Best Hotels near The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine

Booked at Hepburn Springs Escape for an anniversary getaway. The design of the complex is stunning - each room cantilevered overlooking, well either the road or the car park of the adjacent springs complex. Even still, it’s a pretty impressive location. We stayed in villa 1 which is the farthest from the road and right next to the forest so little noise. The layout is great - big open bathroom with spa, not so comfortable to lay in if you’re over 5.5 foot tall. The bed, super comfy, the quality of the linen, toiletries all reflect the price point. Sadly, from here the rest left us feeling a little ripped off. Having read reviews on various sites which claim the standards of maintenance are such that guests feel nervous putting a glass down without a coaster under it and given the emphasis on having ‘clean and sanitised’ Covid safe spaces, I was expecting the room to be spotless. Unfortunately it seemed as if the cleaner got so far, decided to duck off early and leave the room half done. The cleanliness of the villa was below average. Glass cleaned with dirty cloths, bird bathroom mirror had been wiped down with a dirty cloth leaving greasy streaks, floor not mopped and shower not wiped down completely Glass doors and balustrade were streaky and greasy. Curtains with missing or broken hooks which meant the curtain sagged, even down to a broken plastic bin that hasn’t bothered to be replaced. All of this aside, it was actually the large toenail cutting which had been left/missed/ignored in the middle of the balcony floor that nearly put me over the edge. To immerse yourself in pure luxury, as they claim to offer guests to relax and unwind in is difficult when you’ve forked out nearly $300 for a room which desperately needs a good scrub down and some much needed maintenance! Sadly it doesn’t come close to pure luxury.

Deeply disappointed by this accommodation. The service is poor to non-existent. At reception they give you a door access code and that is it. They could not assist us in turning to fire completely off, getting the television to work, or any other queries. A person came to fix the TV and gave up after 30 minutes. Also there is no WiFi - ridiculous for this level / cost of accommodation. The room looked great on the surface however had the following issues: -- bad servicing, a mess of cables which had not been secured and a pair of underwear still in the cupboard (classy!) -- terrible design, the fire does not turn off so constantly sends a low level of heat, and the aircon does not match the size of the room. It was mid-20s temperature when we stayed and by the end of the day it was uncomfortably hot. -- impractical design. Side windows next to the bed (and everywhere) meant that to get changed you had to hide in the loo, or close all the blinds. And the fireplace is positioned so that it blocks the view from the bed. Shower visible from out the windows too! -- a kitchen that was useless. No bowls (we ate cereal out of the water glasses), insufficient cutlery for 2 people and a random assortment of kitchen gear / crockery which meant that what was it was impractical to do anything other than open wine or a pack of dip. It felt very much like someone intended to delivery luxury and then skimped on the design, furnishing (couch from Freedom!) and taking the time to plan a functional and enjoyable space.