The Grand Hotel

Dirty room without aircondition. Old dirty carpet with insects (møl), bad smell and broken lamp/bad light. As the rooms are related to a bar down stairs floors were greasy from old beer, banana flies and lots of noise till late. Finally, the owner and staff were unpleasant. Most likely among the worst places I have tried. Even made my daughter cry.

We were staying nearby at the Radisson Blu Hotel and wanted to try some pub food for dinner. A hotel attendant suggested this place around the corner. We checked out the menu online and it seemed okay. I'm not sure if it's a real hotel or not, but we went there to eat. When we got to the pub, we visited all three floors and couldn't find a place to sit. We decided to leave, but on our way down checked the first floor again for a table. Alas, there was one being vacated. It is a pub, and it seems to be popular for the after-work crowd. So, it's very noisy but still possible to have a conversation. We ordered the calamari appetizer; the lamb mince pie that came with mashed potatoes, gravy, and peas; and the fish and chips that also came with peas. The calamari was hot and crispy and very delicious. The fish and chips were really good. But the fish really needed some malt vinegar, something they don't offer. The mince pie was divine, succulent and seasoned just right. The best thing, though, were the chips (AKA French fries). They're probably the best French fries I've ever had. Apparently they're bought frozen, fried, and then coated in some sort of salt and seasoning before being served. I scarfed down more than my share without any ketchup (also not available). The appetizer and two meals cost about 70 Australian dollars. Probably cheaper than a couple of drinks (which seemed to average more than $20 each). We made sure to drop a 10-note in the tip jar for the very friendly and efficient staff.

Very run down and basic. My room had stains, wet carpet and a sink that got water everywhere and the shared bathrooms and showers aren't in the best conditions at all. I didn't feel comfortable using them and then had to wait a while to have a shower. The lift was hard to use so we mainly used the stairs, which is not great if you have luggage and mobility issues. The staff were lovely though and the location is brilliant.