Hotels near ship to shore sculpture, Newcastle

A lovely stay as usual. Room is clean, tidy and well presented. Staff are friendly and helpful. Breakfast buffet was plentiful and had a wide selection.

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.

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.

Great location, easy remote operated check in service. Communal area presented well. The lift worked to go upwards from ground to level one, but it wasn’t functioning when we left (downwards function from level one to ground). Room 1 - upon entering had a horrible dirty shoe smell. It has a major shower drainage problem where the fall of the shower floor runs into the room, possibly over time water on the carpet is causing the constant smell. The hand basin drain was also blocked. The renovation was modern, however the wear and tear is now evident. Could do with a bond clean and some maintenance. The ratings could improve easily if maintenance and cleanliness were addressed because the service and location are great.

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.

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Very impressed with hotel itself and reception staff, they went out of their way to ensure we were being looked after. We got a call ahead of check in to advise us we may want to reserve a table for dinner and then called us ahead of check in time to let us know our room was ready early.

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.