From the middle of December to the middle of January we stayed in twelve establishments ranging from the Hilton (AU$180/night) & Marriott (AU$220/night) to a pub (AU$80/night).
We booked a room at the Cremorne Point Manor because the web site led us to believe that this place is “something special”. If only this were true. It was the most expensive and worst “hotel” (or rooming-house) that we stayed in stayed in during our month long visit to Australia.
So to the facts: My wife and I were charged AU$1465.00 for a five night stay over the New Year period for a King Size “en suite” room. And this is what we got:
• The room’s original dimensions were 3.2m x 4m (10.5ft x 16ft). Into one corner of this was built the “en suite” which measured 1m x 2.5 m (3ft x 7.5).
• The room was furnished with a king size bed; a double wardrobe 0.5m x 2m ; one chair; one low chest of drawers; and a single bed (not requested & under the only windo into the room.) but it did give us a place to put our suitcases. The distance between the left side of the bed and the wall was 0.5m (18inches) likewise the foot of the bed and the wardrobe.
• The “luxury en suite” consisted of a toilet, wash-basin and shower. It had a sliding door hung on the outside of the partition wall. There was a tiny fitted unit under the basin for the hairdryer and spare loo roll but no horizontal surfaces on which to put one’s toiletries bag, except the floor. The shaving light switch was broken, but could be made to work by waggling it. The vaunted luxury cosmetics were the usual cheap hotel variety.
• The flat screen TV hung untidily on the wall immediately outside the shower/toilet, with all the sockets and cables exposed below.
• The left-hand side of wardrobe had four shelves, one of which held the small refrigerator plugged into a multipoint extension, and another the kettle and tea making items were located on shelves in the wardrobe and the kettle had to be boiled in side it. On the other side hanging space was very limited, with the clothes facing outwards.
• The room furnishings were generally tired looking. The carpet was grey with a one inch rectangular grid of whitish spots.
• The breakfast that was provided was a DIY affair, consisting of fruit juice (small tumblers); sliced bread & a toaster; cereals & milk; tea /coffee (good) and a bowl of tinned fruit cocktail that some times had some fresh fruit added to it. On the 2nd of January the uneaten tinned peaches were put out for a second day.
The breakfast “room” is an area of about 10 square meters into which are crammed 9 small tables and 18 chairs. It is located at the back of the first floor. There are no views. Movement between the breakfast bar & any table could only be achieved with difficulty. Remember that there are 30 rooms in this establishment!
• The only communal seating area was on the two verandas overlooking the road or around three garden type tables and chairs put in the back courtyard.
So was there anything good about it? Yes the location.
Would I ever stay there again? No.
Overall conclusion: This is a large rooming house putting itself forward as a bijou hotel and failing miserably while charging 5 star prices.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
no way!
I recommend this hotel for:
A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Other
Management Response
jcbranch, Manager
(Management representative)
Jan 22, 2008
Dear Sir,
The harsh review from the above reviewer is rather biased and one sided. Our hotel welcomes approximately 17,000 guests a year and the vast majority are very happy. We have been reviewed in national and international press and every time the reviews have been excellent. Moreso please do check the other reviews on this website as they give a more balanced appraisal.
I am not sure whether the above reviewer simply was determined to be unhappy however I would like to point out a few items. The reviewer supposedly has stayed in numerous hotels in Australia but has only chosen to review one. and has given a detailed account of his poor experience. Secondly much of what he mentions is either untrue or frankly biased.
The whole hotel has been renovated within the year, so the tired furniture and fixtures he talks about are probably newer and more modern than anything in any other hotel he had stayed in.
The rates mentioned were for the New Year period when the entire city is booked out. The equivalent hotel such as the hilton mentioned was approximately 4 times the rate, the guest payed. He also failed to mention that the hotel is located on the most picturesque peninsula in sydney.
What the reviews fails to point out is that the Cremorne Point Manor is located within a heritage building. Unfortunately it is impossible to simply expand the rooms (which was his major concern). The building was built at the turn of the century and while we have been able to obtain approval for modernization, the fact is space is at a significant premium in the area. One cannot compare a room on Sydney harbour to one in a country pub.
The writer continues to find fault with every item within the hotel, from the toiletries which are equal to any found in a 5 star hotel, to the size of the breakfast room.
As the manager of this hotel I would like to note that we are not a faceless corporation and a family run hotel that has recently achieved AAA 4 star status. We aim to provide the best boutique accommodation on the north of Sydney. We are able to please 99% of people however most of those do not write reviews. It takes one disgruntled guest to tarnish an excellent reputation. I would ask that if you are looking to stay at this hotel, please read numerous reviews and make up your own mind.
It is also unfortunately that this guest, did not approach any of the management with his grievances, We would have done our best to resolved any problems he may have had.
Sincerely
Jean-Claude Branch
General Manager
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
