Cedar Cottages Blackmans Bay — Hotel in Hobart

Cedar Cottage – Overpriced, Uncomfortable, and Deeply Disappointing||After our home was damaged by flooding, we needed somewhere to stay long-term while repairs were underway. That’s how we ended up at Cedar Cottage — a necessity, not a choice. We’re locals, familiar with the area and the going rates for accommodation, so what unfolded over our 39-day stay was both surprising and disheartening.||Financial Shock and a Lack of Transparency||Despite paying over $10,000 — at a rate of more than $1800 per week — the host contacted us only 21 days into our stay, stating that we’d already accumulated $700 in electricity costs over the past 30 days. But we hadn’t even been there that long. We were shocked. The usage he claimed made no sense given our habits: we’d only run the heat pump and lights as needed, taken standard showers, and used the washing machine twice — and one of those occasions resulted in two damaged clothing items, one of which was an expensive jacket.||There was no itemized breakdown, no meter reading, no attempt to provide clarity or transparency — just a large number and the expectation that we’d contribute more on top of the already hefty fees we were paying.||When we questioned the charges, the host responded with a list of costs he felt justified passing on to us. He explained that Stayz takes 15%, that 10% goes to GST, and then mentioned rising land tax, council rates, and insurance premiums — all of which are standard for any property owner, particularly in this region. As fellow homeowners in the area, we empathize with the pressures of property ownership, but that doesn’t make it acceptable to shift these burdens onto guests. We were renting a property, not investing in it.||He then proposed that we pay an additional $10 per day to help cover electricity costs, without any acknowledgment of the shared laundry between our cottage and the neighbouring property — whose residents were using the washing machine daily. How could our usage possibly explain the spike in power consumption when we barely used the appliance ourselves?||||When I raised these concerns and expressed how uncomfortable we were becoming in the property, the host’s response was cold and clinical: “My apologies, I will take it up with my manager.” That was the extent of his engagement. There was no follow-up, no compassion, no gesture to make things right or ease the stress we were under.||In frustration, I even told him, “Fine, we’ll just turn off the heat pump and freeze through winter.” And that’s exactly what we began doing. We stopped using heating in the middle of Tasmanian winter just to avoid another unexpected bill. His only response was to remind us again to “keep consumption down.”||At this point, we were no longer just inconvenienced — we were emotionally drained. So much so that we opted to spend weekends at our flood-damaged construction site, where things were chaotic but at least felt honest, rather than staying another night at Cedar Cottage where we were constantly worried about financial penalties and further disappointment.||Given the unpredictable and somewhat unreasonable financial demands already made by the host, we felt anxious about potential attempts to recoup further costs — possibly through a cleaning bill. To protect ourselves, we decided to go above and beyond with our cleaning duties before checking out.||We scrubbed and tidied the property thoroughly — far beyond what any standard guest should be expected to do — and took before-and-after photographs to document its condition. This wasn’t about pride in leaving things spotless; it was about self-protection. We wanted irrefutable proof in case the host tried to pin unexplained electricity charges on us via accusations of damage or uncleanliness.||||Even without the financial stress and poor communication from the host, the property itself had a long list of issues that made our stay increasingly uncomfortable. These weren’t minor inconveniences — they were examples of neglect and substandard maintenance that should never exist in a rental property, especially one charging premium rates.||Here’s what we encountered:||- Dirty dishes in cupboards and rubbish hidden under furniture, including bottles under the bed and tucked deep into the couch||- A kitchen floor that felt unstable and soft, almost ready to give way||- A toilet floor that made us feel unsafe every time we stepped on it||- A front door that jammed badly when it rained — making entry and exit a stressful chore||- Cracked glass in the window of the front door — raising both safety and aesthetic concerns||- Outdoor seating on the verandah that was visibly broken and unusable||- Beds so hard they felt like sleeping on stone — we didn’t get proper rest for weeks||- Electric blankets that technically worked but barely offered any warmth||- A couch that was visibly deteriorating, flaking apart with every use — we had to bring our own blankets to sit without getting covered in bits of faux leather||These problems accumulated day after day. At first, we overlooked them — grateful just to have a roof over our heads. But the longer we stayed, the more evident it became that Cedar Cottage was not guest-ready, let alone suitable for extended accommodation.||The property felt neglected, unloved, and ultimately unworthy of the price tag. Nothing was maintained to the standard you’d expect at this level — and certainly not for what we paid. There was a sense throughout our stay that this wasn’t about guest comfort or experience; it was about income maximization without concern for quality or responsibility.||Cedar Cottage might work for a short-term visitor who only needs a bed and doesn’t look too closely at the details. But for anyone seeking a longer stay — or even basic hospitality standards — we simply cannot recommend it.||This was not just a bad experience. It was a stressful, uncomfortable, financially questionable situation during one of the hardest periods of our lives. The host had every opportunity to act with kindness, to reassure us, or to simply honour the level of care his guests deserved. He didn’t.||Despite cleaning the cottage beyond standard expectations — including watching a YouTube tutorial to learn decorative toilet paper folding — we left the property cleaner than we found it. Still, after checkout, the host attempted to recoup the unexplained power bill by charging another $200, and further claimed the property was left unclean. It felt like a final insult after weeks of discomfort and vigilance.||If you’re considering staying here, particularly during a time of personal difficulty or extended need — please, look elsewhere.||There are properties in the area run by empathetic hosts who understand how to manage their business without sacrificing the wellbeing of their guests. Unfortunately, Cedar Cottage was not...

Cedar Cottage: A Disheartening Experience Beneath a Charming Façade We booked Cedar Cottage for emergency accommodation while our home underwent extensive flood repairs. The stay, originally temporary, had to be extended — not by choice, but because restoration work dragged on. What should have been a place of refuge quickly devolved into a source of stress, thanks to the host's behaviour. Despite paying $10,500 for a 39-day stay, we were accused midway through of incurring $700 in electricity charges. Our usage was moderate and the math didn’t add up. Then the story changed: first it was the power, then uncleanliness (a claim we refuted with clear photo and video evidence), then alleged damages. The host never provided a shred of evidence to substantiate any of these accusations — only shifting excuses and escalating demands. Following checkout, we were hit with yet another $200 charge, again with no justification. Worse, the harassment didn’t end there. Two weeks after vacating, the host continued to pester us with false claims after I was able to leave honest review elsewhere, despite the fact that Stayz issued two formal letters confirming we had done nothing wrong and owed nothing further. Yet he persists, refusing to let go. Stayz also declined to publish our review — and we’ve discovered that other guests have had similar experiences. Negative feedback appears to be consistently blocked, while anyone who questions the host’s behaviour is met with vindictive treatment. Cedar Cottage may appear quaint and peaceful, but our experience revealed an unprofessional and retaliatory host who weaponizes shifting blame and refuses to respect boundaries. If you’re looking for honesty, empathy, or accountability,...

1.We booked Country Cottage[2 bathrooms, sole site occupancy, off main road] and were given Cedar Cottage[1 bathroom,shared site occupancy, main road]||2 At Cedar Cottage-Backyard was unsafe for small children.The window in the cubby house was broken, the swing/slide set in the property photo had become a 2 seater swing which was unstable and completely unsafe and missing fence pailings meant small children could have fallen from the grass to the path.||3.The first bedroom was really an alcove off the lounge room, the next bedroom had a hole stuffed with plastic bags where a power point had been removed and the 3 front bedrooms had inadequate curtains for early morning light.||4.The vegetable crisper in the fridge was broken as was the hinge on the door to the crockery cupboard.||5. The balcony and table need to be completely sanded back and restained as the surfaces were very rough and splintery.||6..We booked for 7 and got 1 facewasher.||Yes, the beds and couches and chairs were comfortable but we were so disappointed with the overall standard. They are all only little things but they just kept adding up and it didn't help that we were made to feel it was our fault that Stefan had stuffed up...