We booked a 2-bedroom apartment at Ettalong Beach Tourist Resort for the Xmas period virtually at the last minute at a cost of only $170 per night, with only a minimum 3 night stay. I was excited as I thought it was a massive bargain, given the location, the peak period and the late notice. Then I read the reviews here and became quite apprehensive.
But I needn’t have feared.
While more a motel than a resort, I liked how they attempted to adopt a Mediterranean feel, complete with tiny little courtyards with tables and chairs right outside the rooms, and the areas below where the restaurants are, being called piazzas.
EBTR is situated only a 5 minute walk to the beach, literally above a plethora of great restaurants. The place has no elevators (not that I could see anyway) but, given how massive and maze-like the layout is, you appreciate the multitude of stairs that appear here and there.
Our 2-bedroom apartment was situated at the furthest side from reception. We had arrived at 1.30pm but they were still in the process of cleaning up our rooms, only finishing at 3pm.
The rooms are basic and clean, with a small living room and dining area, with enough cutlery for 6 people. I liked how we had 2 balconies to ourselves as we had 2 entrances – one at the back and the other at the front. Because we were right at the end, in the corner, we didn’t encounter too much noise from the other hotel patrons. I was preparing myself for the noise of the markets being set up on Sunday morning, as many here have complained – as I’m a very light sleeper. But I woke up at 8.30am the next morning and was surprised to find that the stalls had already been set up. Again, maybe it was due to our location.
Check-in and check out were quick and painless, and Larry was efficient, albeit not overly friendly. My only slight gripe was that we were told that our rooms would be cleaned every 2nd day during our stay but come 2pm, they still hadn’t been cleaned. When I called up to ask, I was told the cleaners were really busy that day, which I was convinced was a lie as I saw the cleaners had finished up at 1pm. But after the call, the cleaners came in within 10 minutes.
Within the complex are about 15 restaurants, half of which were packed come 7pm. We tried the pizza place (the best restaurant there, in my opinion), the Spanish, Indian, and Walkabout Cafe. We were happy with the food at every single one of them. There is also a cinema complex, and a pool (although the spa wasn’t working).
Overall, I would recommend EBTR to anyone looking for a reasonably-priced, basic accommodation in a convenient location at Ettalong Beach.
If you own or manage Ettalong Beach Tourist Resort, register now for free tools to enhance your listing, attract new reviews, and respond to reviewers.
- Manage your listing
