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Best Event venues in Australia
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BigTop Playhouse
ivy Sydney
The George on Collins
Caboolture Historical Village
Park Proxi Gibraltar Bowral
The Bowden Centre
Osteria Coogee
The Trinity
ACMI
Red Rock Venues
Vue Events
Venue Hire Melbourne
Reviews
A nice hotel however not worthy of the price. Lovely and attentive staff and very well presented. The room was spacious however very cold despite the heating being turned on. We would recommend it if it was cheaper however we wish we had paid a little extra and went to Peppers around the corner.
Booked a night at Park Proxi after my parents stayed there and rated it very highly however our experience was unfortunately, not up to par. We were given a room with a view of the carpark (even after we asked for a nice room at the time of booking which was many months ago).
The bathroom looked exactly like a hospital bathroom with a dirty shower curtain (these are not pictured on their website which is slightly misleading and was not the bathroom my parents had in their room), so make sure you request a golf course facing room with a nicer bathroom.
To make matters worse there was dried up blood on the bed blankets which was pretty disgusting. We didn’t notice this until after we slept in the bed.
Other than the location being 5 minutes away from the heart of Bowral, I would suggest staying elsewhere.
The bathroom looked exactly like a hospital bathroom with a dirty shower curtain (these are not pictured on their website which is slightly misleading and was not the bathroom my parents had in their room), so make sure you request a golf course facing room with a nicer bathroom.
To make matters worse there was dried up blood on the bed blankets which was pretty disgusting. We didn’t notice this until after we slept in the bed.
Other than the location being 5 minutes away from the heart of Bowral, I would suggest staying elsewhere.
We just got home from staying at this hotel for two nights and had a disappointing experience. On the first night, we discovered blood on our bedsheets. We called the receptionist and requested the room be cleaned for the second night, as we had a wedding to attend and wanted a clean space to get ready.
Unfortunately, when we returned after the wedding, the room had not been serviced – the dirty bedding and towels were still there. Upon checkout, we mentioned this issue, only to receive multiple calls from the manager insisting the room had been serviced and claiming we never spoke to reception about it.
It's such a shame because the grounds and hotel itself are beautiful, and initially, we thought this was somewhere we would stay again. But after this experience, we won't be returning.
FYI - we should have listened to our Uber driver on the first night who warned us about the hotels service!
Unfortunately, when we returned after the wedding, the room had not been serviced – the dirty bedding and towels were still there. Upon checkout, we mentioned this issue, only to receive multiple calls from the manager insisting the room had been serviced and claiming we never spoke to reception about it.
It's such a shame because the grounds and hotel itself are beautiful, and initially, we thought this was somewhere we would stay again. But after this experience, we won't be returning.
FYI - we should have listened to our Uber driver on the first night who warned us about the hotels service!
I just returned from a visit to Bowral , and we stayed at the park proxi hotel .id been looking forward to it as I’d heard good things but the reality was very different . I booked online and booked for two nights , Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 . When we arrived it was dark and cold after travelling from the Gold Coast to Sydney then hiring a car to travel to Bowral . The reception I got was lack lustre , from a surly lady , who could hardly say welcome or any pleasantries. Such as how was your trip etc . She booked us in and I asked about food , which she replied it’s all closed Monday and Tuesday so there’s nothing but you can order Uber eats ! Otherwise go to town but there won’t be much open either . I was given a map but most were closed and as it was dark and cold we ventured out to buy a pizza and then try and find our way back . The hotel is badly signed and dark at night . The hotel has been a gorgeous fit out when new , but now appears worn and forlorn. There’s obviously no care taken with the car park dirty , weeds and rubbish . We were given room 109 , and no assistaence was offered with bags so we wandered down a rather dark and confusing corridor and could not find 109 , as the rooms were not in order numerically . Eventually we found the room tucked miles down the corridor or the car park side . It turns out it was a disabled room which I did not realise I’d booked but when I mentioned it I was firmly told it was my fault . No offer was made to change rooms and so we did not get to see the glorious views of the golf club or lake . The room was comfortable , clean but with an open shower and vanity for wheel chair accesss , shower seat etc it was stark and not very nice . The hotel was basically empty . So it would have been nice to be offered an change but nothing was discussed . It appears the whole place is run bu an Indian family who are not customer focused at all . The next morning I went to the dining room to have breakfast as I knew the views of the autumn trees would be worth it and at 30 .00 for the buffet it seemed a nice idea as my partner had a lie in . There were only two other people dining and after waiting for a good five minutes a lady reluctantly came towards me and said what did I want ? I mentioned breakfast for one and she said did I have a booking ?/no I did not , but did not even know I needed one . She said I could pay now , and I said book to room and she seemed surprised by that . I got upset and disgruntled and said I’m not going to dine as I was made to feel so uncomfortable .
I left feeling very unhappy and told the desk manager what had happened and he said he would talk to her . I’m sure he said nothing . I had to then drive the the centre of town where I got a lovely good morning , a welcome smile and delicious breakfast .
I think the service was disgusting in the hotel . You can feel a general lack of care , and it’s been a beautiful hotel , which is falling slowly apart . It feels dead , no sign if any staff no life and I’d never go there again . Overall clean rooms , other areas are untidy and table cloths left around banquet rooms , dusty and such a shame . A soulless hotel . Matthew
I left feeling very unhappy and told the desk manager what had happened and he said he would talk to her . I’m sure he said nothing . I had to then drive the the centre of town where I got a lovely good morning , a welcome smile and delicious breakfast .
I think the service was disgusting in the hotel . You can feel a general lack of care , and it’s been a beautiful hotel , which is falling slowly apart . It feels dead , no sign if any staff no life and I’d never go there again . Overall clean rooms , other areas are untidy and table cloths left around banquet rooms , dusty and such a shame . A soulless hotel . Matthew
Some of the most delicious south East Asian food I have ever tried. The portion sizes were also reasonable for the price. Margaret our server was so lovely. Will be back on our next theatre function day.
This place deserves all five stars for everything. What a beautiful view from our room. Staff was friendly and room spacious, clean and comfortable. Lobby and reception look good too. Couldn’t play golf because of weather but will definitely visit again. Thanks for an amazing stay 😊
I don't know why people from Sydney complain about this place. I think it's a great nightclub. I've been on fridays and saturdays, different genres of music, but I've had fun on both nights. I've never had an issue with the staff or the bouncers in this nightclub. I think as long as you're enjoying yourself and not acting like a complete drunken fool you won't get pestered by the bouncers.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Great find.
Moody, relaxing, beautiful venue in a great location.
Service was fantastic.
Food was flavoursome and a different experience, which we appreciated.
The menu caters to dietary requirements, in particular gluten-free, which was appreciated.
Prices are reasonable for the stunning venue. This was the perfect place to celebrate our wedding anniversary.
I would definitely recommend it, and we look forward to dining again as we work our way through the delicious menu.
Great find.
Moody, relaxing, beautiful venue in a great location.
Service was fantastic.
Food was flavoursome and a different experience, which we appreciated.
The menu caters to dietary requirements, in particular gluten-free, which was appreciated.
Prices are reasonable for the stunning venue. This was the perfect place to celebrate our wedding anniversary.
I would definitely recommend it, and we look forward to dining again as we work our way through the delicious menu.
If you want to have watered-down drinks that are very expensive and food, that is also very expensive. Then I recommend IVY. It took 40 minutes for pizza....
The drinks were so watered down, and they don't pour one standard shot, its more like 3/4 of a standard shot, and then they charge 5$ extra
The drinks were so watered down, and they don't pour one standard shot, its more like 3/4 of a standard shot, and then they charge 5$ extra
Easy 30 minute walk from the station, up main road, turn right, past the markets and it's just after the equestrian centre. Volunteer staff all very helpful and friendly, a lot to see which filled our time from 10.00 a m to 3.00 p.m. including a very well presented burger, salad and fries (made a welcome change they weren't heavily over salted as we've often found elsewhere) and after the decent walk round all the exhibits, it was nice to be offered a free shuttle bus ride back to the station. Very impressed with the day.
Stayed for three days two nights with my partner as we had a wedding to attend locally. Absolutely lovely experience! Staff were welcoming, polite and attentive! This includes the cleaning crew and reception. Room was spectacular, super comfy bed and the facilities were extremely clean. Loved the luxurious bathroom. That left us very relaxed. We're hoping to come here again to enjoy a stay that isn't as rushed (because of the wedding).
Thank you for the lovely stay!
Thank you for the lovely stay!
I was really looking forward to my birthday dinner at the George and it lived up to all my expectations. There was a little hiccup at the start and we were seated at the wrong table but the host quickly sorted it and we got our beautifully appointed Rumpus room. The waiting staff was fabulous and very attentive. The food and drinks were delish. All my guests were happy and we made great memories. Thank you for an incredible night!!
According to the website I was lead to believe this venue was very wheelchair friendly. I didnt agree. I found a lot of the paths were very uneven so making it difficult for wheelchairs to be pushed smoothly into the buildings. Twice Ì nearly catapulted out of my chair! So quite dangerous I felt.
Whilst we did have a great evening here to see Paul Van Dyk I do concur the bouncers are overzealous. My partner had not had much to drink and was pulled aside as soon as he walked out the male toilets. He was completely confused why and was then asked how much he had to drink and was allowed back in. I would have been most upset if he had been kicked out given I would have been left in the club on my own and we'd both paid $250 each for back stage passes. We have never experienced this at any other venue we have been to or ever been kicked out of anywhere. Quite an upsetting experience. I also think there should be free water stations readily available for patrons as is with comparable venues in the city. I wanted to leave this post as I see many saying bouncers are racist. I don't believe they are racist at all just overzealous and towards the males so perhaps sexist rather than racist a better description.
Great service, food was fantastic loved all of it. Staff are amazing and very attentive and friendly. Atmosphere was great very relaxing and welcoming. Food itself was delicious, great menu and the flavours are fantastic
We ate here for my wife's birthday and had the $85 banquet. Stand out dishes were the lamb ribs, green curry and the mango coconut pannacotta. The rest of the dishes were fine just not very exciting. The staff were lovely and professional. We had a couple too many cocktails.
The accommodation was clean, spacious and comfortable. The staff were friendly and helpful. When we walked in there was a strong scent from an A/C diffuser. I saw the manager who told me it was sandlewood, which is a good idea, but I had an asthma reaction. I'm glad to say the smell was mainly in the reception area, not in the rooms or restaurant area. So I walked outside the building to get to the restaurant and bar area. The food and service was good, and the jazz musicians were excellent.
Halo security bouncer “Sunny” assaulted me because I was busy texting my friend … on the way out of IVY bar because I wasn’t walking out fast enough …
Told him not to touch me as he shoved me out and got violent. So unprofessional… Sunny won’t have a regular coming back
Told him not to touch me as he shoved me out and got violent. So unprofessional… Sunny won’t have a regular coming back
Delicious food full of flavour! Came here as a group of 4 and decided to just ordered straight off the menu - we found it to be better value than the banquet and we left with very full tummies. The service and atmosphere was good, although quite loud inside
Delicious food, incredible atmosphere and fantastic service. The restaurant itself is so beautiful and the food is delicious. We sat in a booth and had the perfect amount of privacy, making us feel like we had our own little space in the restaurant where we felt comfortable to catch up with friends and really enjoy the food and drinks.
Excellent service by the brilliant service team at The George on Collins, delivered with amazing food that's simply heaven and to die for. Our order was taken promptly, and the dishes were served to our table quickly. We're very pleased with the delicious food served (attached photos), the portion sizes, the beautiful flavours and the music, intimate ambience and lively atmosphere. This is good food cooked with passion for high quality ingredients and a heart for South East Asian culinary tradition. Highly recommended and will definitely return to celebrate special occasions.
Amazing, customer service was amazing would recommend coming here
Absolutely love new management! Always go above and beyond. Have been here before but this time was sooo much cleaner, absolutely lovely staff and were so accommodating both times I went to book my kids birthdays very last minute. Can’t recommend them enough!
We had a Christmas party at the Ivy, The venue was suitable for large volumes of people. Hundreds. It has multiple floors, a huge dance floor and stage and multiple bars. Equally there were spaces where you could have a more personal conversation. The staff were friendly and the food - tapas was delicious. A fun night was had by all.
The new owners have done amazing at this place. Had my little ones 4th birthday the other day. Well done and thank you to the owners and accommodating us.
Special thank you to Lexi. She was incredible at being there for us and all the other people she was helping.
Special thank you to Lexi. She was incredible at being there for us and all the other people she was helping.
We visited during the annual halloween event held at Caboolture Historical Village this year. Halloween is always a magical time of year; giving adults and kids an excuse to dress up, have fun and indulge our sweet tooth just a little. It was our first time attending this event, and what an experience we had. The village gave a nice balance of fright while also being family friendly. Be prepared to hear many screams as you explore the night. The halloween decorations showcased were beautifully integrated with the historical buildings, and curated items can be enjoyed throughout the village. The mandatory jumpscare was on the table for the night. Volunteers included ghosts and ghouls in the hospital, witches that gave us a wonderfully 'horrifying' welcome as well as a caged prisoner. The details were well thought throughout the event. You could also find a chainsaw madman chasing people through the village. There were statues that came alive. We enjoyed the miniature train ride, which also included murderous gunmen firing away from the minature forest. This gave us a good jump. Next halloween, I would recommend adding Caboolture Historical Village on your list for a fun family fright night.
I can not recommend this place enough!!! I just celebrated my daughters 2nd birthday here and Eve and her team were so accomodating, the party was absolutely magical and my daughter and her friends had the best time ever! The centre is clean, well looked after and most importantly FUN!! The whole team is so welcoming and nice and really gives a family feel to the place, we come here so often we feel like part of the furniture. Thank you Big Top, this is a party I’ll never forget ❤️
This village was worth the drive from Ipswich QLD. Go and see how your forebears lived and worked. Many of the buildings are original and some have been restored. Others have been reproduced, if taking little ones check the times of the train(I was disappointed)
First club I went to while visiting Australia. Went on a Thursday night, great vibes! 10/10. Even came back a week later because we had such a fun time. People there were there to dance and have a good time. No weirdos or creepy men in sight! The only strange thing was how intense security was. There were three rows of security to get through and I had to provide my ID and passport each time. Props to them for prioritizing security/safety!
Just discovered this gem 💎!
Kids had a great time. And the coffee was great, and the food was all so reasonably priced (and yummy!). Think we might book our next birthday party here!
Kids had a great time. And the coffee was great, and the food was all so reasonably priced (and yummy!). Think we might book our next birthday party here!
One of the best places in Sydney to Party ! The place is quite huge and you have various options within ! The vibe and atmosphere is probably one of the best in Sydney ! But the only negative here is the security staff as they are quite rude and don't know how to treat people appropriately !
My husband and I were very disappointed in the state of the toys/mazes.. the foam was coming apart and held together with zip ties, large chunks of foam were missing many places, the ball pit was almost empty, most nets had big holes, and everything was just incredibly filthy. It seems like nobody has cleaned this place since it opened. Almost didn’t want my little one touching anything. A real shame because it is huge and roomy with tons of seating and different play areas, but disappointing that it’s just not maintained at all. Would not recommend or go back. That said, our 16 month old, that doesn’t mind dirty run down toys, absolutely loved it here.
Fun place for the kids to spend a few hours. Quite hot inside so dress in cool clothing. Make sure you explore all the areas for different things to do.
We stayed in the toddler area and took pics there but there's a great jungle gym for older kids too.
We stayed in the toddler area and took pics there but there's a great jungle gym for older kids too.
Great staff, fantastic atmosphere and great tunes. Was fairly short wait for drinks, toilet access and quick line to get until the venue. Ivy Sundays had a great crowd. Loved every minute of it
EDIT: Decided to revisit this place as its under new management.
The menu is better but it's still not great. Poor service.
I stood at the counter 3 times and the young girl was no where to be seen. There were only 2 other families in there so it wasn't like she was busy.
I took my daughter to the change room and she fell through the change table, lucky I was able to catch her.
Don't waste your time going here.
This play centre is so run down and a sest pool for germs. The floors are disgusting, the toys in the toy room are so old, they look like they've never been cleaned and the room itself was filthy. The soft toys were so ewww brown and had various kids sucking on them.
The actual play area itself was so old, rundown, unclean and held together in places with cable ties, some of the padding was falling down. I didn't enjoy being there and refused to buy the kids food there as it seemed so unclean, unless they upgrade the place I won't ever take the kids back. I really miss places like Abrakidazzle.
The menu is better but it's still not great. Poor service.
I stood at the counter 3 times and the young girl was no where to be seen. There were only 2 other families in there so it wasn't like she was busy.
I took my daughter to the change room and she fell through the change table, lucky I was able to catch her.
Don't waste your time going here.
This play centre is so run down and a sest pool for germs. The floors are disgusting, the toys in the toy room are so old, they look like they've never been cleaned and the room itself was filthy. The soft toys were so ewww brown and had various kids sucking on them.
The actual play area itself was so old, rundown, unclean and held together in places with cable ties, some of the padding was falling down. I didn't enjoy being there and refused to buy the kids food there as it seemed so unclean, unless they upgrade the place I won't ever take the kids back. I really miss places like Abrakidazzle.
One of the best places I’ve been too I needed way more than 90mins coming back for a second visit soon. This time starting in the morning so if I take all day brilliant. Well worth the trip and please take your time there to really enjoy the moment. So much to see and explore it’s like a whole town plus some more.
If I could give this venue a rating of 0 I would, it was a complete disappointment in its entirity.
Over the weekend visited BigTop Playhouse for my god-daughters 3rd birthday and was met with a continual level of disappointment and frustration for the service my friend paid for. This party cost my friend over $800 and included extras she paid for like a balloon garland, costumed character and additional food platters.
When arriving at the venue we were met with dirty tables and chairs, tilting theme display which was completely unsafe, used table cloths and also only approx 5 themed plates and napkins with the rest of the settings replaced with an alternate themed plates, cups and napkins from a different childrens program.
I think one of the biggest disappointment was the balloon garland that was purchased as an extra for $120 per the advertised images and was nothing more than 4 individual balloon bunches that could have been done by anyone (photos attached).
Reusable cups that our children were given were dirty and looked to have not been properly washed and had been braisenly given to patrons.
The venue was completely understaffed and guests of our party were left to fend for ourselves in a private party room with a costumed character. We had to ask random patrons and their children to leave the room so that our kids could enjoy the costumed character that was paid for our party. This should have been something the staff should have been doing. I even had to ask to take over the music in the room for the kids as completely inappropriate music for children was being played.
We even had to help escort the lovely girl in the costume out of the room safely as the one staff member who was in the room with us left after I took over the music.
The food which was purchased additionally for $100 was nothing more than frozen party packs from your local shopping centre. If we were allowed to bring our own food in I can assure you it would have been much more enjoyable.
The actual playground space was completely run down with multiple sections of the play area held together with duct tape and zip ties and covered in a thick layer of dust.
When my friend sent a complaint to the owner on the same day, raising all these concerns it took over 38 hours for her to respond and was met with no remorse or explination for this service.
All in all it left a sour and dirty taste in our mouth and I know I am not the only one to say we would never recommend this venue to anyone looking to celebrate their childs special day.
Absolute disgrace.
Over the weekend visited BigTop Playhouse for my god-daughters 3rd birthday and was met with a continual level of disappointment and frustration for the service my friend paid for. This party cost my friend over $800 and included extras she paid for like a balloon garland, costumed character and additional food platters.
When arriving at the venue we were met with dirty tables and chairs, tilting theme display which was completely unsafe, used table cloths and also only approx 5 themed plates and napkins with the rest of the settings replaced with an alternate themed plates, cups and napkins from a different childrens program.
I think one of the biggest disappointment was the balloon garland that was purchased as an extra for $120 per the advertised images and was nothing more than 4 individual balloon bunches that could have been done by anyone (photos attached).
Reusable cups that our children were given were dirty and looked to have not been properly washed and had been braisenly given to patrons.
The venue was completely understaffed and guests of our party were left to fend for ourselves in a private party room with a costumed character. We had to ask random patrons and their children to leave the room so that our kids could enjoy the costumed character that was paid for our party. This should have been something the staff should have been doing. I even had to ask to take over the music in the room for the kids as completely inappropriate music for children was being played.
We even had to help escort the lovely girl in the costume out of the room safely as the one staff member who was in the room with us left after I took over the music.
The food which was purchased additionally for $100 was nothing more than frozen party packs from your local shopping centre. If we were allowed to bring our own food in I can assure you it would have been much more enjoyable.
The actual playground space was completely run down with multiple sections of the play area held together with duct tape and zip ties and covered in a thick layer of dust.
When my friend sent a complaint to the owner on the same day, raising all these concerns it took over 38 hours for her to respond and was met with no remorse or explination for this service.
All in all it left a sour and dirty taste in our mouth and I know I am not the only one to say we would never recommend this venue to anyone looking to celebrate their childs special day.
Absolute disgrace.
An atmospheric mix of old houses and businesses set up as they would have been and buildings housing vehicles and tools of yesteryear. Everything is really clean and in good condition. The fountain and planting are really lovely too. There are two cafes but both were closed when we got there at 1 pm on Sunday and the train wasn't going either, I think we were the only people there as we didn't see a soul for the three hours we were there, except the receptionist who was very nice. I suppose this just happens sometimes as it's staffed by volunteers so just remember to take some snacks and a drink in case. Definitely wear plenty of mosquito spray, I did and still got bitten 4 times. Big thanks to the volunteers, we learnt a lot and will remember it, it was a really good day out.
A large area full of Australian culture. Plenty of collections of historical significance such as police, farming, school, transport, technology and there is a morgue too. There is a train ride as well. It takes probably a good 3 to 4 hours to appreciate the collections.