In short, a functional beach house in a good location that provided all the basics for a week’s stay. We appreciated little things like the washing machine and laundry powder, the decent towels and the guest Netflix account. Shower pressure was great and the water hot. Pantry contains all the basics you need and the kitchen is well stocked with utensils. Kitchen and bathroom were sparkling clean when we arrived. The A/C was effective at keeping the house cool.
However, there was just a lot about this place that makes the $290 per night price tag absolutely ludicrous. The house itself is kitsch and full of tacky knick-knacks that collect dust. The couches are old and uncomfortable to sit on. None of the beds are queen sized despite the listing suggesting they were (and that extra 20cm makes all the difference when you have a 10 month old in a sleep regression). The blinds in the rooms don’t block out light so if you have young kids I suggest bringing black-out curtains. You’ll be sharing the home with confident rats, giant, rowdy possums, ants and spiders. The BBQ wasn’t clean when we got there so we didn’t end up using it because it wasn’t worth the effort of getting it cleaner. It is possible to get locked out of the house thanks to a poorly positioned deadlock/blind combination, which again, isn’t a great situation if you’re travelling with an infant.
Bellarine Getaways staff were friendly and quick to respond, although when we pointed out their listing error about the beds they weren’t especially helpful (a vague promise of an unspecified discount if we stay in the future).
Overall, an overpriced house that fulfils its requirement as a base for a great week at the beach.