Coral Beach Lodge

With great facilities and location I would have loved to have given Coral Beach Lodge a 5 star review. Unfortunately management weren't prepared to provide any guidelines to long term guests (on work visas - NB: friendly & no aggressive behaviour - just really loud) to keep the noise down and be considerate of other guests. I spoke to reception before booking and was told it could be noisy til around 11pm. Feeling this was reasonable I made the booking. The reality was party central every night (think hospitality workers who return around 9pm, have dinner, turn up the music and party til 1 or 2 am). My query to management regarding their noise policy was met with a "there is no legislation" to restrict times for noisy guests. It felt they were happy to take our money but had no care regarding a positive experience for their 'short term' guests. And lets face it - when you're on a short holiday and trying to make the most of every day - it's great to have a good nights sleep. Their plan is to be a backpackers only next year - I guess this means they'll have no complaints about the noise (unless its their neighbours - poor people). There was a strange smell in the bathroom upon arrival - but this disappeared after a day (and airing out). The rooms were comfortable, clean and tidy. The camp kitchen was great, and having the pool, table tennis table etc. was great. Just bring your own fork (never enough) and your dancing shoes (or ear plugs)!

I don’t normally write reviews but I’ve made an exception in this case. I’ve spent the last four weeks travelling up the East Coast, so I’m well used to hostels — but this experience was unlike any other, and not for the right reasons.||||The location was great, kitchen appeared clean and the pool area was clean and pleasant (apart from the ashtrays everywhere). However, the rest of my experience was very disappointing.||||I arrived before check-in and was told I could wait by the pool, which was fine as I was quite early, but the female bathrooms were out of order. When I asked at reception if there were any alternatives, the staff member told me to “just use the men’s” and to close the door behind me. As a female solo traveller, I felt really uncomfortable, and he didn’t seem to care or offer another solution.||||When I finally checked in, my room was shared with long-term residents — it was messy, dirty, and clearly hadn’t been cleaned. I couldn’t tell which bed was unoccupied as their stuff was absolutely everywhere. When I asked about switching rooms, I was told that “all of the guests live here” and the receptionist was rude and dismissive. The lack of hospitality and care from staff made the whole experience even worse. I felt so uncomfortable that I ended up in tears, and even then, the receptionist saw me and walked straight past without saying a word. The complete lack of empathy or hospitality was shocking.||I ended up booking alternative accommodation and did not stay here. ||||If you’re looking for a short-term stay or travelling solo, I’d strongly recommend avoiding this place.

room was lovely and clean and facilities were really nice however long term guests (backpackers who couldn’t find long term accommodation) were so loud. Partying most nights till 11/12 then up banging around in the kitchen from six in the morning. Our room was right near the kitchen so it was nearly impossible to sleep. If ur a light sleeper I would not recommend. No noise restriction signs or consideration for any other guests. Shame because location perfect and staff really lovely

Very disappointed with my stay. I was woken up at 7am by construction noise (drilling, hammering) inside the hostel. When I raised the issue, no solution or gesture of goodwill was offered. Later, I asked for a private room and was told none were available, but I felt the real issue was that I wasn’t considered a “priority guest” because I’m a backpacker. The service and hospitality didn’t meet expectations. All guest should be treated equally.

SOLO FEMALE BACKPACKER I’ll start with the positives: The property itself is nice, the common area is spacious, the pool is really nice, the kitchen is clean and well-equipped, and the location is very convenient. The not so positives: The people staying there. Most of the people staying are long-term working holiday makers, and I found them to be the most hostile and messy group I’ve encountered while traveling. The dorm was extremely untidy when I checked in, and when I asked to move rooms, I was told the hostel was fully booked, the only reason my bed was available was because someone left temporarily for a wedding. When I later spoke with the owners, they explained that the rooms are serviced weekly and that long-term guests can be “a bit clicky.” (They did offer me a full refund on my stay but I couldn’t find anywhere else in my budget at such short notice) it felt far beyond “clicky” I’ve never felt so excluded and alone in a hostel. I was lucky enough to have a car and I kept my bag in the car as there was no space for me in the room. One the social side of things, one evening I was sitting at a large table in the common area when a group chose to move to a table directly behind me instead of sitting nearby, continuing to speak in their own language while looking my way. Parties are frequent and loud, often running late into the night. One night, someone came into the dorm at 11pm, turned on the light while I was sleeping, and refused to turn it off when I asked, saying I should “wait” because it was the only light in the room. I asked if she can use her phone torch, she said “no”. There was also only one plug in the room what worked. I woke up one night and I found my phone has been put on the floor and someone else taken the plug socket. Why they couldn’t leave my phone on the side I don’t know. The atmosphere made my stay really uncomfortable. I would not recommend this hostel if you are just traveling through and hoping for a welcoming environment. (Yes people were still using those tooth brushes, they moved daily)

Great hostel, staff is friendly and always willing to help, rooms are very clean and comfy, kitchen is spacious and fully equipped. Location is pretty good too, walking distance to the beach and the town central area. Made great friends and memories during my stay ❤️

Super noisy because of backpackers till 1 am. Super noisy because of backpackers from 7 am. Maintenance walked into our room two times in the morning at inappropriate moments. Overpriced for what you get, just pay 10 dollars more to actually stay in a resort across the road instead of this disaster. This is the most horrible experience I ever had staying somewhere.

Update. This is our 2nd night. It's 4am and the party continues, yelling, shouting, cooking in the kitchen, banging plates and pots. I have called the emergency number as how can anyone sleep here. I pity the neighbours. Great location, walk to town and marinas. Lovely pool and amenities, excellent kitchen and fridge space. Plenty parking esp if you are towing a trailer. Rooms spacious and lush garden outlook, plenty storage, bright lighting and strong hot shower. The downsides unfortunately detract badly. It's more like a backpackers, there are no noise restriction signs (places usually have signs saying no noise after 10pm or 11pm), so it's party central until well after midnight. Widespread smoking with ashtrays everywhere (don't know where the NO smoking areas were) and as the rooms are next to the common areas, we could smell it in our room. Ironically our smoke alarm had a yellow cover on it, so even if there was smoke in our room, the detector would not work! To add to the fun, our shower flooded the room. The manager was apologetic and gave us extra towels and mats, but by day 2 in the heat, the pile of wet towels and mats was smelly and we had to step over the mountain to get in and out of the shower or use the bathroom sink, not pleasant, but the only way to stop the water from entering the rest of the room was to pile it up against the shower to stop it leaking. One last winge, the shampoo was empty! For $150 per night, I wouldn't stay again.

4 stars - yay, I'm a fan! Stayed here for three nights on my first trip to Australia. I had to book separate transport up to Port Douglas - the hostel provides a shuttle but only Mondays and Fridays. I arrived outside of reception hours, but was still greeted with "Hi Dione! I'm Tom! Here is your room key, the bistro is open one more hour, and your tour is picking you up at 8:04 tomorrow morning." How lovely! The room (female suite, 4 beds, private bathroom) was neat and clean. There were some little bugs (ants in the bathroom, and what looked like baby roaches in the wooden closet), but I guess that's normal since the door opens to the outside. There was also a backyard area for the room. Port O Call lodge (I booked through Australian YHA) has a self-cooking area, pool, ping pong table, TV room, and bistro. Right now I'm sitting outside of reception listening to the bats in the tree across the street, and it is mildly soothing. I would certainly recommend this place for the traveler on a budget! (Off to snorkel I go!)