Aquarius on The Beach

Before booking a room at Aquarius on The Beach, I did quite a bit of research and, to be honest, felt a little sceptical at first based on some of the reviews. There were definitely mixed opinions, with recurring comments about the building and facilities being old and tired — and from what I read, some of the rooms too. That said, there were also plenty of positive reviews, so I decided to do my due diligence rather than write it off completely. To help ensure we had a good experience, I simply rang ahead, explained what I had read, and requested one of the recently refurbished rooms for my partner and I. That one phone call pretty much addressed the main concerns I’d come across. We were only there for 24 hours, so we didn’t use many of the facilities, but it’s fair to say the building and shared areas are older and could use an update. However, our room itself was great — clean, comfortable, recently refurbished, and with absolutely amazing views. The location is also a huge plus, right on the beach and close to everything. The place clearly has a lot of potential, but bringing it fully up to modern standards would no doubt come at a significant cost — and realistically, if that happened, the room rates would be much higher than what’s currently on offer. Overall, if you do your research, communicate with the staff, and request one of the refurbished rooms, you can absolutely enjoy great value for money, an excellent location, and stunning views. Manage expectations, choose wisely, and it can be a very pleasant stay.

Rooms are clean and comfortable, with great views over the bay. Perfect location within a short walk to bars, cafes and restaurants. Free onsite parking and very good value - $400 for a 3 night stay in this location and with this view is a great deal. 100% recommend.

Location and large rooms makes this stay the perfect stay. However there is so much more potential for this place to have a better rating. Carpets were dirty and had nasty spots everywhere. Instead of dish soap, I was given laundry detergent, even though there's no laundry machine for the room I booked. Elevators were broken right after check in. Called front desk about 4 times using their phone to let them know but nobody picked up so I just assumed they were really busy. Walked down the stairs to reception only to find the reception just chillin. Not sure if the phone in the room even worked. The phone was filthy. Dusty and sticky. Kitchen knives were not washed properly and there was food bits scattered in the drawers. Overall, so much potential but needs better management and leadership to make the stay comfortable and clean

Checked in fine.. went to our room to find 2 half drank bottles of water in the fridge.. WiFi wud not work request for help manager came and tried and said to us he didnt know what what wrong with it and left. BED was so hard it gave me back pain. Then to top it all off fire alarm went off twice at 6am in the morning so down the stairs we went only to find out its a common fault. Not impressed and will never stay there nor recommend it to anyone. Only thing good about the stay was the view.

Disappointing Stay Despite a Great Location My experience at this hotel was far from satisfactory. The front desk service was mediocre, and when I reported that my room was dirty, the response was nothing more than a weak apology with no real effort to resolve the issue. The noise levels were also unacceptable. The hotel scheduled repair work at 8:30 AM, disturbing guests without any prior notice. Only after I complained did they put up a small notice by the lift—far too late to be helpful. Additionally, the pool was not properly cleaned, which only added to the overall disappointment. Although the location is excellent, I absolutely do not recommend staying here. There are plenty of other options nearby that will provide a much better experience.

During our stay the shower and bathroom sink had very little pressure and the hot water was barely warm. When turning the tap all the way hot the water would almost stop running. after alerting reception of issues with the pressure/hot water we were advised someone would have a look but no one ever showed up. Also asked a second time but they didn't know if someone was coming to inspect the issue.

Rooms are dated but fine, it’s clean and a central location. The noise from the rev heads on the strand is a lot, the sound proofing on the windows isn’t great so they definitely keep you awake. The fact that you have to pay to use a beach towel by the pool is pretty poor..

The location is picture-perfect. It’s even better in person. I have the best view from my balcony, as you can see in the photos. On the other side, there’s a view of Castle Hill. The hotel is old and could use some updates, particularly the carpet and the bathroom. There is a washing machine, but it’s not working. Otherwise, my stay has been a refreshing experience in Townsville.

A true 5 stars all around. Every room has a ocean view, very clean and well maintained. The staff is really attentive specially the 2 ladies in the front, Lisa and Jen. Always smiling and go out of their way to help. Place is very central just within a couple of blocks of some real nice restaurants and bars. I really enjoyed my stay here specially my first time to Townsville. Will be back.

A very good hotel, excellent location and comfortable clean rooms with plenty of off street parking and awesome ocean views. The only disappointment was the very slow and inconsistent WiFi in the rooms which was very frustrating. This meant multiple trips to the foyer to use the internet as it was the only place the WiFi worked for me.