Bannisters Port Stephens

My daughter and I had the most wonderful weekend at Bannisters Port Stephens. The hotel has such a peaceful atmosphere, and everything felt easy from check-in to checkout. Our room was bright, clean and beautifully styled. We spent hours just relaxing by the pool and enjoying the view. Dinner at Rick Stein’s was a standout amazing seafood and lovely friendly staff.||||A perfect spot for a mother & daughter getaway. We’ll definitely be returning. Shout out to James one of the Managers, very helpful chap.

This was our fourth visit to Bannisters Port Stephens (an indication of how much we like it). It did not disappoint. The location and views are sublime - from both our room and the pool area. It is a really relaxing vibe. The choice of dining venues is particularly attractive - Rick Stein’s of course for a treat of seafood; Julio’s for that Mexican vibe and the Cheeky Dog pub for a relaxing evening. The staff are the complete standouts - nothing is too much trouble, and they are so welcoming, whatever their role. We will be back again next year - already booked.

We recently stayed at Bannisters Port Stephens with a large group, and although this review is belated, it’s well deserved! The property was fantastic - beautifully maintained, spacious, and perfectly suited to a larger group. The check-in process was smooth, and the staff were excellent and attentive throughout our stay. The rooms were comfortable, clean, and thoughtfully appointed, giving everyone plenty of space to relax. We particularly enjoyed the breakfast service, which was excellent, and the overall atmosphere of the property made our stay very enjoyable. The location is stunning, providing the perfect backdrop for a relaxing getaway. Our large group had a wonderful time, we would recommend it to anyone looking for a memorable stay! Quentin & Sarena Seovic

We went to Bannisters Port Stephens to celebrate our wedding anniversary and what a great choice it was. The whole weekend could not be faulted. The location, the room, the surroundings, the cocktails, the food - everything was even better than I hoped. We checked into our room and found a welcome anniversary note and chocolate in our room - cute. The service from the bar staff at the pool deck (in particular Jack) was wonderful, the a la carte breakfast was both delicious and generous in servings and great coffee too. We dined at Rick Stein's on Saturday night and it did not disappoint. Great cocktails, great wine, and most of all fantastic food. The staff were attentive without being intrusive and every dish we had was just delicious. I have to make a special mention of the fish curry it was AMAZING. ||Thanks Bannisters and Rick Steins for a wonderful weekend...you were truly memorable.

Stayed in a two bedroom two bathroom apartment for one night in late December 2025. Enjoyed our stay and time lounging around the pool. Bar service to sun lounges was slow and there was mention of a welcome drink but we never seemed to see that. Plenty of space in the room which was great for our family of four. Rooms starting to show that they are a little tired. Perfect spot and worth staying if you are going to the restaurant. Breakfast was great too. No kitchenette in the apartment so for our family only really good for a short stay.

My partner and I spent almost $3k on a 4 night stay (during peak season). With this pricing I expected a little more. But a few things worth noting: - the front staff were lovely - all the pool beds were occupied by 10am, with people placing their towels on the beds to reserve them for the day ahead. - they offered the most abysmal continental breakfast buffet … truly a pathetic breakfast offering with no hot food. We were also told to take a seat and our coffee order would be taken. I didn’t realise that they would also be charging us for that coffee. My partner and I ended up paying for a breakfast on the menu. - on NYD, they added hot food to the breakfast buffet which was great for my partner. But as im pregnant, I wanted to order something off the breakfast menu (which I did on previous days). The older lady behind the bar said no to ordering breakfast on the breakfast menu, then agreed to let me order eggs. She was so rude about it, it really upset me. Then after servicing me a measly piece of sourdough with eggs, they charged me for it without even letting me choose what I wanted! - housekeeping knocking on our door at 9am on New Year’s Day - no room service - Rick stein was great It’s a fabulous location. But overpriced for what you get. So wouldn’t recommend it.

We really enjoyed our stay at Bannisters! The rooms are well appointed and very clean and tidy but I wouldn’t say 5 star. The beds were super comfy and the hotel reasonably quiet although there was that one “ party” group who had to disrupt everyone’s siesta s with over the top, inappropriate conversations ( children were everywhere) and other shenanigans. The staff were fantastic and had an eye on the group and may have asked them to tone it down( not entirely sure) I really rate the staff. All super professional and slick but also very approachable and friendly. We had a SUPERB breakfast buffet at Rick Steins!! Definitely seek it out. We loved the creative range of mix and mingle options- boiled eggs, mini capers, cucumber red onion and cherry tomato salad, feta, Swiss cheese and smoked salmon. All excellent quality and fresh! The pastries were also excellent quality and very fresh. There was a large selection of tropical fruit and muesli and yoghurt. Cooked ala carte options are also available. Overall a very pleasant sojourn away for a couple of night. Thank you to the excellent staff - we really appreciated the outstanding service! Jo( Nz)

We were fortunate enough to be gifted a 3 night package at Bannister's which we used this week. What an excellent experience. The room were fresh and spacious with a lovely view of the bay and surrounds. A couple of standouts for us. 1. Cocktail happy our on the pool deck each day. The margaritas were outstanding 2. The service. The staff were friendly and little things like a complementary glass of bubbles on arrival was really appreciated. 3. We dined at Rick Steins and we Both were very satisfied with our meals and though it was not cheap we felt it was worth the experience. We will definitely be back.