Sandcastles Mooloolaba — Hotel in Sunshine Coast Regional

We had a 10 day stay using one of the lower level deluxe apartments.||We enjoyed many things by choosing Sandcastles. The friendly team who manage the facility, the big balcony, clean and tidy apartment, big bathroom and shower, and comfortable bed, made the choice of staying at Sandcastles a good choice.||Most of all was the great location. Very close to the Mooloolaba Wharf with all of its eating places, the Surf Club, and so close to the southern end of The Esplanade.||There were 2 good sized TVs – lounge plus bedroom; good furniture both within the apartment and on the balcony.||Coles is the only supermarket in Mooloolaba and this is a 10 minute or more walk away. We found this Supermarket to be not up to standard and much preferred the 3 Supermarkets 5 mins by bus south at the Kawana Shopping Centre. This Shopping Centre also has a Butchers Shop as well as the 3 Supermarkets.||Although the apartment has single glazed windows we were never troubled by noise.||We had no car so did not use the Car park but did notice that it was underground at the Sandcastles and very secure.||We used the frequent buses from the bus stop only a 1 minute walk away.||Our booking was made by phone and we received the apartment and location we asked for. Price was very similar to other Mooloolaba apartments but the big advantage of Sandcastles is its superb location within Mooloolaba. Most definitely a major attraction being only a short walk to everything.||We have stayed at Mooloolaba several times over the last 10+ years and were pleased we choose Sandcastles for the first time on this visit.||Sandcastles is not a high rise building but views are still adequate but its prices are much better that what the high rise...

We had booked for eight nights and were really disappointed on arrival. For the price and the Trip Advisor rating, it simply did not measure up. Our unit appeared to have been recently renovated but it was a really cheap job. The light switches were not secure, the toilet roll holder leaned downwards, the wardrobe doors very thin and the bed gave me my first ever back ache on waking. ||It turns out that Sandcastles, although well located, is at the ‘poor end’ of the beach front strip and the area is unusually dark at night. ||My partner and I were shocked when we first walked into our allocated apartment (305) and felt no better the following morning. I went in search of alternative accomodation, which was difficult to find. Eventually found something, which was three bedrooms instead of one, and cost 2.5 times more than Sandcastles. It was worth every cent. Sandcastles is not serviced daily, the alternative one is. The lounge room/dining area is four times the size and we have a beachfront view. ||To be fair to Sandcastles, I did not say anything, except we were leaving early. They graciously only charged us for two nights accomodation and refunded the six nights. I was very grateful. The receptionist was lovely and the standard of accomodation was not her fault, so no point in carrying on to her.||Sandcastles is a three star resort at best, and...

Disappointing Experience with Shared Areas and Management Conduct

I recently stayed in a unit within the Sandcastles Mooloolaba building. While the building allows third party accommodation services that the management claim is not their responsibility, I encountered issues with the shared facilities, which were not well maintained and detracted from the overall experience.

When I contacted management to raise my concerns, I was met with unexpected hostility and unprofessional communication. Despite asking them to stop contacting me, I received further emails that I felt were intimidating and aimed at discouraging me from sharing my experience.

Interestingly, after reading other reviews, it seems I’m not alone in finding the manager’s attitude less than welcoming — a pattern that appears to be well-documented by other guests. It’s almost like it’s part of the “charm.”

To be clear, I understand that not all units are managed by Sandcastles Mooloolaba directly. My review is based solely on the communal areas and the conduct of the management.

I hope this helps future guests make an informed decision — and encourages a more respectful approach to...