We stopped here recently for an overnight stay and were pleasantly surprised!…read more ++ Check-in was relatively painless, and staff even offered little bottles of milk for "coffee or tea" Very clean room and ensuite bathroom that looked recently renovated All basic appliances and supplies provided in the room, including a mini fridge, coat hangers, heater, and flat screen TV - - Bathroom had a fan that worked well but came on everytime the light was on, and it was absolutely freezing in the shower on this cold winter night All in all a great stay, and we'd consider a revisit!

Just had lunch at the gateshead tavern i got the battered fish and it was superb and only $10.90…read moreand my husband got the steak sandwich and he said it was the best he'd had in a long time and the service was fast and staff were friendly

Martys is a great little hotel. It is at a great price and great location. It is only a 2 minute…read morewalk to Little Beach and a 15 minute walk to Shoal Bay. The pool is small but offers balls and floating items to entertain children. The rooms are quaint but nice.

I was sent to The Junction for a business trip. My employers had booked me a room for a 2 night…read morestay at The Junction Hotel. My first reaction after hearing the arrangement they had made was "You've got to be kidding me! They booked a room for me at the top of a pub?" (thinking that The Junction Hotel would be another one of those filthy pubs with a bunch of drunkards). Colleagues who stayed at this hotel tried hard to convince me that The Junction Hotel is no ordinary pub - but I still had to see it to believe it (you wouldn't blame me for being cynical too if you saw most of the pubs within the area I live in). But to my surprise...it was a nice hotel! 1. My hotel room was clean. 2. Modern. 3. Complete with necessities (like most commercial hotels): * Towels and hand towels * Shampoo - conditioner - body wash gel * Complimentary bottles of mineral water (and chocolates!) inside the refrigerator * Hair dryer * Iron and ironing board * Lots of toilet paper and tissues (no need for the housekeeper to stack them up on a daily basis * Coat hangers 4. There is a bar and a nice restaurant right downstairs: there's no need to get out of the building just to get food and drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Their menu was great and has quiet a variety of things to choose from. The meal prices (depending on what you order) can be a bit costly. But the quality of the food served at the hotel are well worth it. You just need to taste it and refer to the food presentation! 5. The restaurant and bar staff would be willing to bring food and drinks to your room (although you will have to order by the bar downstairs due to the fact that there are no telephones inside the rooms). But hey...it's a few walks down the stairs and you're there. Unless you are ridiculously lazy... 6. Less expensive than other hotels (I forgot the exact price but it was definitely less than $150 per night). 7. Oh! Did I mention how super comfortable the bed was? I definitely wouldn't bother paying to stay at the Crown Plaza Hotel (not far away) when I could get myself a hotel room that is equally decent - and that cost less. The guests - mostly locals - were also nice. I felt that I was able to just randomly start conversations with strangers.

Great pub food. Really enjoyed my Cajun Barramundi . It was surprisingly moist. But the highlight…read morewas the wait staff. Attentive friendly but not intrusive to a sole diner here for business.

The food and atmosphere is great awesome pub the staff are wonderful and they are dog friendly…read morewhich is a plus for me

Yummy Highly…read morerecommend Great for the whole family Friendly staff Delicious meals recommend the cheeseburger

I didn't find that this place was really all that inspiring. In fact, it seemed to be just your…read moretypical suburban pub. I would probably say no frills, but then again sometimes no frills can be pretty good. This place was, well, bland. In fact, they had a really limited number of beers on tap as well, and none of them particularly thrilled me either. As such I doubt I'd come back, though I must admit that the service was pretty good.

Great pub lunch. 3 of us had the John Dory with salad and chips - yum. The 4th person had battered…read moreflathead which was good but by comparison it was a very small portion. Desserts looked good but overly sweet. Overall a tasty pub lunch but over $100 with a soft drink

The thing about Hamilton is that there is a pub on both sides of the railway station, and both pubs…read moreare pretty cool. However, this one was actually much livelier than the other one, so I guess I would have to give it points for that. In fact listening to the banter going on between the bar staff was actually rather amusing, especially since they were dealing with an undersirable. The other thing was that they had some awesome beers on tap, and a great outdoor area as well. Yeah, this place was pretty cool.

A basic little pub that's right across the road from Hamilton train station. I went in late…read moreafternoon, as a place to have a cold drink while I waited for my train. Given the time of day, I saw the place at its most naked (though darkly lit) and it was showing signs of wear. I considered sitting at the suede/micro-fibre lounges, however they'd seen too many good times and were rubbed bare. The other seating was stool based. Though not particularly comfortable (I probably wouldn't go there for a chat), in my brief wait for the train, my stool was sufficient. It felt a bit dingy. The bathrooms were older style, but roomy and clean. Edit: I hear they have new furniture?

Now Best Western, NOT Quality Inn. Came back to the Apollo after their recent renovations. I didn't…read morestay in the new wing, and stayed in one of the rooms in the refurbished old wing. I actually prefer this wing due to the lovely views across the bushland and the valley outside. Staff are lovely, and room was spotlessly clean and tidy and a very good size. Bed very comfortable. Such a good location, so I always make this my base in the Newcastle area when I stay here. A few things I was a little disappointed in regarding the new renovations: 1) The room was renovated, however, the air conditioner wasn't a new one and was an older one kept from the room previously. Whilst it did the job, it was quite noisy. 2) I was surprised to see that the room service menu hadn't been rejuvenated / upgraded along with the hotel and still offered the same choices and is a little bit limited in selection. It does the job, but a few more selections would be handy. 3) The bathroom is quite dark, particularly in the shower area, even when both bathroom lights are on. Not an issue for me, but maybe for ladies who need to do make-up etc. 4) I know that these days its good to "be green" and consequently, the hotel has fitted energy-saving halogen bulbs in the rooms. Whilst good environmentally, they do cast a very harsh light around the room at night time, not a "soft" light that a conventional bulb would emit, and consequently, despite having modern fittings, the room doesn't really have any "warmth" about it when the lights are switched on at night time. It felt quite clinical at night-time being in the room. 5) If they could add the FOX FOOTY channel in the future, the selection on the TV would be excellent. (Yes, I'm a footy fan and miss my coverage when travelling for work). These are very small issues, and wouldn't put me off staying here again - and it shouldn't for you either. However, if I was re-designing a hotel I would have thought about these things - particularly the lighting. It's the small things that make a difference sometimes. This is the best hotel in this area of Newcastle, and with large clean rooms, and friendly staff who make you feel welcome, I am always happy to come back here. A very reliable, consistent hotel.

I only stayed for a night but found a pretty good late deal online and confirmed with them. I was…read morejust popping into the Bay to visit my brother who lives nearby. My journey to the Bay from Sydney was twice as long because of trains breaking down and buses taking forever. I phoned to let them know I was still coming and the lovely reception stayed back half an hour to ensure I was checked in and able to get to my room. The room itself was I guess what I'd call a triple; a double and two single beds - a bit much for just little old me but a really decent sized room. Although it was dark, there was a view of the pool - not being used this time of year but I thought about what it might be like IF I used it! It was clean, beds were well made. The bathroom had a bath and shower (separate) and a really good dispenser system in both the shower and basin. I don't see this in a lot of hotels. I didn't use it but there was a fridge, microwave and TV. You also get a free Wi-Fi code which is good, not sure how many MB's, I only used it for a little bit. After I checked out and was on my way back to Sydney, I realised I had left behind my book and umbrella and they kindly agreed to take it to my brother - it's the Bay attitude, generally very friendly and helpful. I'm 5+ months pregnant and the only pain in the backside thing I can really mention is that getting into the resort from the bottom of Magnus street is annoying because it's uphill. Down, not so bad. The bus stopped right on Magnus outside. Decor is a little old-school but I wasn't in town for a posh, fancy holiday. This would suit a family trip for the weekend or outgoing couples not fussed about staying in an elitist property; you're in to sleep and out to play. Breakfast down at Baroque and a walk along the Marina was a nice way to end my stay. I'd book at Marina Resort again.