Area 51 Underwood — Attraction in Logan City

I am writing to express my extreme frustration and disappointment regarding the disastrous experience we had at Area 51 Underwood during my son's birthday party today 7.12.2024. What was supposed to be a joyful celebration turned into an absolute mess, and I feel compelled to address several issues that ruined the entire event.

Religious and Cultural Concerns: Among our guests were two elderly families who are strict vegetarians due to their religious beliefs. Unfortunately, despite ordering a vegetarian platter, we received non-vegetarian food instead, which caused significant distress. The mislabeling of the vegetarian platter not only disrespected their beliefs but also caused emotional harm to everyone involved. The only response we received from the chef was an apology, which felt completely inadequate given the seriousness of the situation. To make matters worse, I observed the manager, Ben, and another female manager laughing, which further compounded the sense of disregard for the issue. After doing some research, I found that similar incidents of non-vegetarian food being served to vegetarian guests have occurred before at your establishment. This raises serious concerns about whether your staff does not care about respecting customers’ cultural and religious beliefs, or whether they are simply not adequately trained to handle such dietary requirements. Unprofessional Host and Poor Communication: The host was unprofessional and largely absent during the event. He informed us that food would be served at 1:30 PM, yet when the children returned, there was no food ready. This caused the children to run around hungry, and guests repeatedly asked about the delay. The host failed to communicate any updates, and I had to approach reception multiple times for answers, only to receive vague responses like, "This is not our department, but we will try to help." This lack of professionalism and communication is entirely unacceptable, especially for an event of this importance. Disorganized Catering Setup: The catering setup was a disaster. There were no cups, plates, or serviettes on the tables, and I had to ask multiple times for basic items that should have been prepared in advance. This level of disorganization made the event feel chaotic and unplanned, and it was frustrating to have to chase after staff for essential items. Inadequate Assistance for Cleanup: After the food was finally served, there was no one to assist with cleaning the area in preparation for the cake cutting. Once again, I had to go to reception for help, and when two staff members eventually arrived, they barely cleaned the table before disappearing again. My guests and I were left to clean up the area ourselves, which was deeply disappointing and unprofessional. Rushed and Unwelcoming Environment: To add insult to injury, the host reappeared only to inform us that we needed to vacate the room by 2:00 PM. Shortly after, a staff member arrived to rush us out. Throughout the event, there was a distinct lack of support, warmth, and acknowledgment from the staff, which left us feeling unwelcome and disregarded. This experience was a complete waste of time and money. Instead of a memorable celebration, we found ourselves managing the event, chasing staff for basic services, and dealing with avoidable mistakes. I urge you to take immediate action to address these issues and ensure that future guests do not have to endure the same poor experience.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding how you plan to address these concerns and prevent similar situations from occurring...

We booked a self managed pizza party. I was so disappointed. On entry, there was only 1 person handling the party check ins. She was lovely! However, there was little to no information provided. After we checked in, she told us to go to table 3 and we might need to change our wrist bands since some were adults. We were rushed off it felt. After wandering in, not knowing where we had to go (never been here before) we had to ask cafe staff which table we were meant to sit at, since none of the tables has numbers on them. Then I asked a random staff member about the wrist bands and they said they weren’t sure, so I went back to the supervisor who organised those wrist bands. Going back to the tables and then let the kids have their play. It got to around 11:10 and we weren’t sure what time or what to do regarding the pizzas, as again we were provided with no plan of what was going to happen, I went to find the supervisor again. She mentioned they would just bring the pizzas out at roughly 11:30, ok that’s fine then I asked how we are able to give our drink order? She seemed surprised and asked had no one come to speak with us, to which I replied no. She advised to head to the cafe and speak with them. I lined up and then the staff member said “oh just send the kids up when they’re ready to get their drink”, I just said “no thank you I’ll order them now”. This was completed just fine. I was not going to have everyone have to line up for a drink. The pizzas finally arrived just before 11:40, when the party was due to complete at 12. I will say the pizza was incredible and delicious! No complaints here!! I just felt let down by the lack of communication. I’ve never booked any type of bday party before and I’ve never been to this play centre. When they gave us the box with the socks etc, maybe a print out detailing the plan of what is to occur so I don’t feel as embarrassed as I did having to approach the supervisor that many times. I felt so dumb like I should have known. I understand there was no host and was quite comfortable with all of that, but for the price we paid it just felt incredibly disappointing. We live quite a distance away (Redcliffe) and felt let down. My son also did not get his two turns on the alien coaster (which is included in the pizza party fee) as it appeared to not be in service and we could not locate a staff member to assist. I will say, these are an adults perspective on this, my son had a blast!! The centre is extremely clean and well looked after. The food was delicious. Just better communication as the info I received prior to attendance was not what...

I honestly don’t know where to begin with how appalling my experience at Area 51 Underwood was. This so-called “attraction” is an absolute disgrace. From the moment I arrived, I was struck by how incredibly dirty and unsanitary the entire place was. It's like they haven't bothered cleaning in years. The bathrooms were a nightmare. They looked as though they'd been left untouched for weeks. The floors were sticky, the sinks were clogged, and the smell was unbearable. It's as if they had never heard of soap or cleaning products. I had to hold my breath just to get out of there. But it got even worse. As I walked past one of the children’s bounce houses, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Right there, in the middle of the inflatable, was a huge pile of human feces. I have no idea how it got there, but the fact that nobody had bothered to clean it up or even cordon off the area is beyond me. Kids were still playing around it, and the staff didn’t seem to care at all. I wanted to puke. I felt so sorry for the parents who were too distracted to notice. Speaking of the staff… they were completely uninterested in maintaining any kind of safety or cleanliness. I saw several employees standing around, chatting with each other, and ignoring the chaos around them. They couldn’t even manage to clean up a disgusting mess, let alone provide any actual help or service to visitors. The food stands weren’t much better. They served food in the most oily containers you have ever seen, and it was clear they hadn't been washed in forever. I took one bite of my burger, and I swear it tasted like it had been sitting in a fridge that hadn't been cleaned in a decade. Honestly, it was hard to enjoy anything with the overwhelming sense of filth hanging in the air. The entire experience felt like I had stepped into a health hazard. I would never recommend this place to anyone. Stay away unless you enjoy germs, filth, and a complete lack of hygiene. Area 51 Underwood is a health risk, and I’ll be telling everyone I know to avoid it at all costs. I left early, feeling disgusted and thoroughly repulsed by everything I saw. This place is a joke, and not...