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Location
8 - 12 Terrol Crescent Mona Vale Beach, Sydney, New South Wales NSW 2103 Australia
Reef Resort Apartments
2.5 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
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We stayed here for three weeks over Christmas & New Year 2011 whilst visiting relatives in Sydney. We knew what to expect having heard all about it from our relatives who visited the apartment reception before we made the booking. They successfully got us an "upgrade" to an apartment with a beach view and new carpet.
When we arrived we were horrified by the stained, smelly bedding and towels. Our relatives lent us towels for the duration of our visit and we had the sheets re-laundered to get rid of the smell. The blankets and bed covers were hung out over the balcony to air off. They smelt as if an old tramp had been sleeping in them. Disgusting. I later found out that the reason was that all the linen and bedding are stored in a big room under the stairs of one of the apartments and there is no ventilation to the room. Some of the stuff must have been untouched in there for years. No wonder it smelt so bad.
The mattress on our bed was so saggy that we struggled to get any sleep at all on most nights and if we did then we were awakened at 5am every morning by a number of Australian magpies howling and whistling outside our bedroom window. They seemed to live on the site permanently.
Apparently the Reef Resort is owned by an elderly lady who bought the land in the 1960s and subsequently built the apartments in the 1980s. They obviously haven't been refurbished since then and are extremely tired and shabby.
On a more positive note the location is good, being beside the lovely Mona Vale beach and it's within easy walking distance of the Mona Vale shopping centre which has two good supermarkets and lots of independent shops and also takeaways. The grassy area between the apartments and the beach is a haven for the early morning keep fit fanatics and is a good place for kids to play. Like most of the other Northern beaches it also has a number of free BBQs and picnic tables scattered around the area
Don't bother with the BBQs at the resort. They didn't work, despite the owner having the cheek to charge for their use. The spa bath by the pool was similarly temperamental although the pool itself was OK but the area around it in keeping with the rest of the "resort" - tired.
One good word though must go to the lady on reception and the guy who does the maintenance. They try to rectify any complaints but they seem to be fighting a losing battle with the owner's reluctance to spend any money on the place.
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Date of stay: December 2011
Value
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Location
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Apartment 27 - at least it had a new carpet and a huge garage!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were hoping for a nice break at a good beach resort, unfortunately I wouldn't call this place a "resort". Just such a tired old place. The first thing I noticed was that the sheets had stains on them, and Ihad to get new sheets from the cleaner,& I had to make up the bed myself. The position is excellent though and our child had great fun. He especially enjoyed the fact that I had to join him in his room to sleep as my bed in the other room made me very itchy, not sure what it was but I only lasted 2 nights in that bed. The decor and everything was so old and outdated,the carpet looked dirty also. The balcony was good though, and we spent as much time there as possible, looking at the nice sea view and listening to the beautiful ocean! If this place was half the price, it would be much more worth it. The standard is extremely low. The owner really should do some major renovations. Very over priced as it is. Sadly,we wont be returning..
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Date of stay: January 2011
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reading some of the other reviews I was expecting something awful, but it's not that bad. It is quite old and has been left to go for many years without any updates including the furniture. However, it was clean enough, the bathrooms were clean, the sheets and towels were clean. Yes some of the windows were dirty, the balcony not very clean and the hallways very sad looking but this didn't affect our stay. The best thing about it is it's position, right across from Mona Vale beach. There are cafes nearby. The apartments are very spacious. It would be a brilliant place if they gave it a makeover. As it is, it is an adequate enough and would suit both short and longer term stays.
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Date of stay: May 2016
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from ReefResortMonaVale, Owner at Reef Resort Apartments
Responded 3 Dec 2017
In the last 12 months we have refreshed our holiday apartments in the following ways: New wicker furniture on the balconies. New bathroom vanities and mirrors. Updated lounges. New hotplates in the kitchens. New cleaners ensuring the apartments and foyers are well kept and maintained. Our holiday makers are now expressing very favourable feedback and enjoying their stay at Reef Resort.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I stayed there off season which might in part explain why it was so third rate. I say that because it might explain the lack of staff, cleaning and the bed linen being dirty. The staff when they are there are more apathetic than rude.
Position wise the Reef can't be faulted as it is quiet, very near the beach (though I prefer the Southern end of Mona Vale beach as it is less crowded) and within walking distance of the shops. With such a good position it is odd that the Reef is so badly run but then again they might think with a position like that they can do as they like.
I moved to the Mona Vale Motel, which though on the Pittwater Road was clean.
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Date of stay: September 2005
Value
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Cleanliness
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Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed in this accomodation in March/April 2005. This was all pre-paid before we arrived. On arrival the exterior seemed quite nice, there was a young girl who gave us a key and told us she would only be around for 1 hour more then not be available for 4 days as it was a bank holiday. On entering the rooms it was the most filthy, dirty, discusting accomodation I have ever seen.The whole place was shabby and very dated. The bed linen was filthy (covered in hairs) and smelt foul.The kitchen was dirty as was the very old and worn out filthy bathroom. I would not let myself or my children walk without shoes on the stained threadbare carpets let alone sleep in the beds. This was like it had not been decorated, cleaned or maintained for 20+ years. It really was a nightmare. We asked the young lady who showed us in to move us or refund our money so we could move elsewhere and she told us to sort it out in 4 days then she left. We temporarily moved to another resort and after a long battle apon thier return the 2 old ladies (as dated as the accomodation) who ran this HELLHOLE!! were abusive, rude and so arrogant. They would not clean the accomodation and at the end of the 2 week contract they would not return any of our money. We ended up paying for 2 weeks elsewhere, It was very costly.Please do not book to stay here it is TERRIBLE and you will regret it
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Absolutely disgraceful. The health department should be notified. Furniture old and dirty, bed linen and towels stained and suitable for rags, cupboards dirty, plates and cookware a joke. Appliances from the 80's. We couldn't see out windows for grime. Carpets worn. Seems Nana who owns all 50+ units wont spend a cent on them. We had to clean the shower ourselves with disinfectant and bleach before using. Put bedspreads on sofas they were so gross. We saw two units and both were as bad as each other. If there is a decent one it was well hidden. Ruined our holiday as it was difficult to find alternate unit at late notice.
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Date of stay: January 2014
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I paid $216 a night for a 2 bed unkept and run down apartment. The entrance to stair well offered dead plants un vacuumed carpet throughout. Carpet detached in areas and a slip hazard. The apartment had not been vacuumed. The deck had not been swept or scrubbed for months. The windows were dirty throughout. The glasses were unclean as we're the coffee mugs left with previous use and food left on tiles at back of stove top. The towels and bed linen although smelt clean, we're stained and thread bare. Not professionally cleaned at all. The shower had not been cleaned with a hair tie and hair in the drain hole. We requested the shower be cleaned on our absence, bleach was sprayed. In our absence we went shopping for cleaning products...and thongs to wear in shower.. sprayed everything including bedding with glen 20! Soaked shower in bam. If you read their website they claim they have spas games room and tennis court and laundry. Yes they exist but you would not wash your clothes in the run down rusty equipment. The games room was one very sad looking pool table carpet never been vacuumed plants growing throughout the brickwork and dead plants littered the floor. Spa we didn't find but would definitely not think of using unless you wanted to contract some fungle disease you would not get rid of!! The entire place is run down mildew on cracked and un painted walls throughout the entire complex. On checking out, the owner/caretaker arrived in his BMW convertible..! I expressed our disappointment with regard to cleanliness and lack of upkeep with regard to entire complex.. Suggested he teach the 'cleaners' to use a vacuum and a broom.. ! He stated they vacuum one complex each week.., and they had had rain and leaves etc had blown in... ! I told him they were way overpriced for the dismal apartments lack of upkeep.. And total uncleanliness. He blamed the people running the complex who were in the office on our arrival.. Probably his parents! They are sitting on a gold mine here.. Perfect views perfect position... Wrong people 'managing' here. I will be reporting them as they are extorting people
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Date of stay: September 2014
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Don't book here
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The place was absolutely disgusting.Lounges looked like they were picked up from the council cleanup.Brickwork falling apart on rear deck which had not been cleaned for years. Plants were growing in the corners of the tiled deck. Kitchen Cupboards and bathroom vanities were filthy and water damaged. Bedding old and barnered. Oven & grill unusable crockery and cutlery old chipped an unusable. Were meant to stay a week and moved out at 7.15am. A disgusting rip off which should not be licensed to accommodate anyone. An embarrising slum to the northern beaches.
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Date of stay: May 2014
Value
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Location
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Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:choose a different venue
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our family booked into this establishment, we called it Cell Block 12, for a family wedding in February. We were greeted by the largest cockroach I have ever seen on arrival in the stairwell. We concur with the ratings of previous guests. The carpet was grotty and felt damp (maybe the humidity) bed linen had holes (fortunately we took our own pillows) and bathrooms needed a good clean. The patch on the vinyl couch was not there, so we were given a replacement after we checked our inventory! The fake flowers just added to the downtrodden sadness of the place and on attempting to lift the venetian blinds they came crashing down just missing my head. I might have paid $80 for the night but it certainly was not worth $200. The so called games room, pool and spa (insert $2) were shabby and below standard. The closeness to the beach was the only redeeming feature and obviously the reason they feel they can ask such ridiculous prices!
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Date of stay: January 2010
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were booked to stay at this motel (I wouldn't call it a resort) for a few nights. As we came with a group, and was the last to arrive, we'd heard from the others how terrible the place was.
The second we walked into our apartment, I felt like I was staying with cockroaches (figure of speech). The carpets were extremely date, I doubt it had been cleaned in between guests for a while. The fixtures and fittings were also extremely dated - our couches were old, one had a big tear on the arm of the chair and had been fixed a while ago with electrical tape. Our tv only had 4 colours - white, black, purple and green. And I'm sure the old pictures on the wall and old fake flowers in the old vases were suppose to make us feel at home, but it just made me cringe even more. My grandma's house had more class. Oh ya, one of the doors leading to the balcony had a hole at least an inch or two wide, looked like a giant rat tried to eat it's way in. The balcony obviously hadn't been swept for a while.
Moving on into the bedrooms, the beds were old, the pillows hadn't been replaced for years, as it was lumpy and dirty looking. I had doubts putting my head on it but what else could we do? The bed was probably a double and the other room had 2 single beds. We found the beds old and the springs had probably lost its strength ages ago. One of the table lamps in our room, whilst connected to the wall socket did not work, there was no bulb in it... hmm. We used the one in the other room and whilst it worked, it was old and had rust stains on the lamp shade.
The bathrooms were also really old and whilst they were clean on the surface, aesthetically I found it grose. The shower grout between the tiles were moldy looking and I felt uncomfortable stepping into the shower. The towels we were supplied with looked as though they were either bought from the local thrift shop, or they were the original towels from last century - with stain marks and/or bleach marks on them. We were only supplied with one toilet roll in each of the 2 bathrooms and were not supplied with additional rolls nor did we have any toiletries supplied in the bathrooms... oh in exception of the ball of soap on the sinks.
The laundry: All it had was a laundry sink, water heater, laundry basket and pegs. I didn't bother using it and left the door shut, it was too scary to look.
The kitchen: Let's say that the newest thing in there and infact the whole apartment was the benchtop. At least they had what we needed.
Safety wise, there was no fire safety equipment or fittings (ie smoke alarms, ceiling water sprinklers) in the building or apartment as far as I could see. The closest thing was pictures of a fire extinguisher on the entrance of our apartment room. I was appalled that the owners/managers would put it's guests at such risk. None of the electrical equipment had tags showing regular maintenance either. The communal pool fencing also needs updating. It is clearly unsafe for little kids as the locks on the gates I am sure do not meet pool safety policies.
Oh ya, unless you were an extreme cheapskate, upon arrival, we were made to sign an inventory check list just incase we wanted to steal any of the items on there... purrleeeasssee!
At the end of our stay, instead of getting a nice note to wish us a nice stay, ours said that if all keys were not returned, we'd have to pay for the lock change. How nice.
Overall, I would have to say that if you decide to stay at this so called resort, you'd be bloody mad! At $180/night plus GST = $198, invest a little more and stay somewhere else for goodness sake. If only I'd seen some of these reviews before hand and listened to my intuition.
Location wise, it is not a bad place. It is just a pity that this accommodation has not been well looked after or updated. It would be a goldmine otherwise.
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Date of stay: September 2008
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check-in / front desk
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Sydney area.
PRICE RANGE
AU$249 - AU$380 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
AustraliaNew South WalesSydney
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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