ibis Mackay — Hotel in South Mackay

Why dont staff have uniforms and name badges? Some staff look completely inappropriate for customer facing positions and lack the skills to greet and converse simply with guests. The staff appear to lack training and support or maybe they are simply the wrong people to work in hospitality .Processes are painfully long for every simple request, check in is irritating and repetitive, for example if you have ALL of our details and they have been confirmed by using the online check in app as accor members for over 20 years WHY does everything need to be examined in minute details EVERY single time???? We have been emailed OTHER guests check out folios and private details more than once in the last year, this is unacceptable that the hotel breaches its own accor privacy policy and when I have attempted to contact the hotel and the general manager 4 times, there was NO reply at all, no care factor as to why my email address was connected to a stranger??? Staff seem to be unaware of the accor rewards and levels system. |As for the rooms AGAIN, the rooms are NOT being vacuumed between guests, we know this because when we remove our shoes we can feel dirt/stones etc on the carpet from work boots. This is unacceptable as is the fact that every time we stay at this ibis we bring along glen 20 disinfectant wipes to wipe down every surface and tv remote and light switches BECAUSE the staff DO NOT clean these areas, WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS . This is UNACCEPTABLE . House keeping is a hard job , but the staff are changing sheets and towels and not cleaning the rooms to any acceptable level. Does any manager EVER check the rooms???? AGAIN the rooms need a refurb its time well and truly , the airport authority and its owners need to get to this asap. If it was not for mining and resources contracts this hotel would be a lot quieter and all guests deserve a quality experience.|Breakfast : staff lethargic, really uninterested in anything really, could not be bothered with anything other than standing at the bar, NOT OK wrong people for this job. Cleanliness not good not acceptable in this restaurant, glasses still dirty with orange juice from previous use, cutlery take your chances as you wish, cheese and salami left on open plates in the heat , uncovered , not cooled as per food safety standards, yuk , do not eat, then the butter/margarine / jams should be cooled under ice in individual sachets as per food standards not open to everyone dipping in a knife - gross , unacceptable as per QLD HEALTH FOOD SAFETY REGULATIONS . The read table salt and pepper shakers are disgusting why have these not been replaced ?? so worn and dirty. Supermarket bread and pastries not appealing . lactose free milk for the few clients that this applies to. The yoghurts and the buffet display is unappealing you need to sort this out. Please note that the coffee machine only disperses lukewarm water fortea and coffee and is UNACCEPTABLE , however please note that the STAFF USE THE BAR EXPRESSO MACHINE for their own coffees in front of guests -nice one ibis. |OK for the one positive- the new restaurant dinner menu was great , a hit for sure, congratulations to Terence and BJ . the meals were fantastic quality and serving- sofitel standard. The scallops were beautiful, the lamb shanks delicious, and the morroccan lamb shoulder excellent- thankyou , we look forward to trying some of the other...

Why dont staff have uniforms and name badges? Some staff look completely inappropriate for customer facing positions and lack the skills to greet and converse simply with guests. The staff appear to lack training and support or maybe they are simply the wrong people to work in hospitality .Processes are painfully long for every simple request, check in is irritating and repetitive, for example if you have ALL of our details and they have been confirmed by using the online check in app as accor members for over 20 years WHY does everything need to be examined in minute details EVERY single time???? We have been emailed OTHER guests check out folios and private details more than once in the last year, this is unacceptable that the hotel breaches its own accor privacy policy and when I have attempted to contact the hotel and the general manager 4 times, there was NO reply at all, no care factor as to why my email address was connected to a stranger??? Staff seem to be unaware of the accor rewards and levels system. As for the rooms AGAIN, the rooms are NOT being vacuumed between guests, we know this because when we remove our shoes we can feel dirt/stones etc on the carpet from work boots. This is unacceptable as is the fact that every time we stay at this ibis we bring along glen 20 disinfectant wipes to wipe down every surface and tv remote and light switches BECAUSE the staff DO NOT clean these areas, WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS . This is UNACCEPTABLE . House keeping is a hard job , but the staff are changing sheets and towels and not cleaning the rooms to any acceptable level. Does any manager EVER check the rooms???? AGAIN the rooms need a refurb its time well and truly , the airport authority and its owners need to get to this asap. If it was not for mining and resources contracts this hotel would be a lot quieter and all guests deserve a quality experience. Breakfast : staff lethargic, really uninterested in anything really, could not be bothered with anything other than standing at the bar, NOT OK wrong people for this job. Cleanliness not good not acceptable in this restaurant, glasses still dirty with orange juice from previous use, cutlery take your chances as you wish, cheese and salami left on open plates in the heat , uncovered , not cooled as per food safety standards, yuk , do not eat, then the butter/margarine / jams should be cooled under ice in individual sachets as per food standards not open to everyone dipping in a knife - gross , unacceptable as per QLD HEALTH FOOD SAFETY REGULATIONS . The read table salt and pepper shakers are disgusting why have these not been replaced ?? so worn and dirty. Supermarket bread and pastries not appealing . lactose free milk for the few clients that this applies to. The yoghurts and the buffet display is unappealing you need to sort this out. Please note that the coffee machine only disperses lukewarm water fortea and coffee and is UNACCEPTABLE , however please note that the STAFF USE THE BAR EXPRESSO MACHINE for their own coffees in front of guests -nice one ibis. OK for the one positive- the new restaurant dinner menu was great , a hit for sure, congratulations to Terence and BJ . the meals were fantastic quality and serving- sofitel standard. The scallops were beautiful, the lamb shanks delicious, and the morroccan lamb shoulder excellent- thankyou , we look forward to trying some of the other...

Convenient? Absolutely. Ibis Hotel Mackay airport is a literal one minute walk from the Mackay Airport terminal, which makes it a perfect spot for an overnight stay before or after a flight. Like most Ibis hotels, it’s cheap and cheerful with all the basics covered. The bar downstairs (fittingly named Tur-BAR-lence) is a surprisingly decent place to pass time before a flight, and the screen with flight arrivals/departures is a nice touch so you don’t miss your flight.

The room was a good size, with good blockout blinds and a comfortable bed. But here’s the thing: there are quirks. The hanging space looks decent, until you realise half of it is taken up by shelves holding the iron, spare pillow, and blanket. Two pillows only and one wine glass only, so you may need to call reception for another. Bench space in the bathroom? Almost none. There’s space for one bag in the room, and everything else ends up on the floor.

The biggest letdown was the service. Check-in was clunky, staff took ages trying to sort out an interconnecting room, and when we finally got to our room, the connecting door was still locked, then took a very long time to come up to the room to unlock the door. Cue another wait.

At the bar, it’s strictly beer, wine, or spirits—don’t go in expecting a cocktail. There’s a general sense that the staff are under-trained or unsure, which is a shame because this place has potential.

We also checked out the pool area, which feels a bit forgotten. Big umbrellas weren’t open, pergolas offered little shade, and the BBQ area was… well, let’s say it needed a good scrub (there was bird poop and even a broken egg on the BBQ 🤢). The plastic chairs were weathered to the point we had to cover them with towels to avoid micro-fragments getting into our skin.

Oh, and the TV decided to glitch every morning, cutting us off from the entertainment menu entirely.

Honestly, we weren’t expecting the Sofitel, and for an overnight airport hotel, it certainly does the trick for a good night sleep before a flight. But with better staff training and a bit of love, ibis Mackay could actually be really great. For now, it’s just okay—with some entertaining...