Just a 90 minute drive from Sydney, and about half an hour away from the beaches of the Central Coast, the Mercure Kooindah Waters Central Coast is an affordable, but luxurious getaway that sits alongside an 18 hole championship golf course (ranked in the Top 100 golf resort courses in Australia), an Endota day spa with treatment rooms overlooking Zen-style water gardens, purpose built conference and meeting facilities, spacious self-contained apartments or hotel accommodation and an exceptional dining experience in Karinya’s Restaurant. Well, so says their brochure. So how does it all shape up?
During our stay, we enjoyed a deluxe King Bedroom with lounge area. It’s a cozy establishment, with a balcony (with table and two comfortable chairs) overlooking the golf course – definitely a peaceful and quaint view, and worth the extra few dollars they charge than the car park view on the other side (where a busy pool may also be in line of sight and sound). The living area has a firm and comfortable couch in front of a reading table and a large flat screen TV, with all the Free To Air channels and a couple of Foxtel extras – three sports channels, Discovery, Nickelodeon and Sky News. A bar fridge holds a few drinks which can be enjoyed for a few dollars, and the tea and coffee comes with compliments.
Wi-Fi is included for AccorHotels Le Club members, so make sure to sign up before you visit and attach it to your booking, if you’re not already a member. Check in couldn’t have been easier, and the staff were friendly and courteous. When they stuffed up a room service order, the person who took the call came up and personally apologised. They certainly go out of their way to make sure you’re comfortable and having a relaxing stay.
The bedroom has a second TV and is large and spacious. We had a corner room so quite a lot of windows and a lovely view of the course and its surrounds. There are two sets of pillows, one softer and one firmer, and the king sized bed is as comfortable as they come. The air conditioning is excellent, and easily adjusted – though could be a bit noisy. The bathroom, also of considerable size, has a massive shower, bath and a huge mirror against the sink. The hotel provide everything you could possibly need in the toiletry department: Dental kits, shower caps, sewing kit, shoe shining kit, even a loofa and a comb are all sitting on the counter, alongside the usual shampoos and soaps. You’ll also enjoy some wonderfully comfortable slippers, and bathrobes for two.
In addition to the massive golf course, there are plenty of other activities on site, too. The tennis court is free to use, with rackets and balls for free hire. There’s an Endota spa you can make a booking at for a fee, and a free to use pool area with outdoor pool, indoor spa and indoor lap pool. When we went down there was a kid’s birthday party going on, so we didn’t exactly pick the most relaxing time to visit. It seems to be accessible to people in the surrounding community; not just hotel guests. The hotel provide pool towels at reception, however. The golf course is large and well groomed; I didn’t play but I enjoyed watching others. It provides some nice areas to walk around, too.
The food on site is of good quality; a bar menu is served all day, with breakfast between 7 and 11 and then a lunch/dinner menu until 9; some of which can be ordered to the room – there’s just a $1-2 surcharge added per item for the privilege. When you can get a solid pizza or a steak sandwich delivered to the room with some chips for around $22, it’s a recommended service across a lazy weekend. Though it’s worth the trip downstairs; the bar is comfortable and there’s a lot of outside seating. Items like a $7 bacon and egg roll which aren’t available for room service are available here all day; something that’s particularly handy for the late risers! And of course everything can be charged to the room.
The on site restaurant Karinya’s serves an impressive smorgasbord buffet for breakfast, included in select bookings, otherwise available for an additional charge. You’ll find a healthy fruit, yogurt and cereal section, with a few pastries thrown in for good measure (and some welcome dried fruits). There’s a few juices, a pancake machine, Dilmah teas and a self-service Nespresso coffee machine. The hot buffet is impressive; lean beef chipotlas, scrambled eggs, mushrooms (with a dash of cream), two types of baked beans, crispy tater tots, bacon and more make up the selection. And there’s a strong choice of breads to toast. It’s definitely worth a visit, and with service until 11am on the weekend you have plenty of time to enjoy it. At night, Karinya’s becomes a fine dining establishment, with a three course meal as standard. The prices are reasonable; you’re looking at around the $60 mark for the three courses and though we didn’t try it during our visit, it looked of high quality.
With check in times from 2pm, a 10am check out comes standard but late checkout on a Sunday at 1130 didn’t seem to be an issue. Just talk to the friendly staff at reception and they’ll be able to look after you, 24 hours a day.
Getting There & What’s Around
Don’t want to drive? Jump on a train from Sydney to Wyong and you’ll be there in about 2 hours – and then it’s a little less than a 30 minute walk away from the station. I’m sure transport (e.g. Taxis) can be arranged for the short journey. Otherwise, it’s a breezy 90 minutes drive from Sydney. If you need other options for food and shopping, the Tuggerah Westfield is about ten minutes drive away. And within five minutes of the resort is Tuggerah Lake and Wyong River, offering serene picnic spots and a plethora of water sports. Another 25 minutes and you’ll be at the beach! There’s plenty to do in the area, though having a car is essential for the privilege.
Mercure Kooindah Waters Central Coast
Address: 40 Kooindah Boulevard 2259, Wyong NSW
Phone: Tel: (+61)2/43555777
For more details and to make a booking, head to their official website or to booking.com.
Photos Supplied. The author stayed with a Media Rate for one night.
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