtub was cracked, and water didn’t drain properly on the shower side. Breakfast was limited, and two of the three days had the same options. It had less variety than the sister hotel Hot Cross Point, and the food wasn’t nearly as tasty. With several buildings at Breezebay Marina, the breakfast area gets crowded when large groups or tours are there. We’d love to stay again if cleanliness improves.

Apart from the location, the facilities and staff were the worst. The lobby and new building are far apart, with stairs in between, which made carrying heavy suitcases uncomfortable. There was a wheelchair-accessible bathroom right by the stairs, which felt contradictory. I had booked and paid for two nights through the travel site before arriving at Brisbane Marina Hotel. At check-in, a short-haired male employee said payment wasn’t confirmed and asked me to pay again, even though I showed the paid receipt and confirmation. My family and I had been playing in the water, and after a long explanation in the lobby, we finally checked in feeling cold. The male employee eventually checked us in. Two days later at checkout, a different female employee repeated the same issue. I asked her to check with the male employee who had handled our check-in, but she only did things that frustrated me. Another female employee eventually confirmed with the travel site, and I feel there had been enough time to check during our two-day stay. The staff treated me as if I hadn’t paid, which left me upset and uncomfortable. Because of them, we almost missed our flight, and they left for another place without giving a proper apology. It was the worst staff response and service I’ve experienced.

The hotel has kept investing and renovating, so many parts of the infrastructure are brand new. The lobby, restaurant, and pool are gorgeous, and the interior is lovely. All the rooms seem to have breathtaking sea views, and the hotel beach is good for snorkeling. The rooms and hotel were very clean, and the WiFi was amazing. Meals are easy to arrange here, which helps on a fairly remote island. Get the breakfast, and try lunch too, it’s great quality and value. There’s also an Italian restaurant worth checking out. The staff were friendly, responsive, and professional, with English speakers available. Parking is spacious and convenient, so finding a spot late at night isn’t a worry. Airport shuttles are available, so ask the staff about the schedule. That’s a huge plus. I absolutely recommend this place.