We are a retired couple travelling from Queensland. Unit had been refurbished and all appliances worked well with comfortable lounge and large TV and good bed. Free guest laundry was bonus for those travelling. Location excellent, close to beaches and Newcastle CBD. We would stay if in Newcastle again.

Prickly Pear has 5 units. 3 on the ground and 2 on the first floor above the carports. If you have mobility issues I would recommend asking for a ground floor unit as carrying suitcases up the external spiral staircase may be an issue. We stayed in a first floor unit. If returning we would request a ground floor unit. The unit is fitted with blinds, but no curtains. I would suggest installing sheer curtains in the bedroom and lounge so when the blinds are up passers-bys cannot see into the unit. We were out most days so this did not impact us, but would if you were in unit all day. The unit has small undercover carports. We have a KIA Sportage and parking between the poles in the carport was a tight squeeze. Passenger had to get out before I parked the car.

Close to everything close to the beach, cute cafe only a few steps around the corner

Nice apartment with good working kitchen, well equipped for our 3 night stay. The small couch was more comfortable than expected and the aircon worked well. Bed was comfy and being able to do laundry was a big plus. We were also allowed to check in a little bit earlier which was nice.

Our room was entered without our prior knowledge due to a maintenance issue that we did not even report, the entering was brought to our attention via booking messages, which is why I only read it after the fact. I did address this with them via messages and they responded cordially. Parking on site is undercover but very small, our car is not very large but wouldn't fit in the space that was allocated to our room, however street parking was fine and free as well. The shower curtain did not keep the water in the shower cubicle and had nowhere to drain outside of it so you'd have to cross a puddle to get to the toilet after a shower.

I liked the self check-in process, which was simple and convenient. The property was clean, comfortable, and well located. I also appreciated having access to a kitchen with useful facilities for preparing meals. Overall, it felt easy to settle in and find everything I needed during my stay.

I was charged for over-cleaning of the bathroom; however, the bathroom has no ventilation fan, which makes it difficult to keep the space dry after use. The hot water supply is limited. I don’t like that the area gets busier during the day due to the bakery, which creates more noise, and at night, sounds from nearby neighbours can also be heard.