The Retreat Port Stephens

We've stayed at the Retreat with our Cavoodle a couple of times previously and have always loved it. This time was no exception. Streamlined check-in and all the amenities you could wish for. An extra special activity is the sand dunes directly behind the property which is a lot of fun to even just have some exercise. We'll come back again.

I don't normally leave reviews but I just had to. The standard of cleanliness when we arrived in our cabin was very poor. We found hair (not just one or two, kept finding more) and sand on the beds and blankets. One of the pillows had a cluster of (live) bugs on it. The air conditioner was filthy too. Oh, and there was a long list of things you needed to do so as to not incur a cleaning fee, including taking out the trash yourself and folding the blankets and putting them in a box. Makes you wonder whether they're cleaned in between uses. The only reason I'm giving 2 stars rather than 1 is that it wasn't too expensive and the actual cabin wasn't too bad. Although, it's about average priced if you go as a couple so the price doesn't justify the state of the place. The service we received at reception also was below average.

2nd time we have stayed there (which does say something) but felt there was a need of a bit more mainteance. BBQ;s did not all work , the pool table was not flat and TV reception was poor. Still a loverly place to say and I like the low -tech nature of the facilities

We have now visited for the 6th year in a row and we LOVE IT here!! The cabin is very well appointed. The facilities are awesome. The grounds are shady and relaxing. The pool is amazing! The staff are super friendly and know their stuff about the local attractions! We have recommended this The Retreat to many family and friends and all who have stayed also agree…. Fabulous place to stay!! Cant wait to come back next year!!

We had a fantastic stay. Cabin was simple and tidy, it had everything we needed, lots of shade for our dogs and a big area for us to walk them on their leads. The only issue worth complaining about in our cabin is the shower head, it has a small crack in it that squirts you in the eye when turning water on. Surprise! 🚿😂

Check in, email and msg communication were great. Location is great, the sand dunes at walking distance was great fun. The cabins are in need of a renovation. Very old and a bit over priced for what you get. There was cockroach poo in with the cutlery and dishes were poorly washed, felt we had to prewash everything before we used it. The extra blankets in the room with the bunks smelt like they haven't been washed in a very long time. They smelt like body odour and dirty feet. Which resulted us to use the other bunk doona's as they seemed clean. It was winter when we stayed. Heater was great and warm, it heated up the very cold cabin quite quickly. The shower wasn't cleaned with soap scum everywhere. Overall it was ok for a weekend stay. Although if we were booked for longer I would of definitely went and bought some disinfectant and bleach to give everywhere a good clean, as we felt we had to wash our hands after touching anything, it was that grubby. We used our NSW Stay Vouchers so we paid a lesser price, but if we paid full price per night for what they were asking I would of been greatly disappointed.