Bannisters Port Stephens

“Bannisters at Soldiers Point exceeded expectations, and they were high!!!!!”

We have lunched at this property several times in the last couple of years, and indeed spent some memorable times here in its very earliest days! Luxury Escapes provided us with the package we'd been waiting for since we enjoyed our time at Mollymook Bannisters, a motel we also spent some very g... Más

We have lunched at this property several times in the last couple of years, and indeed spent some memorable times here in its very earliest days! Luxury Escapes provided us with the package we'd been waiting for since we enjoyed our time at Mollymook Bannisters, a motel we also spent some very good holidays in its early days - and ours! We arrived early as we had spent the night before at Nelson Bay, and popped in, not expecting though hoping for the great reception we had from Josh - we had read about him on Tripadvisor and so agree, he's great! Our lucky day, our beautiful Paperbark studio with our requested two beds was ready. Love the decor, minimalist and so much more, that huge round mirror to look at, and the comfortable sofa, bigTV and excellent bathroom were all we could want. Spent the afternoon relaxing and enjoying the birds on our courtyard! Dinner was not an option as we had had the usual great lunch at The Deck at Soldiers Point, so a couple of cheese and biccie packs we had brought with us took care of that! Walking down to breakfast proved proved a bit daunting for me, with my newly acquired walking stick, but we took it slowly next morning. As we passed the entrance on the way to breakfast, a lovely lady at reception noted my walking stick and came out with the offer of a wheelchair!!! I accepted happily realising that daytime was o.k., but for our dinner and accessing in the dark it was really a godsend!!!! The unusual in resorts we've been enjoying post Covid Continental Breakfast often mentioned on Tripadvisor was really excellent, but as Hot Breakfast Buffet lovers we did order one full English shared and enjoyed it. Next day in fact, we opted for Continental.... Next day we enjoyed lunch from Cheeky Dog, great hamburger and we will pop in again when we are up this way, and specially the afternoon lecture spent with the head chef, who should be on TV he was so good at engaging as well as informing  the enthusiastic audience, and the lovely Elena, who also instructed on cocktail making, and the great ceviche and super avocado and various interesting accompaniments was very generous indeed, as were the drinks which flowed freely this afternoon!!! Dressed up and looking forward to Rick Stein's evening menu! Forgot to mention that the wheelchair, instead of being taken to our room, was outside breakfast room, and I had a great ride home, driven by Dylan. We had plenty of time to chat and a lot of laughs! So my husband looking rather worried, as he was in fact on his Wheelchair L-plates drove slowly down and carefully in the lifts with time to enjoy the wonderful colourful lights in the trees!!!! We had looked forward hopefully to seeing Rick's famous Fish Pie, a little different from the ones we'd seen him prepare on TV, full of lovely seafood for me, and Sri Lankan Fish Curry for my husband. Full marks. As everywhere we went at this Bannisters, and just as we'd found at Mollymook, the staff provided the cream on the experience!!!! Kirsty from Glasgow, and Becky looked after us so well and indeed everyone who came to the table were attentive and seemed so happy!!!! Becky even got my wheelchair for me when she saw us about to leave!! The lovely lady who welcomed us next morning, and we were the first in as usual and whose name I did not get, said that Rick Stein himself is the reason for a happy staff. . So good to hear, but not unexpected. When he visits and he does regularly he mingles with guests and staff and that's what we heard at Mollymook. So a big thanks to Rick, and enjoy your TV shows, though as we are older, we do enjoy those with subtitles just a little more, though we can hear every word of yours! And the staff seem so completely at ease, and obviously are given time to chat away with guests like us, who love to know about them as well. We were young many many years ago, and travelled and worked overseas in our twenties and have enjoyed hotels and travelling every since. travelled and worked overseas in our twenties, and have enjoyed travel and hotels and food for many years!

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“A wonderful and memorable experience!”

My partner and I stayed and dined at Bannisters Port Stephens for a Rick Stein Gourmet Weekend. This was the most wonderful experience in so many ways. Generous hospitality, exceptionally well organised, friendly, delicious and truly memorable. Amazing staff to boot!

“Bannisters”

Booked five rooms for a family celebration and while check-in was awkward the rest of the stay made up for it. The rooms are clean and comfortable and the outlook is enjoyable. The resort catered very well for our group of 10 and the breakfast staff were absolutely fantastic. The superior rooms ... Más

Booked five rooms for a family celebration and while check-in was awkward the rest of the stay made up for it. The rooms are clean and comfortable and the outlook is enjoyable. The resort catered very well for our group of 10 and the breakfast staff were absolutely fantastic. The superior rooms have very nice views and there are inter-connecting rooms which cater well for a family of four. I found the rooms to be quite and well serviced. There are ample places for family get-togethers in the complex which presents well and there is easy beach access.

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“Fabulous views, but too noisy! ”

This is a 60's motel that was given a new lease of life a few years ago. The rooms have been tastefully spruced up with a nice beach vibe and muted colour scheme, though the bathroom is very small and the fittings and furniture rather cheap (think Bunnings....) The view from our Ocean View room a... Más

This is a 60's motel that was given a new lease of life a few years ago. The rooms have been tastefully spruced up with a nice beach vibe and muted colour scheme, though the bathroom is very small and the fittings and furniture rather cheap (think Bunnings....) The view from our Ocean View room across the bay was fabulous. We dined at Rick Stein's and found the food good if unexceptional (not up to other Rick Stein restaurants we have visited). However, unlike other reviewers we found it to be reasonable value. The big downside for us was that in every public area of the hotel (lobby, pool area, bar, restaurants) there was very loud music playing all day. It was impossible to find somewhere to sit quietly and read a book or relax. While we were able to discover in detail the young manager's taste in rock, it was insensitive to inflict it on everyone else and it spoilt what would have otherwise been a pleasant stay. We raised it with reception staff but received blank faces - they didn't seem to think it was a problem. Also, be warned that (and this is probably a testament to 60's building quality) the walls between the rooms are very thin - we could hear every word our neighbours were saying!

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