The Beach Haven is in a very good location. It is a couple minutes walk to the beach and a few minutes walk to the Broadbeach cafes and restaurants. The complex has 2 tennis courts, 2 outside pools and a heated pool inside and a BBQ area near one of the pools.
We stayed in a 2 bedroom apartment on the north-eastern corner. We paid $250 per night but it was in summer and we only booked at the last minute. So as far as value goes, I would say it was OK.
There were very good views from the north-eastern corner. Best views are on the eastern side but northerly views are good also (& southerly views OK as well). The living area in the apartment was spacious and comfortable. However, the rooms were a little dated. The kitchen was useful and the balcony facing the beach was frequently used also.
We had one major drama, however. As we were putting our 6 year old son to bed at about 8 pm, he decided he would slam his bedroom door. When I tried to open the door to let my 4 year old daughter in, the door handle didn't work. My wife and I and our young son were stuck in the bedroom with an increasingly agitated 4 year old girl stuck in the hallway.
No balconies outside the bedrooms, our mobile phones in the living room, no phone in the bedroom and it was 8 pm so Reception had left. One option was to open a window and get someone's attention on the street about 15 floors down. But it was getting dark and there weren't many people around and what would they do anyway? It might take an hour or two before someone might come and my daughter was getting pretty scared already. So I had no choice but to smash the door down. It was a huge relief when daughter and family were re-acquainted. I had spent 20 minutes trying to get the door to work before I smashed it down so my daughter was getting pretty toey by then.
After we got out, I checked the bedroom door and all the other doors in the apartment. The problem was that the bit that retracts when you turn the door handle was sticking; not just with the 2nd bedroom door but also with 2 other internal doors.
The next morning when I told Reception, she didn't care at all about our difficulty the previous night. I think she thought that I was going to ask for a complete refund. I wasn't but I expected that the Hotel would offer me a small refund or at least write to me but there was nothing at all. Someone saved a few pennies at my expense by buying sub-standard fittings. I hope the door handle mechanisms have been changed because if they haven't, this will happen to someone else soon. I wonder if the other apartments have the same door handle mechanisms?
The attitude of the woman at Reception had been frosty and unfriendly towards many guests during our stay. Obviously, it didn't improve when I told her I had to smash the door down.
The Beach Haven is in a very good location and it has a few positive points but after our experience, I don't think we will be staying there next time we are on the Gold Coast.
- Beach Haven Broadbeach
- Beach Haven Hotel Broadbeach
