Pullman Bunker Bay Resort Margaret River Region — Hotel in Naturaliste

Just enjoyed our third stay at the Pullman Bunker Bay. All have been wonderful, but this was the best yet, and we were so glad that we gave ourselves a full week to relax this time after shorter stays in the past! . LOCATION Perfect spot for really getting away from it all. Ideal for a romantic getaway, and great for families. It's very remote, though, so you'll need to have a car or investigate transport options if you want to explore the broader region. . FACILITIES The stunning infinity pool has always been clean, and the area is very inviting - even if you're just lounging around! The walkway to the beach through bushland and gardens is serene and picturesque. The resort pathways are tranquil, safe, and full of wildlife. . ROOMS We always book a Two Bedroom, Two Bathroom Villa. Perfect for families (we had 3 adults + a 5yo this time), high ceilings, floor to ceiling windows, and garden surrounds make them feel luxurious and private. We've stayed in 5 of these villas in the past year, and found them extremely clean, well supplied, and mostly in excellent condition with comfortable bedding.

It was cold, windy and rainy during this stay, but the air con in the living area and bedrooms heats these large villas well (except the bathrooms, which were chilly). We spent more time in the room this trip due to weather, and appreciated having ample space for our 5yo to play with toys and run around to burn off some energy! The outdoor patio also feels private. These villas are worth the extra $$ if you'll be spending a bit of time in your room. We never felt confined, even when we spent long periods waiting for torrential rain to ease! . DINING We ordered room service dinner twice this trip. Food quality was very good, and meals were served to our dining table with friendliness, care, and offers to return with anything else we needed, even in heavy rain.

The restaurant has a beautiful atmosphere and chalet-style aesthetic, with wood and stone decor, fireplace, and lovely soft lighting.

We had breakfast there daily. Barista coffees were great, and food selection quite extensive, with continental and hot options plus sweet treats suitable for big and little kids! It's a beautiful location for starting your day, with stunning views overlooking the treetops and out to the glistening ocean.

We had lunch and dinner in the restaurant many times. Brilliant that they serve food all day, as we often found ourselves eating at around 3-4pm. All Day menu has plenty of options (unlike limited menus offered at some hotels between lunch & dinner). Dinner menu is also great, and commences early at 5pm. Favourite dishes were butter chicken and steamed bao buns! It was easy to get a table without a reservation for lunch, but needed to book for dinner.

As we had immunocompromised family members and had to be careful regarding respiratory viruses, we were appreciative of being able to sit outside, even when we were the only ones doing so in cold weather. The staff never attempted to deter us from sitting outdoors, even though they had to endure the cold themselves to deliver our food and keep an eye on a sole outdoor table. We had a few late lunches / early dinners inside next to an open door when we were literally the only people in the restaurant. Being winter, there were quite a few guests with coughs / colds, but by eating in our villa or outside at the restaurant, this venue makes it easy to stay safe. . STAFF The highlight of this trip was undoubtedly the staff! Everyone that we dealt with was so warm, friendly, and accommodating - even during very busy times. They were amazing with our son, remembering his name and taking moments to chat to him and ask him about his stay.

A huge shout out to the Davide, Rosario, and Sam, and enormous appreciation to the superstar Edith, who looked after us for so many of our meals and could not have been more kind, friendly, attentive, and genuinely interested in our experience as a family at the resort. Big hugs, Edith! :-)

We're already planning our next visit! Book it - you...

Checking in took a long time. There was a very long queue, yet only 2 staffs available. Each guest took approximately 15 mins because they had to explain parking, the map to the resort, beach, access to pool, breakfast, etc. They are very strict with everything. I was actually only done checking in after more than 1 hour. I am an Accor member, staying for 2 nights and asking for an upgrade but the duty manager, Lola, made it really difficult. She had to "ask" the reservation manager first who was off that day and could only be contacted through email and he didn't reply any email throughout the day, she said. The decision could only be made when he'd come in the next day, again she said. REALLY??!!) I think all staffs are not meant to make any decision, and have to call manager, that's what making it even longer. I stayed in 2 other four-star hotels in Australia earlier that week and no toothbrush, shower caps provided. I even had to get out my room myself to get services because no one answered. And with bare feet, too much hassle to put my boots back on, while hotels provided no slippers. When I told Solate, the receptionist who was helping me, during the check-in, she had to get to Lola, even for such minor things. And funny thing, we had to use a buggy to go to our room and that too took a long time. There was one guy waiting before us. When a buggy came, the driver asked for both our room numbers and chose to take my family instead (for no reason) and he yelled at Sam, the driver. I am sure the rate of guest dissatisfaction for Pullman is high. When we stepped inside our room, we found out that there were many mosquitoes (they did provide a bug spray in the bathroom though, which means this is a common problem for them). And the fridge did not work, with no drinking water inside the 2-bedroom villa. I called to ask about the fridge and the water, again... they had to get me Lola, the not-so-kind manager. So they said, they don't give out water, so l had to come and get the water myself at the bar, bringing a refillable bottle in my room. "There were no bottles to begin with here," I said. And a 5-star resort asking a guest to fetch our own water (in the rainy wintry weather, where you need a buggy to get from one point to another, within the resort)... that's just outrageous!! I still keep my calm though. Knowing that there was no drinking bottle in my room, Lola promised to have someone delivered to my villa. I asked for more than one bottle (there were 4 of us), again Lola said, she could only send 2. A technician, Shaun came in to check for the fridge. He was the sweetest, he apologized for the inconvenience. He even tried finding me another room but the hotel was full. So he replaced the fridge in our room with a brand new one. Seriously we wanted to only come and enjoy our villa and moments-with the outrageous amount of money we had paid-instead of worrying about the fridge and freezer that didn't work, and that there's no drinking water in my room, and used sanitary pad left in the trash can by previous guest. And trying to get service that never came. I had to call several times for that water and some calls went to voicemail because no one answered. My water came an hour later, that we drank tap water because my children couldn't wait. Don't even bother asking about bell hoppers or checking out. We took out our luggages ourselves to the parking area. Because the buggy never came either. Turned out that there was only 1 driver that day, Sam, that sometimes, the receptionists even had to drive buggies around, and no one answered the call from the rooms. It's peak season for hotel and tourism businesses in Australia, yet they're so understaffed. Profit is not everything in the business, frankly speaking. Especially if you want to be in the hotel / tourism / hospitality... if you can't be nice and kind, why...

A Disappointing Experience||Our stay at Pullman Bunker Bay was, unfortunately, the biggest letdown of our trip to Western Australia. Despite high expectations given the premium pricing, the experience fell short in multiple areas, from check-in to dining and spa services.||Check-In Issues & Room Setup||The check-in process was frustratingly slow and disorganized. Despite booking for two adults and one child, the sofa bed was not made up upon arrival, forcing us to request housekeeping to do something that should have been prepared in advance. Not the best start to our stay.||Dining at Other Side of the Moon – Overpriced & Poor Quality||Dining at Other Side of the Moon was a major disappointment. The food was overpriced and lacked quality. The butter chicken was, without exaggeration, the worst we’ve had in 20 years—bland, uninspired, and lacking authenticity. The $69 steak, ordered medium, was well done in several areas, showing a lack of care in preparation. For the prices charged, we expected far better.||Spa Booking Debacle||Our experience with the spa was by far the worst aspect of our stay. Despite booking a spa package, we found out there were no spaces reserved for guests on a package, meaning we had to scramble to secure a slot. We had to call internationally at our own expense to get a booking due to a last-minute cancellation. Then, our second booking was scheduled after our check-out time, and despite requesting a late checkout of just a couple of hours, the hotel flatly refused.||To make matters worse, when we tried to modify our booking, the reception staff misinformed us, stating we couldn’t swap a treatment for products. However, when we checked directly with the spa, they said it was “no problem.” On top of that, we were shortchanged—canceling a $175 massage only gave us $116 in credit. If the hotel cannot properly accommodate spa guests, it should not be selling spa packages at all.||Poor Service & Low Staff Morale||Throughout our stay, it was evident that staff morale was low. Several employees seemed unmotivated, and service was indifferent. A prime example was at the pool bar, where I ordered two glasses of champagne and a cider, only to be told they were “sold out.” While this may have been true for the poolside stock, the main bar was a mere 50 feet away, yet no effort was made to check or accommodate us.||Final Thoughts||Of the five places we stayed during our trip to WA, Pullman Bunker Bay was by far the most expensive and, unfortunately, the most disappointing. Poor service, overpriced and underwhelming dining, and a complete lack of consideration for guest experience—especially regarding spa bookings—made this a regrettable stay. We expected a luxury experience but left feeling frustrated and let down. Would...