Sunset Beach Holiday Park — Local services in Sunset Beach

$249 a Night — and This Is the Welcome I Get

I’ve just arrived at Sunset Beach Holiday Park today after hours on the road. My arthritis is flaring badly — both knees aching, every step slow and heavy. I limp my way from the car to reception. Anyone watching could see the effort it’s taking.

I walk in and say, “Hi, I’ve got a booking.” I explain it might be under my name or my daughter’s. No hello back, no welcome! She checks, says it’s under my name, and immediately asks for my car registration. I tell her it should already be on file because you can’t book with booking.com without entering it. She just says she doesn’t have it. No offer to check. No attempt to make it easier for me. So I hobble back out to my car, get the number, and come back in.

When I give it to her, she asks for my bank card and driver’s licence. This stops me. I’ve stayed in plenty of places and never been asked for a driver’s licence just to check in. I ask why. She says, “It’s our policy.” That’s it. So, still sore, I go back to my car a second time to get my wallet.

By the time I return, she’s walked away from the desk. I stand there waiting, my legs throbbing. When she comes back, I hand over my details and tell her, “By the way, I do Google Reviews, I’ve had nearly 16 million views on my account. Just letting her know.” I say it so she understands: customer service matters.

Travellers in caravans, RVs, and vans often drive for hours before they stop. They want a warm welcome, a smile, and to feel glad they’ve arrived. That first interaction sets the tone for the whole stay. Today, mine was cold, unhelpful, and made harder than it needed to be. If I was her manager, I would deal with her manner directly and explain that customers can make or break a place like this. You have to greet guests warmly and treat them well, especially after they’ve been on the road for hours.

And it’s a shame, because the place itself is lovely. My cabin is clean and stocked with the usual shampoo and body wash in the bathroom. There’s a microwave, air fryer, jug, toaster, and fridge, everything you need except the food. The camp facilities are also good, with clean, well-kept kitchens, an easy-access dump point for caravans, and neat ablution blocks. The park is just steps from a beautiful beach, with picnic tables and grassed areas to enjoy the ocean view. It’s got everything you need to have a great stay, if the welcome matched the setting.

The unit walls are paper thin and you can hear your neighbours doing their business clearly. Not the type of things you need or want to hear

But the first impression is already soured. I arrived sore and tired, hoping for a welcome. Instead, I was met with policies and indifference. Facilities can be wonderful, but if the greeting falls flat, the whole experience is tainted...

I walked in on a weekday expecting at least a decent place to sleep for a few nights—for a few hundred dollars a night, that shouldn’t be too much to ask, right? Wrong. What I got instead was an absolute joke of a room that looked NOTHING like the dodgy, deceptive photos they use to trick people into booking.||The room itself was tiny, barely enough space to move without bumping into furniture. It felt more like a cramped storage closet than a hotel room. And the worst part? It was absolutely filthy. I found spiders in the corners, ants crawling across the floor, and dust piling up like the place hadn’t been cleaned in weeks. The level of neglect was disgusting.||The bathroom was a nightmare. The moment I stepped in, I was hit with a strong, musty stench—a mix of dampness, mildew, and something else I don’t even want to think about. The sink and shower were covered in rust stains, and honestly, I didn’t even feel comfortable using them. At this price point, the least they could do is provide a bathroom that doesn’t look and smell like it’s been left to rot.||And then there was the bed. What a joke. I literally didn’t fit—my ankles stuck out over the edge, and the mattress was so uncomfortable I might as well have slept on the floor. I barely got any rest, constantly tossing and turning, wondering how a place charging this much could get away with offering such a miserable experience.||For this price, I expected comfort and cleanliness. Instead, I got a claustrophobic, dirty, bug-infested dump. Save yourself the frustration and book literally...

I walked in on a weekday expecting at least a decent place to sleep for a few nights—for a few hundred dollars a night, that shouldn’t be too much to ask, right? Wrong. What I got instead was an absolute joke of a room that looked NOTHING like the dodgy, deceptive photos they use to trick people into booking.||The room itself was tiny, barely enough space to move without bumping into furniture. It felt more like a cramped storage closet than a hotel room. And the worst part? It was absolutely filthy. I found spiders in the corners, ants crawling across the floor, and dust piling up like the place hadn’t been cleaned in weeks. The level of neglect was disgusting.||The bathroom was a nightmare. The moment I stepped in, I was hit with a strong, musty stench—a mix of dampness, mildew, and something else I don’t even want to think about. The sink and shower were covered in rust stains, and honestly, I didn’t even feel comfortable using them. At this price point, the least they could do is provide a bathroom that doesn’t look and smell like it’s been left to rot.||And then there was the bed. What a joke. I literally didn’t fit—my ankles stuck out over the edge, and the mattress was so uncomfortable I might as well have slept on the floor. I barely got any rest, constantly tossing and turning, wondering how a place charging this much could get away with offering such a miserable experience.||For this price, I expected comfort and cleanliness. Instead, I got a claustrophobic, dirty, bug-infested dump. Save yourself the frustration and book literally...