The Sebel Harbourside Hotel Review – Kiama NSW

After spending some time in Nowra we decided to head up to Kiama for a couple of days. We didn’t have anything pre-booked so before we left Nowra we hopped on to the internet to find something. The Sebel Harbourside Hotel had a good deal for only $108 per night if we stayed for two days which was perfect for us. We were also staying mid-week which is always cheaper.

Arriving at the Hotel

We had our own car so we had to find the hotel ourselves. Our GPS did a nice job of getting us there but we had a problem in actually finding reception. We parked in a drive way of what we thought would be close to the entrance. Wanda stayed in the car as I wandered around trying to find the entrance. I eventually had to ask three different staff members for directions.

It was only later that we realised that we were just around the corner from the entrance but instead I was led in rather a convoluted way via two restaurants and a lift to eventually get to reception. No big deal as the staff were lovely and very helpful getting me to where I needed to be.

Check In

When I got to reception I was told the room wasn’t ready yet. It was only around 12 noon and check-in wasn’t until 2pm. However the lady on reception did ring through to have our room given priority and I was told to come back in half an hour.

So I head back to Wanda and the car and we decide to head up to the Kiama Blowhole which is about a 5 minute drive away. This hotel is so convenient to everything but more on that later.

Parking

After spending a bit of time at the Blowhole we make our way back to the hotel to park the car. The hotel has complimentary parking which can be accessed via Minnamurra St right next to the main entrance to the hotel. Parking is abundant and easy to get into and out of.

First Impressions

We head back to reception to pick up our key cards and are told that we are to be given a free upgrade to the Superior Balcony room which was nice to hear. At this point we have no real expectations about the room other than that we are hoping it is somewhat better than the hotel in Nowra which was a little disappointing to say the least.

The hotel so far has a really good feel to it and as we get out of the lift to head to our room we comment on the nice sweet aroma in the hallway. Some hotels smell better than others and this one smells good. We are feeling better already and we haven’t even reached our room.

The Room

As we open the door to our room we breathe a big sigh of relief. This room looks and feels wonderful. It is modern and clean and fresh and everything about it feels good.

We have a twin room which is made up of two king single beds. We would have preferred two queen beds but that seems to be a rare commodity for South Coast hotels. Nevertheless we find that they are comfortable and the sheets are soft and smooth. The two pillows are soft but not overly so and the extra red decorative pillow adds a nice touch.

The room has a table and two chairs. We use this to set up our laptops and connect to the internet as the cable was in this area.

On the opposite of the room is a two seater lounge which is nice and comfy although we never really used it all that much. It became more of a storage area for magazines, pamphlets, clothes and handbags…yes, we did get a bit untidy for a while there.

The only thing that we really found disappointing in the room was the TV which was in the older style. In other words it wasn’t a flat screen and was kind of small. We also had problems with it when trying to view paid movies. We would get red lines displaying across the screen and had to ring down to reception each time for them to reset it which they always did promptly.

It also didn’t have all of the free-to-air channels like Go and 7Two. It did have a few paid tv channels including Fox 8, Animal Planet, Nickelodeon and Fox Sport.

The Bathroom

We love the bathroom. It is modern, large and includes a shower and an extra long bathtub. Also included is a standard sink and toilet.

The toiletries include soap, shampoo, conditioner, bath gel and hand cream.

The View

We have a balcony room that isn’t facing the ocean. Despite that, we can still see a bit of the ocean from our balcony which is quite nice. The remainder of the view faces residential houses.

The Internet

After spending time in other hotels on the South Coast with average internet connections we were happy to find that the Sebel Harbourside had a pretty good service. We paid for three days worth for $44.95 as we need it for our internet business. Otherwise it is $19.95 per day or $9.95 for one hour.

We had to use the standard blue cable to connect but found that even after removing the cable the internet would continue to work on the laptop. It wasn’t always stable this way however and would drop out every so often. We didn’t have that problem whenever connected via the cable however.

The Staff

The staff were exceptional. They were very friendly often asking us how our day was and what we did and were actually happy to listen. Each time we needed assistance for whatever reason they were very attentive and it was always done with a smile.

Convenience…

The hotel is in a great spot. It overlooks the ocean and is within walking distance (about 5 minutes) of the main street of Kiama. You could even walk to the Kiama Blowhole from it if you were keen. It would probably take about twenty minutes to half an hour. We preferred to drive.

There are a variety of restaurants close by. Our favourite was probably the Seabreeze Dining restaurant.

Laundrette

The hotel doesn’t have a guest laundry but we found a laundrette at 140 Terralong St which is the main street in Kiama. To walk it from the hotel would probably take about 10-15 minutes – by car it takes less than 5 minutes. The laundry has a number of washing machines both front loading and top loading. The dryers are massive and will dry a load easily in about 30 minutes.

We used a front loading washing machine which cost $5 per load. The top loader costs $4. The dryer costs $1 per 10 minutes. Washing powder is 50c.

The launderette is manned by a very helpful lady who will provide change if needed.

Overall Opinion

We just love this hotel. The room is spacious, clean, modern and welcoming. The position is perfect and the staff are friendly and attentive. This is one hotel we would definitely recommend to others.