Ecotours

Reviews of Sanctuary Lakes Fauna Retreat

3.5 out of 5
Sanctuary Lakes Fauna Retreat
1 Shell Street, Urangan, QLD

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 222 out of 354 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 107 out of 354 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 19 out of 354 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 5 out of 354 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 354 reviews" "

8.8/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

8.4/10

Amenities

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

4/10 Poor

Liam

Traveled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023
Response from Deb on Dec 18, 2023
Hi LiamWe would love for you to contact us to discuss why you rated us this way. We should have cancelled the booking when the credit card declined a number of times. The storm that came through whilst you were here was out of our hands. I know you had trouble with the gate, but you managed to get it open a number of times, and nothing changed during your stay - unless you were trying to open it with someone elses phone. We know you left a day early, but without letting us know what the problem was, we can't do anything to help you. sorry you feel that you had a poor experience during your stay.

8/10 Good

Norma

Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Deb on Jan 25, 2024
Thank you Norma

8/10 Good

Dan

Liked: Cleanliness
Definitely aging, but for the price, it’s brilliant value for money, peaceful & quiet
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Deb on Nov 18, 2023
The cabins are 45 years old so you would expect a few wrinkles lol. A few are getting face lifts this month - so thats a bit exciting. Glad you enjoyed your stay.

10/10 Excellent

Lewis

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
First time stay but definatly not my last 4 nights in a lovely comfortable villa quite surrounds a fully equiped unit nothing short of great hosts frendly and helpfull free wi-fi intrernet also Thank you Sanctuary Lakes
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Deb on Nov 1, 2023
Thank you Lewis. We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us. 4 nights is just not enough though is it lol. Happy that you found the time to relax and re-energise.

10/10 Excellent

Daniela

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Nice place
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Deb on Nov 1, 2023
Thanks Daniela. We think so too. glad you enjoyed it.

8/10 Good

ke

Liked: Cleanliness
very quiet and relaxing….sadly the fan did not work, & the curtains did not close properly as they were broken…all in all the quietness of the place made it very enjoyable :)
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Deb on Nov 1, 2023
Thans Ke - Glad you enjoyed the quiet time at our retreat. We are waiting for the electrician to fix the fan (thank you for letting us know) and the curtains are fixed - slipped off the hooks in a few places, so all good again now. Hope you stay another time

6/10 Okay

John

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Deb on Sep 30, 2023
Hi John - we would love to hear more of why you dropped our rating for your stay. Was it because Rod had to speak to your children numerous times about chasing the animals, picking them up and terrorising them and back chatting when asked to please stop. Or was it because he told you next time you came to visit Hervey Bay we would prefer you to find alternative accommodation because of the disgusting language used by your wife at the top of her lungs the morning you were leaving. Some of our other guests within ear shot were quite distressed because their children heard it, they felt sad for your children as well. Just so you are aware, 2 are also in children services and felt obligated to report this incident. We do not find that acceptable at all.

8/10 Good

Andy

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very restful environment. No traffic noise and very private cabins. The managers promptly addressed any problems that arose so no frustrations...
Stayed 10 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Deb on Sep 19, 2023
Thank you Andy. We are glad you enjoyed your stay and the quiet of the lake. We love how peaceful it is too. We do try to fix what we can straight away, we don't want you to have an unpleasant stay with us.

4/10 Poor

Audrey

Traveled with group
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We rented two chalets side by side - The fridges were not working - one froze everything, the other leaked water all day. The floors were sticky - as if they had been vacuumed but not mopped. the ceiling fan was so noisy we had to switch it off. Crockery was chipped - generally the chalets were run down and need updating
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Deb on Sep 11, 2023
Thank you for your feedback Audrey. We have checked the fridges and note that someone has adjusted the temp on both of them which would explain why one was freezing everything and the other was dripping. We set them to the best setting for each fridge, but there is always someone who needs to fiddle with dials unfortunately. They have been adjusted again now. The floors were cleaned not long before you arrived so had not had time to dry properly before you entered the cabins. I will speak to the team about how much of the cleaning products they are using though. Too much can make it a little sticky.

8/10 Good

Pat

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A beautiful, quiet setting in comfortable accommodation with friendly, healthy people. Will return.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Deb on Sep 19, 2023
Hi PatThank you for taking the tme to leave us a review. It is such a relaxing place and we are glad you found it peaceful and comfortable for your stay with us. We look forward to your next visit.

10/10 Excellent

Denis

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Comfortable and convenient
A very comfortable convenient place to stay in Hervey Bay. Every unit has a peaceful view over part of the lake. Everything you need for self catering. Woolworths is an easy walk away. We loved our stay at Sanctuary Lakes
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Deb on Sep 19, 2023
Thank you DenisWe are conveniently located and within walking distance of shops, cafes and the beach. Its a beautiful spot. We hope to see you again for another visit.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness
Room was not cleaned properly kitchen was very dirty food on appliances , furnishings were old and broken in the room , not enough coffee ,sugar,or bisc for 3 adults ,beds shower and toilet were clean
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Deb on Aug 31, 2023
Thank you for your review. We would love for you to contact us re which room you wee in so we can address the problems, we can't work on guesses. We have had some staffing issues recently which have been addressed and we do hope these problems will be fixed now going forward. Tea, coffee sugar etc is complimentary on arrival - there are some lovely coffee shops along the esplande if you need a further coffee fix during your stay. The rooms are all self catering - so if you required more of these things, there is a supermarket just 5 mins up the road.

8/10 Good

Stephen

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great place and excellent management. Highly recommend
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Deb on Aug 25, 2023
Thank you StephenWe are glad you enjoyed your stay. We hope to see you again soon.

8/10 Good

Jay

Old but quiet place to stay
Old and dated. Needs a bit of a renovation but on the positive a quiet location
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Deb on Aug 31, 2023
Hi Jay - thank you for your review. We are currently working on owners to make some upgrades and reno to some of the rooms - wish us luck. We are glad you enjoyed your visit with us.

8/10 Good

Naomi

Liked: Cleanliness
This was a great spot to wake up and sit on the front porch with your coffee overlooking the lake, listening and viewing the wildlife.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Deb on Aug 17, 2023
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review Naomi. We are glad you enjoyed your visit with us.A relaxing coffee on the balcony is the best way to enjoy the lake.

8/10 Good

Sharyn

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Peaceful and loved the sounds of the birds
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Deb on Aug 11, 2023
Hi Sharyn - thank you for your review. We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us and our crazy birds.

10/10 Excellent

Don

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Deb on Aug 11, 2023
Thanks Don - glad you enjoyed your stay

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful location, walking distance to foreshore, shops and restaurants.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Deb on Aug 11, 2023
Thanks Michael - we love the location too. Close to everything but so quite.

10/10 Excellent

Elayne

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved our stay, loved the birds and turtles, staff were excellent, room was great
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Deb on Aug 11, 2023
Thank you Elayne - we appreciate your kind words. Glad you enjoyed your visit and meeting the wildlife

8/10 Good

Arno

Liked: Amenities
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Deb on Aug 11, 2023
Thanks Arno

10/10 Excellent

Terese

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved feeding the turtles in the lake they were very friendly. A lovely quiet setting close to the beach.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Deb on Aug 11, 2023
Thanks Terese - Feeding the turtles is a great way to relax and unwind. Glad you enjoyed your stay with us and thank you for taking the time to leave a review

10/10 Excellent

Errin

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Wonderful for families
A great place to stay for families for some wonderful interactions with local wildlife. Hosts are very friendly and welcoming, would thoroughly recommend.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Deb on Aug 11, 2023
Thank you Errin. We are glad you had such a lovely time staying with us. Thanks for taking the time to leave us a review. We hope to see you again sometime.

10/10 Excellent

Carlie

Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Deb on Jul 6, 2023
Thank you CarlieWe are glad you enjoyed your stay

10/10 Excellent

Graham

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Deb on Jul 6, 2023
Thank you for leaving us a review. We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us.

10/10 Excellent

Christine

Traveled with family and small children, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great property
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023
Response from Deb on Jun 1, 2023
Thanks Christine - we are glad you enjoyed your visit. We hope to see you again.

8/10 Good

Valerie

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Worried about safety of coconuts on trees
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2023
Response from Deb on Jun 1, 2023
Hi Valerie, thank you for your concern. We actually had climbers in during your stay who were removing them. Did you manage to get any to take home with you? Our guests always love being here when the coconuts come down because we give them away

6/10 Okay

Dennis

Liked: Cleanliness
It was close to where my family lives so just a quick walk away. The villas are dated, but adequate for my purposes as I didn't spend much time there. The internet was non existent and upon moving villas, the internet was sporadic. In this day and age I would have thought internet would be available and reliable.
Stayed 19 nights in Feb 2023
Response from Deb on Apr 13, 2023
Hi Dennis - thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. There can sometimes be issues with the internet because of the amount of huge trees we have here, but most people don't come to spend time on the net, they come to switch off electonric devices and enjoy the serenity of the property. We would actually prefer if there was no internet at all because we have seen the transformation in families when no one can use internet and they learn to connect as a family again. Most people also have their own internet access if it is really imprtant for them to have it. We openly advertise that wifi is not available in all areas of the property so customers do have the option not to stay if internet (or lack of) is a deal breaker. Sorry you felt that this was detrimental to your stay, even though you have stayed you didn't spend much time at the proeprty anyway.

8/10 Good

Darleen

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2023
Response from Deb on Feb 20, 2023
Thank you Darleen - we are glad you enjoyed your visit.

8/10 Good

Josh

Response from Deb on Mar 8, 2023
Thank you Josh. We are glad you enjoyed your stay

8/10 Good

Darleen

Business traveler
Liked: Room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2023
Response from Deb on Feb 20, 2023
Thank you Darleen - we are glad you enjoyed your visit.

8/10 Good

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Accommodation was clean and comfortable. Access to lake fauna was amazing.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2023
Response from Deb on Feb 20, 2023
Thank you Andrew. We appreciate your kind review and lovely comments. We will pass on to the staff your comments re cleaning - they will appreciate it too. Glad you enjoyed the peace, the view and the wildlife.

4/10 Poor

Ian

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Where do I begin? Please note, I have taken photos to back up the following. I had booked on line for 4 nights accommodation. Mon Jan 16 - Thu 19. I checked in mid afternoon, received instructions on where cabin 29 was and moved in only to discover 1. No Wifi. On inquiring with the managers why? I was told only a limited number of cabins had Wifi and if I wanted Wifi there was another cabin available for an extra $30 per night. That got me thinking maybe this was an up sell or a bit of a con. Had I known this on booking I would have booked elsewhere. 2. On checking the accommodation, I discovered: The bathroom light fitting had been replaced and a rather large hole had been left in the celing from the previous fitting. The hole had been stuffed with a ball of paper! 3.The toilet seat was not fitted correctly and was loose. 4.The shower screen door frame was really dirty at the base and looked and felt like it had not been cleaned properly in a long time. 4, The vanity basin and shower drains seemed to be partially blocked and took some time to clear. Not much fun when having a shower and standing in soapy water! 5.The main room celing had a long crack in it, directly over the bed. Also, where the celing cornice met the wall, there were long cracks. In both cases I could see where dust had been falling through. These cracks should be cleaned and sealed. I didn't think it was healthy to sleep under these cracks. I checked out the following morning.! Not a happy chappy!
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2023
Response from Deb on Feb 20, 2023
Hi Ian - you booked last minute during our peak season and received the last cabin of that style. The only other cabin we had available on those dates was a family cabin (much larger) so that is what you were offered and why the price was higher. Our listing clearly states that wifi is not available in all cabins, and most who require access request it at the time of booking - if we are unable to provide that, we notify our guests straight away so they can make other arrangements. There was certainly no upsell or con going on. The toilet seat was an easy fix, and the other issues have also been repaired. You were given a refund because you left early (though its not normally our policy to do that). You were quite rude to staff, so we were not prepared to have you stay longer than the first night anyway. We hope you found something that suited your needs. Our property is def not suitable for guests who want to sit inside on computers all day. having said that though, we have plenty of business people who come and work out of their cabins between stints of enjoying sunshins and nature.

10/10 Excellent

Felicity

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Peaceful place, love the wildlife and atmosphere. Kids loved it. Staff were friendly. Would stay here again and would recommend
Response from Deb on Jan 9, 2023
Thank you Felicity. We appreciate you taking the time to leave us a lovely review. We are glad to hear the kids enjoyed themselves during your visit. We hope to see you again soon.

8/10 Good

Samantha

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great for a family.
Response from Deb on Nov 18, 2023
Thanks Samantha - we are happy to hear you enjoyed your vist.

10/10 Excellent

Brett

Liked: Cleanliness
Commendations great views, great great amenities
Response from Deb on Jan 9, 2023
Thank you Brett.The view of the lake from the balcony is just so relaxing, isn't it. We are glad you enjoyed your stay.

8/10 Good

Fiona

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice and quiet easy access to area
Response from Deb on Dec 19, 2022
Thank you fiona. We are glad you enjoyed your stay. We love how peaceful it is here too.

10/10 Excellent

Daniel

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2022

8/10 Good

John

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Really nice outlook, accommodation getting a bit tired, but overall enjoyable experience.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2022
Response from Deb on Dec 10, 2022
Thank you John - we are glad you enjoyed your visit. We always let people know the econom style cabins are in need of a little updating, but for most its about a place to sleep because they are usually out enjoying what they can find in the Bay. We hope to see you again another time.

10/10 Excellent

Talisha

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities

10/10 Excellent

Kerrianne

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities

10/10 Excellent

Alex

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I loved being near the lake, seeing various birds and fauna, and having the Fraser Island Explorer pick us up and deposit us right back outside the gate!
Response from Deb on Nov 13, 2022
Hi Alex - thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. The local tour operators are amazing aren't they - pick up and drop off at the property are a great way to help you see what we love about Hervey Bay and the Fraser Coast.

8/10 Good

Robert

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It did feel like a hideaway retreat that was attractive, accessible and secure. The overall layout of the units around a lake created an interesting and pleasurable escape. The swimming pool was an understated bonus set in a tropical garden. Great bbq facilities. Deb and Rob were lovely & helpful. We really enjoyed our stay. Thank you.
Response from Deb on Nov 13, 2022
Hey Robert. Thank you for such a lovely review. We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us and were able to relax at our beautiful retreat. The pool certainly is a bonus when the days have been so warm. hope you come visit again

8/10 Good

Sandra

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Break away time
My husband and l had a wonderful time in Hervey Bay and our accommodation was in a great location. We were close to everything we needed and our unit was in a lovely quiet location. You didn’t feel like you were in town.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022
Response from Deb on Nov 13, 2022
Thank you Sandra - we are happy to hear you enjoyed your stay with us. We are very conveniently located, and you are correct - it does feel like we are a million miles away, but we are not. We hope you visit us again.

8/10 Good

Ida

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Angelina

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great place
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2022
Response from Deb on Oct 26, 2022
Thanks AngelinaSo glad you enjoyed it.

6/10 Okay

Pauline

Disliked: Amenities
The room was dated and too far from the car 180 feet from car to front door. No under cover parking . It was raining that day and i decided to cancell I have healed back issues and didnt want to strain them with carry on luggage for that distance.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022
Response from Deb - Manager on Oct 17, 2022
Hi Pauline - you didn't even stay at the property. The room you had was exactly what you asked for. We measured it out and the cabin in 40m from the car park area. No where on our site do we mention under cover parking, so that was never an option for you. I cannot believe the bold lies here. It was not raining on the day at all. Assistance was offered to shift luggage, enough for the stay you were booked for, not a whole car full that you had with you though. You didn't decide to cancel at all, we suggested you find something that would be more suitable for your needs. We also gave a full refund to you (though we should have charged you for cleaning the room - which you had used whilst finding another place to relocate to.

10/10 Excellent

Guilherme

Traveled with family and small children, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property was very spacious and had all the amenities for a family stay. The location was great, close to restaurants, shops and the beach.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2022
Response from Deb on Oct 9, 2022
Thank you for your lovely review. We are happy to hear you enjoyed your stay with us. The cabins are quite large, aren't they - and yes, there is plenty of room inside.

10/10 Excellent

Philip

Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022
Response from Deb on Sep 30, 2022
Hi Philip. We are happy to hear you enjoyed your stay with us.

10/10 Excellent

Geoffrey

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Lovely private retreat. Very relaxing watching the wildlife. Great location
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022
Response from Deb on Sep 30, 2022
Thanks GeoffreyWe are glad you enjoyed your visit with us and made some time to relax. The wildlife is very entertaining if you get the opportunity to sit and observe. We hope to see you again.

8/10 Good

cynthia

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
The host is very friendly and helpful in all possible way. The beddings which I am very much particular are superb - very clean and fresh. Perfect place to stay anytime.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022
Response from Deb on Sep 5, 2022
Thank you Cynthia - we appreciate your lovely feedback. We are glad you enjoyed your visit.