Hotels Near John W. Gardner Reserve Playground in Apollo Bay

We went for the 4th time just within 2 years , this is really nice and calm place with nature over looking the beautiful ocean and the mountains . What you need all are there in this accommodation . We stayed at Osprey Cabin - East Level over the Grand Final weekend for 3 nights , but is still not enough with this place . So relax , out from the trouble world . Easy own parking just in front of the Cabin . 100% cleanliness including your BBQ at the balcony overlooking the ocean . What more , you get birds giving you compony . My wife love this place , hosts Natasha & Paul very friendly . definitely will return again .

Stayed 2 nights in a double room with king bed. Reasonable price for a luxurious room I would honestly call hotel-standard. Extremely spacious room and bathroom. Well equipped kitchen. Entire place, including bathroom, was spotless. Staff were very friendly and welcoming. Good wifi speed. Excellent location in town on the main street, close to all the shops and beach.

The location is excellent, being on a quiet street but only 100 yards from the town centre. The room was airy and the bed was comfortable although we found the sofa to be too low for our comfort. The availability of a guest laundry was greatly appreciated. The breakfast was mainly continental style but with a limited range of hot food. Breakfast service did not start until 0800. This could be a problem for anyone who needs an early start to the day.

I arrived at 9pm and was disappointed that the front counter closed at 8pm. However, the motel worked with me and left a key out for my room. The problem was that it is such a huge complex and there were no clear signs that I spent 15 minutes looking for my room. However, once I found where I needed to be, the room was lovely . I wanted to order breakfast but because I was late in I missed the opportunity to do this - can this be done online? I then had to go looking for some breakfast in the morning which I didn't want to do. I would stay at this motel in future as it was well presented and clean, as well as handy to the beach.

We were overall very pleased with our stay here. From when I rung with questions before booking online (& then booked over phone instead) to when we left, we were looked after well by Anna & another female receptionist (whose name I did not catch). Our room was very clean, in particular the bathroom, which was a priority for us. Basic modern room, which is all we needed. Location was fantastic. We would just all bring our own pillows should we stay again in the future to help improve our sleep quality, as although the beds were comfy none of us felt the pillows were.

Likes: * Movie room with large TV, lots of DVD choices and access to streaming sites * Kitchen has ovens + is well organised + labels for cubbies and items in fridge * Lounge / chill out room available * We got a free upgrade which we loved (thank you!!) * Shop behind reception has all prices - even a laminated sheet in the room to look at * Bathrooms are clean and tidy * Free wifi throughout * Super resourceful and sustainable property with cost and energy saving initiatives * Towels are free and provided in the room at check in Dislikes: * Check in isn’t until 5pm Improvements: * Showers had a leak which meant the water sprayed everywhere but we told the guy at reception and he called maintenance so hopefully fixed soon as this hostel is super sustainable and water waste is a no no * Should be signs so can’t take hot food in the cinema room for the sake of others + furniture

Decent sized room with a sofa, bed, large TV, fan and good air conditioning. My partner wasn't keen on the comfort of the bed, but I was fine - so perhaps her side was more worn in than mine! The bathroom was old and outdated, shower head very average and shower curtain super annoying as it flies in and touches you while washing... hated that. By way of cleanliness can't complain, and the room smelt fresh on arrival which is always nice. We only stayed for 2 nights, and that's all I would stay for in this style of accomodation.

The place is in need of a makeover. To begin with, the young woman at reception treated me as though I was interrupting her afternoon TV programs, offered no advice and disappeared before I was out the door. The first thing we noticed upon entering the room was the musty smell. While generally the place was clean, the grouting around the shower door was dirty and looked like mould was growing. The wi fi was marginal, sometimes nonexistent. Two of the four dining chairs were loose to the point of being near collapse. The bathroom sink was so small that it was impossible to use without getting a lot of water on the floor. It was too cold to use the pool or spa but the deck around them needs replacing. It could be a nice place with a little work, but currently it’s very disappointing.

The facilities are not very new, the decoration style of the room is relatively ordinary, and the flush toilet sometimes does not work well. However, there are a lot of rooms, making it suitable for a group of people.

From this Ken, some sweet reflections 23/8/23: It's not Surfers Paradise (& thanks for that) but here at the front wide window of the best cabin at Marengo, on a sharp-breezed but sunny August morning, there's something black (& maybe deadly)slowly creeping against the rough white waves betwixt a scruffy beach & those ragged rocks covered in indolent seals. Often the rude question rises: What do those seals do for a living? The trevally rarely leap up to be devoured! But I did see a real fisherman take two with a double-hooked light line (I wonder what they taste like?) Mostly I wonder, rather than wander, in this last blast of winter, although we are blessed by 3 days of fine sunshine, when shaded from the shade & dressed according to the time of day. That endlessly engaging distraction of light, movement, & always the underlying symphony of surf moves me away from urban life & that endless list of what ”must” be done ASAP. On this one of many journeys to Marengo Family Caravan Park, perhaps 3 hours from Brunswick if you can't help pausing at the wonderful opp shop in Anglesea, best achieved along the Great Ocean Road, by a seriously skilled driver, whose passengers are always gazing left, just in case a wonderful whale is glimpsed, we feel that slight anxiety about unlikely flat tires. The mood completely converts to joyful anticipation as we pass through the ”big smoke” of Apollo Bay - urban concerns fade & the gently rural context of ocean & forest completely converts hard times to a soft escape. On other visits to this few days of new life we have generally travelled to someplace or other & clear advice is always available from the office. This time we chose wisely to firmly alter our existence & simply soaked into an always interesting landscape. Oh, & the black & beautiful curiosity turns out to have two long ”fins” which are the paddling arms of a single surfer, in full wet suit, confidently moving out to where that magic ride can be sought. He went out of sight, around the point, to larger forces, but was seen later returning to his car, board in hand, & slightly surprised by my gestures of congratulation. The journey to Marengo is endless delights, but the happy holiday, renews energy, subdues concern, & provides a better path ahead.