The Convent Hunter Valley Boutique Hotel — Restaurant in Pokolbin

We have always loved staying at The Convent and consider it one of our favorite getaways. However, during our recent visit, we noticed a lack of attention to detail in several areas that significantly impacted our experience.

A few key issues we encountered:

Cleanliness: Cobwebs and bugs were present on all windows and the ceiling. Additionally, plastic and what appeared to be a piece of cheese were left under the lounge from a previous guest.

Mosquitoes & Noise: We were kept awake both nights due to mosquitoes and were woken up at 5 AM by staff cars arriving in the car park.

Suite 22 Privacy Issues: Unlike previous stays in the studio rooms, Suite 22 had little to no privacy, with both guests and staff walking past and a clear view into our windows from both sides. The outdoor restaurant area also faced our room. To maintain privacy, we had to keep the shutters fully closed, making the room dark. Additionally, the lack of fly screens meant we couldn't open windows for ventilation.

Amenities & Maintenance: The in-room phone was non-functional when we attempted to order a coffee, and we were told it would not be fixed. There was no acknowledgment that this was an issue or that guests should be able to call when needed. The kettle and coffee machine still had water left in them from a previous guest. The bathroom was poorly designed, with no space to store toiletries, forcing us to keep them on the floor. There was also no toilet seat, and while the manager mentioned bringing a small cupboard for storage, it never arrived.

We appreciate the manager's acknowledgment of some of these issues and the thoughtful gesture of a bottle of champagne. However, for a 5-star luxury hotel, this stay fell far below the standard we have come to expect, especially considering the premium price we paid.

We wanted to share this feedback in the hope that these concerns can be addressed to maintain the high-quality experience The Convent is known for.

Best...

I rang the pokolbin restaurant in April to book a table for Mother’s Day. I then rang the day before to confirm the booking as I’d received no confirmation via email or text, to only be told that I had no reservation. I went back through my call log from April and confirmed the number I rang that day was the same. I called back and they told me I had a reservation at the Katoomba restaurant. The staff member created another booking for me and sent a confirmation email. Within half an hour I was contacted to say that they could not cater for me as the restaurant was fully booked due to Mother’s Day weekend. I was never asked which location I’d like the booking at, the phone number was the Pokolbin area code - the only contact on the website. I was told the person who made the original booking accidentally put it in the wrong location. I explained to the staff member that I rang so far in advance because I knew they’d book out, so even though this error was made, I now have nowhere to take my mum. After they liaised back and forth with their manager they ‘found’ me a table. It was outside on this rainy cold weekend in May, but I was able to take my mum somewhere. I didn’t tell my mum anything as I didn’t want to ruin her lunch, but there was no mention nor apology for the mistake made on the day. The service was good, however I did get the feeling they felt they had to compensate but couldn’t even say sorry. I then spoke to the manager of what I assume was both locations and he offered me a drink if I ever go to the blue mountains. Not that I think I’ll ever go that direction but if I did, I wouldn’t even bother with the restaurant. A huge training opportunity can be taken from this. I understand human error, but it is how you handle the situation. This was handled so poorly. I will not recommend or even think...

There were 4 of us, a couple in their early 70’s and a couple in the early 80’s and we can absolutely say this was one of the best Luxury Escapes we have been on. Firstly the beautiful drive up to the magnificent building just a lovely way to start a few days away to relax. The inside of the building is beautifully decorated and the bedrooms are lovely with comfortable beds and as the weather was cold the rooms had air conditioning that kept the room at a very nice temperature. The bathrooms clean well maintained the hot water and flow excellent. Only have a very small complaint it has a very deep bath with the shower inside and when you are a woman in your 70’s you need a railing to grasp to step into the bath, but I did it luckily did not fall but would suggest a sturdy grab rail to asset, only other thing the door stop is in the wrong place keep kicking my foot on it and it hurt. The best thing of all were the fantastic staff at the resort, Sam, Vicki, Bianca they were exceptional we like playing cards and we were on the verandah and they suggested moving to the garden where they lit the fire and one of the housekeepers even bought us blankets, we were offered by Sam to bring us out teas, coffee and sparkling water just thought this was wonderful. Very impressed that after our breakfast we came back to our rooms fully made up with fresh towels, any glasses used were cleaned it seemed effortless. We were fortunate with our deal to have a lunch at eRemo which is a sister resort and just a beautiful spot with great views of the valley and lovely pizza’s and glass of wine. Would differently come again if this offer came up in the future. Thank you to the staff of the Convent you made our...