The Sebel Yarrawonga Silverwoods (Eröffnung März 2020)

We recently stayed at Sebel Yarrawonga for two nights, looking for a relaxing weekend away. The hotel is in a stunning location, lovely views right on the lake. The hotel is only two years old, and the modern decor reflects that. The restaurant and bar were both lovely. Pool area is also gorgeous, right on the lake. A covered area to check in and out without getting soaked when it rains would have been appreciated, this is a poor design decision but not critical. Staff are quite friendly, but some also come across as indifferent. I raised some concerns with staff and was provided with a rehearsed response (oh we are sorry to hear that!), but no action was taken to actually try and address the concerns. The main issue I had with the hotel was the cleanliness of the room, it was just grotty. Dirty windows, spider webs on the inside of fly screens, stains on the couch, dirt under the cushions, items under the bed from previous guests, dirty crockery in the apartment, kettle full of limescale, coffee machine not cleaned, old toaster, a smell from the bathroom drains, dead bugs on the floor, spider web with dead bugs above the bed, short hairs from prior guests in the cutlery drawer etc. I went to Kmart to buy slippers so I didn't have to step on the carpet. Honestly, I couldn't wait to leave. I did not relax and left feeling like I wasted my money. The hotel is currently not up to the Sebel standard and is really in need of a deep clean and re-haul of cleaning standards. I'm sure staff are doing their best but management can do better to rectify these issues.

This hotel sets a new standard in poor design. You can see what is trying to be done, but the execution has failed dismally. I feel sorry for the staff here as they have to cope with what must be a very trying work environment, but guest experience systems, such as cleaning and attention to detail are not up to par. Some staff seemed happy, some seemed pretty grumpy. Poor buggers. Perhaps it's the "greige" environment they work in, with everything dark and moody with no splashes of cheery colour. The decor here will date very quickly. There is no undercover parking, not even for check in, so arriving in the rain is an unpleasant chore and far from welcoming. Guest rooms are in a separate building to reception, also separate to the gym, pool and restaurant/bar. There are covered walkways in between, but these are poorly designed so they don't do much. Our balcony, as with all others, had no overhang above allowing the rain to spray in, so we couldn't make use of it. To our surprise only Nescafe instant coffee was in the room, and Dilmah tea bags. Nothing wrong with this, but this is a Sebel! We've had better inclusions in small country motels we've stayed in. At least we had coffee bags and a plunger in some of those smaller low key establishments. I would have expected some T2 teas and better coffee offerings here. I suspect this is a deliberate tactic to make guests pay for more desirable options. The bar fridge in the room is odd. Not because it lives inside a cupboard, but because the cupboard door and the fridge door awkwardly open from different directions (even though the fridge door is able to be switched to open to the same direction). The bathroom was all dark tinted glass so you can see through to the toilet and while on the toilet you have full view of the shower, also all dark grey glass. The lighting in the bathroom is more moody than useful and the single exposed filament bulb is blinding. There is no light at all in the shower. This hotel has opted for large tacky pump packs of bathroom toiletries, but the hand/body wash drips after use and you have to work hard to get the hand/body lotion out, and then it sprays everywhere. There is no exhaust fan in the bathroom so steam build up is an issue. We found someone else's underpants under the vanity, which was pretty gross. The door to the balcony hasn't been properly cleaned in some time. There were no extra pillows in the room which is also odd in our experience.The bench top wasn't the cleanest either, with cup stains on it. We were so tired we didn't call anyone to complain about these issues, we just wanted to sleep....but it left us thinking....did the bathroom floor actually get mopped? Why did no one pick these issues up? We also hoped the sheets had actually been changed in between us and the owner of the discarded underpants.... WiFi strength is good but as this is a newish hotel, we expected a smart tv that we could stream content to from our phones. Unfortunately this was not an option, perhaps the TV is locked down to basic functions only? The Quest hotel in Melbourne we stayed at a few days earlier had this connectivity and it's one that should be in all modern hotels that understand how the majority of media content is consumed these days. Beware that midges are everywhere around the resort because it's on a lake. A lake of dead trees that used to line the Murray River that now forms the pretty grim looking and smelly view. Sadly midges are also in the room and we spent ages smacking them to death. A can of fly spray is provided so it's obviously a well known issue, but spraying the room should be done before guests arrive. We went to the bar for a couple of beers and no coasters were offered. This may be considered a minor oversight, but it should be a standard procedure to catch condensation from glasses, rather than have it drip onto your lap. Later we ordered room service but didn't get any cutlery or napkins. Is this to save washing up? There's nothing in the room either, except teaspoons, so we used those so our meals didn't go cold. The food wasn't bad, but nothing special. Hard to believe there are no plates, no bowls, nothing provided in the room. But there is a microwave and dishwashing liquid for some reason. Noise in the room was also an issue, with little sound proofing around the room door to the corridor. We "loved" the slamming stairwell door and echoes of footsteps, the passing guests, trolley and luggage wheel noises etc. We had hoped to sleep with the balcony door open (and with the screen closed) for fresh air but noise from other guests made that impossible, especially with them dragging furniture around the balcony and talking in booming voices, not to mention coughing lungs. Even with the door closed firmly there wasn't any sound proofing to the outside. Using the door handle is another adventure into bad design. Besides difficult to comprehend how it works, I'm glad my arthritis isn't too bad or it would be impossible to use. We got the feeling that because the hotel was barely occupied, guests were all grouped together to make it easier for staff to service the rooms the next day. Overall this was a very disappointing experience and we won't be back. Lift your game, Accor. This was by far the worst premium offering of any chain hotel that we've stayed at world wide. This simply isn't a premium hotel. The bones are there, but it fails to deliver.

I have been in attendance at The Sebel Yarrawonga this week to attend a conference and I am more than suitably impressed with the facilities, the technology, the food and the location. Nothing is a problem and the staff are very accommodating. The gardens are immaculate and there is not a blade of grass out of place. The view out across Lake Mulwala is stunning and surrounding the hotel are walking tracks, a golf course and private residences that do not impose on the hotels private ambiance. There are outstanding accommodation options and the infinity pool is also suitably impressive. The technology available for conferences is state of the art, with connections for all forms of a.v and digital devices, they also have private bathrooms for each conference room where the washbasins and hand dryers are touch free. I would definitely recommend this property to for conferences &/or meetings and highly recommend utilising both indoor and outdoor facilities.

This modern establishment is certainly deserving of 5 stars. We stayed for 5 nights in a 1 Bedroom Apartment on the top floor with great views of Lake Mulwala (all rooms by the way would have a view). The room has been well designed and very comfortable especially the King Bed. We dined at the Stock & Barrel a few nights (with excellent choice of dishes and top presentation) as well as cooking for ourselves using the apartment’s oven and cooktop. Check-in Staff were very friendly and professional and also deserving of praise.

booked the 2 bdr 2bath apartment, wonderful position overlooking lake. 2nd bedroom is so small had to roll the bed to one side to open the door, and wardrobe is very tight. There is no microwave for a self contained unit which is unusual. The lighting is bad in bathroom for makeup as mentioned elsewhere, however lovely appointments. Staff are wonderful however be aware that in winter months Sunset bar and Spa (as in beauty treatment spa not spa bath) are closed!!! No compendium or instructions on how to use anything, room very hot when arrived spent most of the 3 nights with windows open (winter mind you). Compendium is on TV but has barely any information, dine in menu is only food... no drinks listed. for a 4 star hotel, not one biscuit to have with a cup of tea, only some water and couple of milks in the fridge. There is a nespresso at least but with 4 pods supplied, refreshed daily. Bath towels are wonderful, big and soft. Beds are comfy. Restaurant was very good, was there with a big group and the feasting menu for Saturday night dinner was amazing.