Pillows Lodge

The clean bathrooms and showers, plus the walkable beach location, were the good parts. Beyond that, we were very disappointed. The facilities were old and poorly maintained, and the kitchen was the worst area. It looked tidy but wasn’t clean. The microwave still hadn’t been replaced, even though earlier reviews had already mentioned it was blown out with a black crater. People were smoking in rooms, non-guests kept coming into the rooms, and the lounge smelled really bad.

The room had the basics for a short stay, and was fine for that purpose, but I’d suggest one night at most. We didn’t know beforehand that this was an emergency housing unit for beneficiaries. People were openly smoking weed, and the doors were difficult to open and close. After the noise of a door slamming woke a long-term tenant, they yelled at us. It didn’t feel like a family-friendly place.

The place was badly overpriced, very tired, and needs a full refurbishment. The carpet was disgusting, the fridge and freezer didn’t work, and the TV was broken. The curtain track was tied to its bracket and missing several glides. There were no toiletries, just six squares of toilet paper for two people. The bathroom silicone was full of mildew, and rain meant the windows had to stay shut because they couldn’t be adjusted. The linen looked fresh and hopefully sanitised, but I was too scared to check the mattress. There was threatening behaviour around midnight, and this wasn’t advertised as a homeless people’s shelter or MSD Clients. I wouldn’t recommend it to paying guests.

We ended up at pillows only because our plans changed and it was the only accommodation available. The courtyard smelled awful, there were flies in our room that drove us nuts, and we never managed to catch one even with fly spray. We saw two toilets and two showers for the whole place. The lounge TV was loud and kept playing the Chaser. My partner was asked by another guest for a fork at 11 pm so they could eat dinner. One night someone threw toilet paper over the bathroom wall at me. Another night our teenager was using the toilet when someone tried the door. They couldn’t open it, so they got the manager, who forced it while our teen held it shut. The room was okay, but the bathroom was disgusting; we didn’t stay long in the lounge and wouldn’t go into the kitchen, so we ate out. We realised on the first night it was emergency accommodation. That’s fine, but maybe it should just be kept as emergency accommodation. The owner or manager did everything, and I understand that must be hard. When I said the bathroom walls needed cleaning, he went and did an okay job straight away, and we noticed the difference. Maybe taking more pride in the property would encourage the permanent residents to do the same. The sheets and towels were lovely and clean, but the blanket didn’t seem clean, so I didn’t use it. That was manageable because the room was very hot. The single bunk bed had no top sheet. I feel sorry for the owner and the guests who have to be there. Maybe they don’t know any better. Everyone deserves better. I’d never stay again.