Know better, choose better.

Debbie R.

1h ago

The laneway was a vibrant little corner of Melbourne that l didn’t know existed. The pick up was easy, but as it was a cold day, we weren’t sure where we could eat that was warm and cosy. The guy from the pick up shop allowed us to use one of his tables and it had a heater, so that was a tick. The food was well presented in little take away containers with lids. There were many dips and spreads and cheeses and cured meat and a scattering of chips, but when we looked at it we weren’t quite sure how to eat it. There were no biscuits or bread to put the dips and spreads on. There were several wooden spoons provided. There was a random pot of olive oil (maybe nice bread?). We went back to the shop and asked if we could purchase some Turkish bread, and he gave us some on the house. That made things easier as we could spread the dips on. We then realised we had no serviettes, so back to the shop we went. The man noticed us struggling to eat and came with plates and cutlery. So, 5 stars for attentiveness, helpfulness and service, and yummy food, 2 stars for lack of thought into what was added and how we were to eat it. If it was a sunny day and we went to the banks of the Yarra and sat down, I am not sure how we would have mannaged

Kane

1h ago

Sydney airport Waited over an hour for the shuttle bus that never came. Called the provided number twice for help, still waiting for the call back 5hrs later Caught a taxi to the rental location Had to pay extra money for insurance that id already booked through webjet. Staff were ordinary in regard to assisting or being apologetic about the phantom shuttle bus. Another lady was having similar issues at the front desk at the same time we were there. Worst experience with a car rental to date

Mike D. South East Queensland, QLD

1h ago

We just returned from a recent stay at ULTIQA Beach Haven Broadbeach on the Gold Coast glitter strip which was less “luxury beachfront escape” and more like an unexpected episode of renovation rescue. We booked an Apartment on the 32nd floor advertised as a luxury oceanfront apartment. It was situated on the side of the building so how they have the temerity to charge the customer a premium extra fee and call it ‘oceanfront really escapes me. Ocean view maybe but oceanfront definitely not. [Name Removed] at reception was polite and professional, and I explained our concerns with the apartment the very same day we arrived and advised him to make management aware of our dissatisfaction. Unfortunately, even the best staff can only do so much when the apartment itself appears to have last been renovated around the same time colour television was invented. We never heard a peep out of management for our entire stay so you can draw your own conclusions. The air-conditioning system deserves special mention for achieving absolutely nothing. We could not get either of the AC systems to work and had to rely on open doors to create some sort of air flow. In fact, the smashed front panel looked suspiciously like the result of a previous guest finally losing patience. The blinds were equally impressive — not for their functionality, but for the athleticism required to operate them. The control chains were mounted so high they practically required an NBA contract to reach, while the sheer number of separate blinds made opening them feel like preparing the sails of an 18th-century pirate ship before battle. As you can see from the photos the sofa looked as though it had survived several divorces, three floods, and possibly the fall of the Roman Empire. The mysterious stains suggested it was either recovering from a very chaotic party or quietly evolving its own ecosystem. We did try and adapt and found a spare blanket only to find it was stained worse than the sofa so we abandoned the idea of using the sofa altogether and were forced to sit for the entire stay on the hard uncomfortable kitchen chairs to watch tv. The apartment flooring itself had more cracks than a plumbers’ convention. Rusted seating and fittings, tired cabinetry, and worn finishes all helped to create the ambience of a retirement village display home abandoned during the Whitlam government as you can see from the photos we took. The second bedroom was its own adventure. The wardrobe rail as you can see was bent into the shape of a banana, as though a previous guest had been training for Ninja Warrior inside the robe. Finding the light switch became a full archaeological expedition, only for the light not to work anyway when we finally discovered it on the fan control. It felt like solving The Da Vinci Code and discovering the treasure chest was empty. You need to take a torch in there to choose your clothes especially early morning and as soon as it gets dark. The bed placement prevented the bedroom door from closing properly, meaning privacy was more of a hopeful suggestion than an actual feature. The in-room safe didn’t work regardless of which code we used, adding a fun little “identity theft roulette” element to the holiday. All three lifts were undergoing maintenance and appeared to have been designed by the writers of The Twilight Zone. You press Level 32 but you could end up anywhere. Being on the 32nd floor we were actually forced to walk down the fire escape to the 30th floor before we could even summon the lift. The wardrobes were barely sufficient for one guest never mind two people travelling with actual luggage. Quite a few cupboards were also locked, turning unpacking into a low-budget escape room experience and with no dedicated pantry available in the kitchen we were forced to stack up all the saucepans on the bench top so you could use the empty cupboard for food storage. Maybe the expectation was that we’re only ever intended to eat out every night? The plates were mismatched and looked as though they’d been sourced from the local Salvos, and the frying pan had long given up the ghost. The bathroom door had a novel floorstop in that it couldn’t be opened without slamming into the toilet itself. Oh yes and woe betide you at 2am if you forget that the non-soft-close toilet seat lid slams loudly enough to wake up half of Broadbeach. To summarise this review the apartment fell dramatically short of the “luxury” standard being advertised. Compared to the ULTIQA Signature Broadbeach we stayed in only a couple of months previously. To be honest it would be like comparing a luxury yacht with a shopping trolley with a sail attached. With significant refurbishment and some long-overdue maintenance, this property could absolutely become the premium accommodation it claims to be and charges a premium price for. At present, however, it feels less like Grand Design and more like Love It or List It.