hey! the motel was OKAY!! the carpet was snazzier than expected... definitely still saw some…read morestains. the free milk was grade A! was a bit of a trek out but thats ok because any distance is worth it for a/c that doesnt temperature vary!

Visited for the first time in maybe 4 years, was super impressed with the transformation the hotel…read morehas gone through and how better it looks now on the inside. Ordered the kilcoy rump steak and was amazed with how it was cooked to perfection ( medium rare), full of flavour and super tender, best steak I've had out in a long time. The mushroom sauce was something different too! Excellent vibe for dinner and drinks!

Amazing dinner. We…read morehad the salt and pepper calamari that came with two delicious accompaniments, a chilli jam and an aioli. Both were delectable. The calamari was perfectly cooked. We had a share plate of Mexican tortillas. Talk about divine! It was more than we could handle though. Certainly generous in the serving sizes. The staff were all lovely too. They had great kids meal options and a huge array of fun colouring sheets to keep the little ones occupied. Definitely somewhere we will be coming back to.

I had the Chicken schnitzel w/ chips & garden salad (or creamy mash & steamed veg). ($16.90) (gravy…read more& like sauces extra $2.50-3.50; toppers extra $4.50-6.50 -- I opted for no sauce or toppers; there's BBQ & tomato sauce on the cutlery table.) The breading was just a little bit dry for my tastes, but the chicken was tender & tasty, & the BBQ sauce was plenty to tide me over, but if I find myself back here I'll splurge for the gravy. The chips (fries) were ace. The salad was dressed with a light vinaigrette, a nice accompaniment to the fried food. My partner ordered a pizza: The Hendrix: salsa sauce base, seasoned beef, capsicum, & a mozzarella/cheddar blend & a dash of sour cream. ($14.90) Salsa base obviously makes for a bit of a strange pizza, but it was really good. Quite a large serving of sour cream, which is awesome if you like it; my partner, who doesn't, just pushed it off without any complaints. Their menu advertises mojitos, so I ordered one, but the bartender came & found me at my table a couple minutes later, apologizing profusely that they'd run out of mint. I asked for a schooner of beer instead, which she delivered with the change to make up the difference. Disappointing, but no big deal. Overall, good food for decent prices, especially when you throw in the free live music that accompanies your meal.

I'm reluctant to write a review because this places varies so much. The management often changes…read more(there's currently a good crew which is why I've given 4 stars) and every night of the week is different. It's a pretty big place and every area is also different! Generally the food is good, well priced pub grub. The drink specials are usually good value and there's a good variety on offer. But this place attracts some freaking weirdos. It's close to the train station and is often the sloppy last stop for people before they go home. Dress casual (all looks are welcome here though) come with some friends and sit on the couches and people watch over some drinks. Perhaps on the night you read this it will be totally different to what I've described. But go without expectations and it will be a fun one.

We decided to have a break away from Sydney so I booked the hotel as its right on the harbour with…read moredirect access to the boardwalk. The room was a harbour view suite the view wasn't as good as expected as we were on the first floor. The room it self was quite nice and well equipped with 2 tvs good bed etc. The parking is a bit of an issue as self parking is made difficult as you need to have a staff member go with you every time when you want to park so the only viable option is valet parking at $29.00 per day. The onsite restaurant is quite reasonable for an evening meal (but there are also a lot of other restaurants nearby) the restaurant is also where you have breakfast which is very pleasant with a good range of food options. All in all it's very pleasant hotel.

The team and I were here for two weeks. Excellent accommodation and the staff was absolutely…read moresuperb. Hands down one of the best venues for us. Being able to walk to town and wharf foodie and beverage places was great. Convenient to all Newcastle has to offer and by my count that is a lot! We'll be back and this is where we will stay!

I was sent to The Junction for a business trip. My employers had booked me a room for a 2 night…read morestay at The Junction Hotel. My first reaction after hearing the arrangement they had made was "You've got to be kidding me! They booked a room for me at the top of a pub?" (thinking that The Junction Hotel would be another one of those filthy pubs with a bunch of drunkards). Colleagues who stayed at this hotel tried hard to convince me that The Junction Hotel is no ordinary pub - but I still had to see it to believe it (you wouldn't blame me for being cynical too if you saw most of the pubs within the area I live in). But to my surprise...it was a nice hotel! 1. My hotel room was clean. 2. Modern. 3. Complete with necessities (like most commercial hotels): * Towels and hand towels * Shampoo - conditioner - body wash gel * Complimentary bottles of mineral water (and chocolates!) inside the refrigerator * Hair dryer * Iron and ironing board * Lots of toilet paper and tissues (no need for the housekeeper to stack them up on a daily basis * Coat hangers 4. There is a bar and a nice restaurant right downstairs: there's no need to get out of the building just to get food and drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Their menu was great and has quiet a variety of things to choose from. The meal prices (depending on what you order) can be a bit costly. But the quality of the food served at the hotel are well worth it. You just need to taste it and refer to the food presentation! 5. The restaurant and bar staff would be willing to bring food and drinks to your room (although you will have to order by the bar downstairs due to the fact that there are no telephones inside the rooms). But hey...it's a few walks down the stairs and you're there. Unless you are ridiculously lazy... 6. Less expensive than other hotels (I forgot the exact price but it was definitely less than $150 per night). 7. Oh! Did I mention how super comfortable the bed was? I definitely wouldn't bother paying to stay at the Crown Plaza Hotel (not far away) when I could get myself a hotel room that is equally decent - and that cost less. The guests - mostly locals - were also nice. I felt that I was able to just randomly start conversations with strangers.

Great pub food. Really enjoyed my Cajun Barramundi . It was surprisingly moist. But the highlight…read morewas the wait staff. Attentive friendly but not intrusive to a sole diner here for business.

$12 lunch deals. Good find! Presented well and tasted good…read more I'll come back. Loved the outside seating and relaxed atmosphere.

This pub wasn't all that bad, particularly since it had a huge beer garden out the back. In fact,…read moreit was the beer garden that really grabbed my attention with regards to this place. Not only was it quite large, but it was also rather pleasant. Well, they didn't have a great range of beers, which was a little disappointing, but as a pub, it really wasn't all that bad.

This is easily one of my favourite Newcastle pubs. It's recently been renovated and restored in…read morekeeping with its heritage. Drinks are reasonably priced the bar staff are friendly. The restaurant food ranges from reliable to amazing. It's always good. There are always different specials and you can get a schnitzel for $10. Tuesday night jazz at The Underground ($10-$15 entry) is of an exceptional standard and definitely worth doing at least once.

Pros: Nice staff and cleanly renovated…read more Cons: Meals took 30 minutes, came out in a staggered way (when there are only two eating, this is awkward), chips were undercooked and from fish tasting oil, schnitzel was flavourless, beef salad was very light on the beef, couldn't order alcohol at the bistro, bar required minimum $10 spend for EFTPOS (no sign). The drinks menu only had half the drinks, so not only awkward to see selection, had to order double, then had to ask prices too. Overall: has potential, but needs to pay attention to these details to make things a smoother process for the customer. It felt like work.