Aqua Outback

I booked two double rooms at Aqua Outback for 18–19 September through Agoda. When making the booking, I specifically selected rooms advertised as having sea views, as shown on the Agoda website. However, when we arrived to check in, we were told that the rooms with double beds do not have sea views. This was very disappointing, as the sea view was one of the main reasons I chose this property. There were also several problems with the rooms. The hot water did not work in the ground-floor room, and the shower did not work properly in the first-floor room. The shower in the first-floor room did not even appear to have an option to mix or select hot and cold water. The most disappointing part of our stay was the evening. We wanted to have our dinner and sit in the communal outdoor seating area by the sea, which was one of the main reasons we booked a seaside property. However, we were told by the staff that the owner had arranged a private party and that we were not allowed to use the communal outdoor areas. The owner then instructed the staff to tell us to go inside and have our dinner, rather than allowing us to use the outdoor communal seating area. I refused, as we had paid to stay at a seaside property specifically to relax and enjoy the outdoor areas by the sea. At no point during the booking process were we informed that a private event would be taking place or that paying guests would be prevented from using the communal outdoor facilities. Had I known this in advance, I would not have booked the property. Similarly, I would not have booked these rooms had I known that the advertised sea views were not actually available with the room type I selected. Another significant issue was the access road to the property. The route through the salt pan area is actually beautiful and interesting, but the condition of the road was extremely poor. It took us approximately 20 minutes to reach the property along a very difficult road, which made getting to and from the hotel unnecessarily uncomfortable. I would like to make it clear that I do not blame the staff at the property. They were very kind, polite and helpful throughout our stay. My complaint is about the facilities, the accuracy of the information provided when booking, and the decision to restrict paying guests from using the communal seaside areas because of a private event. Overall, I feel that this stay was a waste of both my time and money. I specifically chose and paid for this property based on the sea views, seaside setting and facilities advertised when I booked. What I received was not what I had booked, expected or been led to believe I would receive.