The Cottage Stay - self check-in

Good rooms and a very well equipped kitchen. This place is self check-in , so everything is via message. Not a problem as the hosts are very responsive . We appreciate that we were allowed to check in early as we got in early. Our room was on the second floor behind two locked doors. The facility is secure and the check-in process was smooth. 10-15 walk to carpenter street, waterfront and to the park at the rear of the apartment complex. Although the name says cottage, it is actually hotel/ apartment rooms.

Clean room and self check in

This is a good place to stay for a solo traveller on a budget. Great value for money, clean and comfortable with a well appointed communal kitchen. The location is good, within easy walking distance into town, the riverfront area and an excellent supermarket. There are any number of cafes nearby. Didn't have any face to face interaction with the owners, checking in/checking out was done on-line, but that was simple with good,clear instructions provided. Recommended.

I thought everything was excellent except for the mattress which was getting towards the end of it's service life.

I booked a room with a queen bed and a window (as in the 1st pic), thinking that's what Ill get but instead I was told that I got a windowless room. I immediately wrote to the property and explained that I had a strong reason why I booked a window room and the host (I think) changed the booking which was nice to be reassured. I didn't get heads-up that the button combo for opening the gate can't be used. The first thing you arrive is find your key box and then push your arm through the grid, do the digit combination and then open both the grided gate and then later your room door with the contact card. The room had just a concrete floor and the bedsheets and pillow cases were made from a cheap colored material so it's quite hard to tell whether it's clean or not. There was a heavy whiff of humidity and dampness in the room. It smelled like a straw. The aircon was there and the bed was spacious. The toilet didnt flush well and got stuck the morning we were leaving. And the sink looked dirty/moldy and the toothbrush holder looked unwashed and dingy. I hate writing such reviews but I couldn't completely relax. In the morning, at around 8 or 8.30 we got startled by a drilling noise that was literally drilling through our heads. I believe that won't be the problem always but it did add to our unsatisfied experience. It was affordable and close to the center but not the kind of place Id book to get some rest. But then again, Im a hard audience.