Yongala Lodge by the Strand

At this price, a lovely living room and seperate bedroom, that's fantastic. Super friendly staff. It's walking distance from the activity hub at the Strand, and also from the Flinders Street area with cafes and restaurants. We had a great stay, would love to do it again. Room was very clean, beds very comfortable.

Come for the manager, stay for the rest. Nicole is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. She clearly loves people, the hotel and the town. Nothing is too much trouble. Amazing what a difference a warm smile can do for your spirits at the end of a long day on the road. Worth coming back for!

** Beware!! We foolishly paid $1300 per night at this lodging house. A last minute reunion with our military son, proved to be very disappointing. It was a busy weekend in Townsville, however after reading quite positive reviews and having been put in a position of a last minute booking, we went ahead and made a reservation for three nights. Upon arrival we found a very old, musty, dilapidated, and not particularly clean, room. Nicole was unwilling to provide us with a refund and we eventually located lovely accomodation elsewhere with our son. Yongala Lodge does have a nice location, however this is possibly its only attribute.

Warning do not stay here!! Disgusting dirty rooms , paid an extra $20 for an upgrade for a ground floor room . Couldn’t wait to wake up and leave. Never stay here! I wish I had taken photos to prove how awful it was ! Insects everywhere even in the bed

Accommodation was nice :) Self contained room had lots of beds, space and it was cosy and comfortable. Management are lovely and are accommodating. Quiet, walking distance to shops and beach, surrounding area is beautiful. Ample parking and smoking area which was a bonus 👌

For $250.00 you can reserve a family room consisting of one double, two singles beds and very worn, marked furniture (although clean). The very tired rooms do not resemble the promotional photographs. What do do not get: NO shampoo NO conditioner NO milk NO hairdryer Laundry broken NO daily room clean We opted to check out one day early and requested a refund from the manageress who spoke in circles, changing her mind from one minute to the next. Partial refund would only be granted if time could be found to clean the room and it was resold. Surprise, surprise, no word (or refund) back from a person who should really not be in the hospitality industry. There are so many accommodation options in Townsville. Do not consider this one. (P.S) this is the first negative review I have ever written with my years on TripAdvisor).

First the good news. The staff member that greeted us was fantastic - friendly, and really willing to make our stay great. The door on the office invites you to ring the doorbell. Don't bother looking. There isn't one, but the staff member responds promptly to the phone. Also good news, the location is really good. Half a block from the Strand - a block and a half to Coles on a back street and a block and a half to super yummy gelato on the strand. Now some hard realities. It seems that the ground level units have long term residents so the room for short stays is up 38 external concrete stairs. That may not be an issue, but you might need to consider that. The room was spacious, but other than the beds (a queen and a single), there was a built in shelf and cupboard AND a wobbly wooden chair. We imported another chair from outside (also wobbly and broken). Other than that, you sit on the bed. The bed is very firm but ok if you like that. The electrical appliances (kettle, small microwave, toaster and bar fridge) worked on and off. There was an intermittent electrical fault in at least 2 powerpoints. That was unsettling. if you're choosing accommodation on a budget, can climb stairs with whatever bags you bring and are looking for a good location, please consider this place. If any of the downsides for us would also leave you unsettled, keep looking.