Hotels near NUspace, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle

The Mrs. and I were on an extended vacation in Australia (3 months), which included a three-day drive of discovery between Sydney and the Sunshine Coast. One of our overnight stops was in Newcastle, where we stayed at the Crystalbrook. Typically, when we travel we stay at the nicest 4 or 5 star hotel we can afford (particularly if we can book it via Amex Play Fine Hotels and Resorts, which comes with a number of benefits), but we found the Crystalbrook almost by accident, as we searched for a hotel with a parking garage where our packed car could be kept overnight, versus on the street. Great find indeed. The Crystalbrook is a midsize luxury hotel, developed within a renovated office building. It is new(ish), fresh and well maintained. It is a bit quirky, thanks to some of the accommodation made as a former office building, but those quirks are charming, not annoying, or off putting. Accommodations were quite upscale – not on par with say the Four Seasons, but very nice. We dined at the in-house restaurant and found the food better than standard hotel fare, which was nice. However, the best trait of the Crystalbrook was its staff. Everyone we encountered was polite and pleasant. They made our overnight stay a positive one. I am not sure if we will have occasion to travel to Newcastle again, but should that occasion arise, will we be staying at the Crystalbrook. Should you have occasion to me in Newcastle, I recommend you stay there as well.

2 days before 3 of us were due to stay at another property in Newcastle, (a 2 bedroom apartment), I was called to say the apartment I had booked (Nouveau on Young) had become unavailable due to the people in it extending their stay. Suffice to say that a heated discussion entailed and even more so when the only alternative they offered was a 1 bedroom apartment with a trundle bed in the lounge room for my 70 year old sister to sleep in, in this so called ”Executive Apartment” in a completely different suburb!! The only recompense the SMUG manager offered was free parking! OR of course the other option of cancelling our booking and getting a refund.... We had booked the other apartment 6 months before our stay as it is very near the Stadium where we were seeing a concert and obviously the whole of Newcastle was booked out by the time it came to 2 days beforehand. This apartment was ok, though not properly cleaned. The bedroom is small, the furniture is old and worn. The verandah not maintained. It certainly isn't big enough for 3 people to stay in comfortably! This company operates a string of properties in Newcastle and I would be wary of receiving any reliability, help, sympathy or recompense regarding your booking.

After a tiring day of touring and driving, my husband and I were exhausted and ready to check into our hotel, only to find out we accidentally booked it the day before. We were warmly greeted by Jane, who immediately went to work to change things and get us a room. Jane was not only adorable, but super friendly, happy and it was obvious she loves her job and the people she works with. She showed us to our room which was even nicer in person than the pictures. Would HIGHLY recommend this hotel.

Hotel is in awesome location. The staff are excellent in all departments. The rooms are starting to look dated and tired. Need some TLC. The bathroom floors are grey and dirty in areas and lots of the timber panels in the rooms are starting to blister and have paint falling of them.

Awesome accommodation, amazing and compassionate staff (especially Demi). The rooms are always clean. There can be better rooms for the same price/cheaper elsewhere but I always prioritise The Lucky when booking as they always look after us. Additional bonus, they have a lift for accessibility.

The service from all employees was 5 star. All friendly and smiling nothing was too much trouble. The rooms were as you would expect for a QT Hotel and delivered a luxurious experience. There was no top sheet on the bed - which I found a bit odd - but each to their own. I stayed in room 211 and the only issue was a strong sewerage like smell when entering the room - but this dissipated after 5-10min in the room - but it happened each time I entered the room

I had an incredible stay at this hotel! The room was spotless, modern, and had some really cool tech features. It was spacious and had a fantastic layout – much more than I expected for a hotel room. The staff were absolutely wonderful and made me feel genuinely welcome from the start. The reception team, the lounge bar staff, and even the cleaners were all so friendly and attentive. The hotel’s location is unbeatable: just a short walk to the promenade, which offers a beautiful stroll along the water, and surrounded by plenty of restaurants. It’s also conveniently close to a new shopping center, complete with supermarkets. The lounge bar and library were cozy spots to unwind and spend time. There was a small hiccup with my checkout time, but the staff handled it well, and it didn’t come close to affecting my stay. I’m already looking forward to my next visit and would recommend this hotel to anyone. If only I could take this place with me everywhere I go!

The first stop from Sydney to Brisbane, a very good hotel apartment. The front desk reminded that parking is free on the roadside from 5pm to 9am the next day. The facilities are complete, the sound insulation is very good, the air conditioning at the entrance and the music are all ready. Satisfied

The hotel is very general, listed four stars, but it is actually far from the international four-star level. The room is very small, but the facilities are general, the floor is below five floors, so any room type booked can not see the sea view. The room was very poor, the tea cups didn't feel washed, and the tea stains that were easy to clean were clearly visible. The tabletop of the room is covered with floating dust, and fine yellow hair can be seen on the bathroom wall.

For a hostel, the Newcastle Beach YHA is a great value for money. Location is perfect, 5 minute walk to the beach, right off the light rail from the train station and overall quiet (minus weekends). The vintage home has great curb appeal and is in overall good condition inside. The stained glass windows, deep couches and foyer/staircase are very comfortable to relax in. Kitchen is a little tired but overall in good condition and well stocked. Laundry worked well too and powder is available for sale. The bedrooms can get really warm and stuffy, even with the window open. And with no air con, summer would be hot here. Good storage with outlets in the rooms but the bed squeak and move around a lot of both bunks are filled. WiFi works well in the common space too. And the hostel has activities during the week, like a free sausage sizzle, which was fun. My only quibble was how well the WHV kids living there cleaned the place. Watching a few of them while eating or cooking, it seemed like a quick touch and go job. Kitchen doesn’t seem to be cleaned out regularly as I could smell rotting food regularly in the fridge. Would recommend it and would stay again, but if you want quieter atmosphere, don’t go on weekends.