Coolum Caprice

What People are saying

Location & Views

SurfSwim2419 on 20/11/2017 07:59

Spent a long weekend at Coolum Caprice for Oceans 6 Surf Series. The location of these units was superb (straight across the road from the carnival) and the views were absolutely beautiful.
Unit is dating a little, but still very comfortable with all the mods and cons from home.
We were on Level 11 which was an extra bonus to view the surf carnival from!! Staff were all very friendly and helpful and access to and from the property was hassle-free.

Fantastic views right on the beach. Walk to restaurants and shops and surf club.

jimS4871UD on 17/11/2017 00:27

We stayed in unit 26 and had fantastic beach and ocean views from the lounge and both bedrooms. The unit was fully air conditioned and the kitchen was beautifully renovated, and appointed with quality appliances.
We ate at the Coolum Beach Surf Club which was only 50 meters walk from the Caprice and fell asleep to the sound of rolling surf. We walked the beach on sunset with plenty of others doing the same.
We have stayed at Noosa and Mooloolaba before which are busier and more crowded, Coolum beats them both for the family holiday. The Caprice has a great pool and spar to keep the kids entertained and we were able to watch them from the balcony while they played. Very relaxing

Not quite luxury

maggie p on 15/11/2017 05:15

I'm a big fan of Coolum, its beaches, dining scene, the whole shebang. I've stayed at Coolum Caprice many many times because of its location, and it's lovely, absolutely the best view of the beaches from the balconies in rooms facing the ocean, it's clean, relatively modern, the pool and rooms have all been updated, I love it, and although I'm an Accor Hotel club member, I still choose this hotel even though they're not part of the Accor chain.

But I have a bone to pick.

Firstly, it's not really luxury when there's a notice by the phone in the kitchen asking guests to remove rubbish themselves at the end of their stay or they will be charged a further $50.

We've stayed in luxury apartments, the latest having been the Pullman in Brisbane. Now that's luxurious - offering free cocktails and canapés at happy hour, sumptuous fittings and finishes, king size bed, much much more, for the same price, $175 per night, as what we paid at Caprice. Yes Caprice has the ocean, Pullmans did not, I'm with you on that. But luxury means different things to different people...

THE CHECK IN:
Checking in seems to be an issue at Caprice: on 2x occasions, I was checking in on a Sunday after 3pm. A call from the receptionist on both occasions advised to call from the phone in the foyer and someone would provide codes to the safe to access my room key. First time: I got the code but there were no keys! It eventuated that someone else also coming after hours took both sets of envelopes, tried each room to see which they preferred and then also kept the other key! I was eventually given a room, beautiful, overlooking the pool on a floor above third level (I'd requested this as on previous stays I found this to be best rooms). I was given an option of having the other fellow moved out of his room, but I was happy with my digs and didn't want the drama any more than what had already happened. The second time: calling on the white phone and no response, so left messages as was advised with no-one returning my call for over 2 hours! Yes, that's a LONG time to wait, to get distressed and frustrated when all I wanted to do was check in to my room. I had landed at 4.30pm, called at least 3times in space of 15minutes. Another couple also wanting to check in encountered the same problems as me. OVer a space of 1.5hours no returned call even though I left my number about 10times in 10 separate phone calls. I called their 1300 number and reception number where a message says all operators were busy and would get to you asap but it would ring out, can't even leave a message. If you cannot leave a message they should leave office hours and that you could not leave a message instead of leaving you waiting. I approached another couple entering the lift and asked if they would call the manager from their room and told them about my predicament. They kindly did and came back advising that a message said to go to unit 2,which I did, knocking loudly, but no response. A lovely lady showed up a few minutes before 6pm and although she was empathetic and listened to my and the other couple's problems, she could not understand why the phone wasn't at least answered. If she couldn't, how could we? This lovely lady dispensed keys quickly, was very friendly and efficient. I'd been waiting 1.5hours to get to my room so I was quick to get up there.

Upon entering my room I immediately noticed it was not as nice as any of the previous rooms I'd stayed in - it was not facing the way I'd requested, ie. overlooking the pool or towards the beach near the surf shop way. It wasn't either but it did have a lovely view of the neighbouring rooftop. A corner room usually offers ocean and mountains views but not this time. Caprice values its motto that the sea can be seen from every room, yes, lovely, but when you've stayed in nicer rooms, you expect that standard or better each time you return. Like a Welcome! thanks for coming back when we know there's lots of other places you could have stayed, we've upgraded you to such and such a room with view as you requested" ... but nothing like that. I was given the answer that I'd only booked a week ago, that I was only staying a week and they had others staying for 6 weeks. I'm not as important as them? Aren't I a returning customer? Isn't my dollar just as valuable as theirs? I was very irritated by their reply.
I dialled 9 from my room but again, no answer, so I walked downstairs to call from the white phone and hopefully reach the manager, who miraculously answered. I asked if I could possibly change rooms explaining why, and his answer was "No way was that going to happen" and asked me to knock loudly on the door of unit 2 to speak again with the lovely lady who assisted us earlier. She listened, saw I was frustrated but could not help as "there were new Zealanders arriving who would be staying for 3 months or more". And that was it. I left back upto my room angry and upset as I'd waited so long to simply check in and not get the luxurious room I was dreaming of. The lovely lady did call my room later that evening haven spoken to another manager to see about a possible room change but she wouldn't accommodate it, unless I wanted a 1st room floor, which I did not, having stayed there before it's not ideal. This lovely lady's level of service is what I expected and received, what everyone would when dealing with the luxury side of hotel accommodation.

NEXT MORNING:
At reception, barely any eye contact with the receptionist who's interacted with me on each of my stays (it may be only 5 times in 3 years and I don't expect everyone to have photographic memories but seeing someone's name on the computer, there is usually something there to show that they are a return customer). I could see she was busy on the phone with her husband and organising the cleaning staff, but I didn't care about that, I wanted her to LISTEN to me, as to why I was angry at having to wait the day before for check in; I had to explain 3 TIMES what I went through, and she offered no apology. I was not asking for a discount or a handout of free tickets to a show, I wanted her attention. I don't care about their affiliation with the local surf club across the road - if they are staffed over there after hours, what happens in the case of an emergency at the hotel? It's bewildering to me that the phones aren't answered, that the people representing Caprice don't really care as long as they were getting their job done - all except the lovely lady, Louise I think her name was, she's the type of person I'd be employing in my luxury hotel! The receptionist then re-iterated my conversation with others from the previous evening saying if I hadn't booked so late (only a week ahead) they would have tried for a better room.

To say that I was very disappointed with the standard of service and my room is an understatement and that is why it's not Accor standard and will never meet Accor standards.

But I wanted to move on and enjoy my holiday.

THE ROOM:
Ok. You thought the above was a tirade. I'm just beginning!
1. The bible in the bedroom drawer without a cover, no binding so pages falling apart.
2. The Caprice compendium unstapled so pages falling out.
3. TV directions for remote not pertinent to remote left in lounge, only in main bedroom. Lounge remote was for Neflix, and would not connect. Only 1 remote for both TV's operational
4. Stained carpet in main bedroom, not a little, like a cup of coffee or wine had been spilled.
5. Although an updated ensuite, still on a budget, no luxury finishes (again I'm comparing with the Pullman and Sebel Suites in Brisbane and The Vines Hotel in Perth), and their was dark matter on the shower cubicle's plastic lip of base.
6. Nowhere in ensuite to put anything like a comb or toothbrush.
7. Bottom sheet in main bedroom did not even reach end of mattress.
8. A big tile chip in kitchen by stove would not pass OH & S standards.
9. Salt and pepper shakers felt greasy.
10. Crumbs in cutlery drawers.
11. Frypan still had dried food matter in it. It was easy to clean off but should I have had to do that in the first place?
12. Stove top above controls greasy.
13. Stove top hot plates corroded - even cleaning around them flakes of rust would fall off.
14. Oven glass door streaky and unclean, even smelt like meat!
15. Kettle plate dirty, not wiped out
16. Microwave left on last cooking cycle - still on like waiting to finish cycle.
17. Microwave glass door dirty and streaky.
18. Dustpan still had crumbs in it from last use.
19. For a 2 bedroom unit, some items missing, like glasses, egg cups - they were there but not enough for 4 people minimum.
20. Plastic tongs in kitchen well loved - plastic tips melted and looked like still had bits of food stuck.
21. Fluro light in kitchen full of dead insects.
22. Tea caddy had no biscuits - tea bags so flimsy that when you tear across one it also tears open the tea bag and loose tea leaves spill across the kitchen countertop.
23. Dining table leather look chairs, some very badly shabby and worn on seats.
24. Plastic table mats on dining table curled, did not sit flat, so putting a wine glass on there has it tumbling over.
25. Lounge curtain off its rod.
26. Lounge coffee table very scuffed and not in a shabby chic way.
27. Sofa in lounge worn thin on arm rests.
28. Phone cord in kitchen tangled.
29. Outdoor table paint badly flaking.
30. Reception mat on entry into Caprice reception from ocean side curled at edges and invites trips, not safety savvy.

Nothing else in the self contained kitchen scores a mention - anything I used, as in coffee cups, plates, a wine glass, I washed and scrubbed down myself before using. Caprice asks its guests to clean everything - they would do it but would charge extra and increase room rates to cover that. So I want to know is how assured can they be that their guests do it right for the next person? I know that they didn't in my case, and I wasn't impressed.

Stay again? Maybe. I'd look elsewhere first.

Panoramic views

on 14/11/2017 11:12

Lovely and quiet. Spacious and well appointed. Close to restaurants and surf club. Walking distance to shops.
Apartment spacious but a little dated.
Receptionist quite stressed.
Loved the outlook would stay again

Coolum Caprice

TheRealFatJoe on 09/11/2017 06:06

We booked a 2BR suite so we had some room and ocean views. We were massively disappointed on arrival. This is our opinion only:
The apartment had 2 bedrooms and a large living/dining room. The aircond was 1 small split system in the main bedroom strategically placed so it blew cold air over you whilst lying in bed and the rest of the place melted in the heat - Ridiculous!
In addition, the place was grotty and had scuff marks all over the walls - it appeared that it was just coming up for it's annual cleaning. The amenities were shocking. I wouldn't even put food in the cooker. The ensuite was the size of a postage stamp and you had to move into the bedroom to dry off after a shower.
One the "cönsumables" - shampoo/conditioner/toilet paper etc were gone you were able to purchase more from reception - how generous is that??
You even get to put out your own rubbish at this place. Apparently if you don't they fine you $50 to do it when you leave.
The furniture was old and some of it was damaged/worn and the whole place was down at heel.
I'm surprised that it hasn't been classified by the National Trust!
I cannot understand how this place has any stars whatsoever, and how it can call itself "Luxury"apartments.
We sacked our travel agent over this place and would NEVER go there again.