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Average
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About
3.5
#4 of 4 resorts in Pokolbin
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
STUNNING HUNTER VALLEY RESORT So close to Sydney yet truly a world away, the Hunter Valley is the birthplace of Australian wine with over 150 premium wine producers holding a very special place in the global wine industry. Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort is located in Central Pokolbin neighbored by the vineyards of Brokenwood, Tamburlaine, Pokolbin Estate, Audrey Wilkinson, Roche Estate (formerly known as Tempus Two) and Hunter Valley Gardens. The iconic 300 acre resort includes a golf & country club, two restaurants, two bars, three pools, two tennis courts and a wide variety of self-contained accommodation. The thoughtfully appointed one, two and three bedroom villas are set against a stunning backdrop of the rolling golf greens and spectacular Broken Back Mountain Range. Unique event venues, activities, team building, support services and arguably the best service delivery in the region highlight the resorts' position as New South Wales' meeting and event destination of choice.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort is celebrated for its serene setting and proximity to picturesque vineyards, offering a tranquil atmosphere that many guests cherish. While the spacious rooms and variety of activities available on-site are appreciated, some travelers have raised concerns about room cleanliness and maintenance.
Service quality appears to be a point of contention, receiving both accolades for staff friendliness and critiques regarding responsiveness. Additionally, opinions on the resort's value and the upkeep of its amenities are mixed, suggesting room for improvement in these areas.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Inviting
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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When booking we were told that they only had 2 x 3 bedroom at the Panorama Wellness Suite. The reservation person talked the room up so we were all excited.
Well, When checking in we were told that our apartment is a non function kitchen only the fridge and kettle worked. It was based in the wellness center Elysia. When making our booking none of the this was advised, the non function kitchen, the retreat is a five minute drive at the back of the oak cypress resort plus another 5 mins walk to your room. Which was very disappointing and really frustrating.
We asked for help with a luggage and advised that they do not have any potter service or golf buggies to assist. Though after our first night we saw golf buggies and a bus taking other guest to the main receptions and back.
We had to park the car at one end and walk for 5 mins before getting to our room. Try doing this with luggage and other items.
The rooms are nice nothing wow, good space and size. The bed are horrible considering they are part of the wellness resort. Each room had its own shower not the best shower pressure. The room look like it was locked up for some time and we were the first using it since Covid. They really could have cleaned it and made it smell and look fresh and clean . The room are on a hill and in winter it’s cold and windy. It was raining and windy and the sliding and screen doors would bang all night, so didn’t get much sleep across all room. Bedroom door where also the same, even placing towels to stop the vibration and banging from the wind did not work. The phone was not working and unable to contact reception.
I understand that Covid is making us all travel and support local business though we really felt that we we’re taken advantage of this weekend. When addressing our concern they didn’t care as they were fully book. Don’t think we would stay here again.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Amy O'Neill, General Manager at Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort
Responded Jul 21, 2020
Dear michlaz21, Thank you for taking the time to write a detailed review on your stay with us. I am sorry to hear that you experience was not a positive as we hope all our guests have. It seems that you have stayed in our Wellness Retreat Section, we were able to open this to the public during COVID-19 while the retreat was closed and allowed guests to take advantage of the beautiful views over the valley and walks around the property. We are just about to start a refurbishment on these villas so we are looking forward to having them refreshed. We do not yet have an end date for you just yet however w do have many other rooms types available that the car parks are closer to the villas themselves. Thank you again for your feedback and we hope that we are able to welcome you back to the property in the future Warm regards, Josie Gibson Hotel Manager
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We spent 4 nights in a one bedroom villa booked through RCI, and were very happy with our accommodation. It was a bit of a walk from reception to Chardonnay Terrace, but we had a car, so it didn't matter. Our villa was upstairs with a private entrance. There was a small well-equipped kitchenette off the lounge room with everything we needed to make coffee, snacks and clean up. Double doors opened to the bedroom with king bed, and to the side of the bed more double doors to the huge bathroom, equipped with walk-in shower, large bath and vanity. We had a long balcony the length of the bedroom and loungeroom, with views of trees and the golf course in the distance. There was a large barbeque which we didnt use. The furnishings looked modern, only the bathroom doors need fixing as they were a bit wonky and didn't meet in the middle. The staff were all lovely with high levels of customer service from cleaning to reception. When I couldn't get the internet to work, I was given a little thing to plug in and it was good after that. Cypress Lakes is in the prefect location for visiting the Hunter Valley, although we found a lot of wineries are only open Friday to Sunday. We drove into Cessnock a few times as only 11 km. One day we went to Maitland, a 40 minute drive, to see the art gallery and wander around. We couldn't get lunch in a winery, so we went to the Sabor Dessert Bar. Oh my, you should go there. I don't play golf, but it was such a lovely setting, I walked around to take photos after the golfers had left
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Date of stay: March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shaun O'Bryan, General Manager at Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort
Responded Jun 20, 2021
Dear Christine, Thank you for taking the time to review our property. We appreciate your detailed comments on the villa and the local area and lovely to hear that you enjoyed walking around the Golf Course with the local wildlife. We look forward to welcoming you back to Cypress Lakes Resort in the future. Warm regards, Josie Gibson Hotel Manager
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First time staying at the Cypress Lakes Resort in Hunter Valley. I stayed from 4th - 6th June and found the resort overall is very beautiful and well maintained. I stayed in the 1 Bedroom Premier Villa. The Villa is very spacious and was conveniently located near the restaurant and other amenities.
The staff are very nice both at the front desk and in the restaurant which I had dinner and breakfast. The food was very well prepared and enjoyable. Walking the grounds of the resort is very quiet and peaceful.
My only reasons for rating as 3 star (versus 5) is the checkin process was slow as only 1 person working at the front desk handling a call when I arrived around 7:45pm which took several minutes and then she was able to check me in. In contrast at checkout at 10am there were 4 people manning the front desk and was very quick and efficient. Second issue was the Villa was freezing cold on first entry. First order of business was to get the heating units going to get it at least reasonably comfortable. Final issue was the villa is a split level and had a group of folks below my villa making a lot of noise (both vocal and doing something causing a lot of lot banging/vibration in building to the point I eventually had to call the front desk as it went non-stop for a few hrs overpowering the sound of my own TV and conversations in my villa and eventually preventing me from sleeping later on. I waited a while as I know it is for many the first weekend away since isolation and a lot of people want to celebrate (myself included) and not trying to interrupt the party. The gentleman working the front desk shift around midnight promptly addressed it as moving to another villa was not an option due to full occupancy. He walked to the villa and knocked on their door and addressed them to keep it down which they apologised and did keep the noise down from that point forward. It did highlight the soundproofing of the villas needs to be addressed as it is very poor. I could still hear conversations clear as day in their villa after they calmed down the noise.
Overall while a nice property, I do see many areas where it could be improved. I think addressing some things simple as the soundproofing and overall customer service experience could easily make this a 5 star resort. I will consider staying again but maybe in a different accommodation type.
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Date of stay: June 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Amy O'Neill, General Manager at Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort
Responded Jul 9, 2020
Dear Jay380, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience on your recent stay with us. While I am delighted to hear of your positive feedback on our customer service standards, it is certainly disappointing to hear of the issues experienced during your stay with us on this occasion. I sincerely apologise for any discomfort caused and I can assure you these issues have been addressed with relevant departments. We sincerely appreciate the valuable feedback you have provided and will certainly review these areas for continuous improvement. The team and I are very much looking forward to welcoming your return to Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort in the near future. Warm regards, Sarah Doyle Front Office Manager
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Had an amazing time soaking up the tranquility of the area. Enjoyed the 5min walk from my room to the main facilities and the staff were all super friendly and couldn't be more helpful. Absolutely loved the dining experience at Oaks & Vine - the food was sensational!
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Review collected in partnership with Minor Hotels
Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My partner and I booked 3 nights here to getaway, initially we booked a 1 bedroom villa but were given a 2 bedroom villa (not sure why). Straight away my partner cried at the cleanliness of the ‘villa’ (should actually be renamed a ‘cabin’).
Everything was outdated, dusty, shower was dirty, it also smelt like someone had used the bathroom just before we arrived! We expect bugs due to location however even with all windows and door closed, bull-ants in the room, slugs on the floor etc!
Leftover food was left on our balcony from the previous guest. For $200 a night you expect it to be completely clean, especially when they make it clear on their website that it is hospital grade sanitised, In reality - it’s not!
We reluctantly stayed the first night, we went to the bistro for food, absolutely no atmosphere, you’re also pretty much eating in the dark! Food was rubbish, cocktail tastes horrible, wasted $90!
The next morning we went to check-out, 2 nights early as we couldn’t stay any longer! I asked for a refund on the 2 nights we aren’t going to use due to cleanliness, the manager told me very shortly, no.
After about 10 minutes of the manager giving us a robotic ‘sorry for the inconvenience’ and us telling the manager that it is not acceptable and showing her the photos she gave in and gave us our $400 back!
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shaun O'Bryan, General Manager at Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort
Responded Oct 20, 2020
Dear meliaP304, Thankyou for taking the time to review your recent stay with us. I am deeply saddened to read the comments and feedback provided from your recent stay with us. It is certainly disappointing to hear and I sincerely apologise for the issues experienced. I have shared and addressed this feedback with the housekeeping and F&B department heads to ensure continuous improvement in our product and service standards. While it was an unpleasant experience on this occasion we would like to invite you back to Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort where we will endeavour to ensure your next visit is a positive and memorable experience. Thank you once again for your valuable feedback. We sincerely hope to see you in again in the near future. Kind Regards, Yvette Bugeia Front Office Manager
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stayed for 3 nights in a 2bedroom, location & view from the room & golf course are stunning, but very tired looking. On the first night I rang to report none of the 3 phones in the villa worked now as this resort is spread out around the large hills not good if an emergency happened, mobile phone reception is not the best but for the bus pick had to keep ringing from my mobile, no fixed, was going to complain about no internet but if cant fix phone line then that's was not going to happen. Taps in the bathroom apart from needs a major renovation all tight to turn off just drips need repair. While we are downstairs the insulation between the upstairs apartments has to minimal you could at clearly here there conversations. While the rooms have a basic each day nothing was replaced so soaps, toilet paper etc. On the last night we had run out of toilet paper, soap asked to bring some up but no one ever came luckily the resort supplies tissues. Onto the restaurant very tired looking seems run down, dirty, no table service you order from the other at the bar and while not that busy on Saturday it took so long for the food and was just terrible one of the worst meals eaten, the manager just did not seem to care nor the staff. After going on tour the next day every winery and tour company told us they recommend no eat there. Was going to mention on check out that would never stay here again and about service but not even on check was friendly nor even ask out how our stay was.
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Date of stay: May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shaun O'Bryan, General Manager at Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort
Responded May 25, 2021
Dear Greig, Thank you for your review. I am concerned to hear that we did not meet your expectations during your stay with us and I apologise for the service lapses and the inconvenience caused. I am surprised to hear that our team was not able to assist nor was friendly throughout the stay as we generally do receive good feedback in regards to this. I will work closely with our Maintenance, Housekeeping and Front Office Managers in order to rectify moving forward. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly should you wish to discuss on (02) 49931555 Warm regards, Josie Gibson
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We had 6 ladies staying in a 3br unit. The resort is one of the few that offers all single beds which makes it great for groups of friends. The units were spacious and the furnishings very comfortable.
The only negative, which can be easily corrected by the resort, is the amount of stairs to some units. We stayed in unit 712 and the stairs down to the unit were insane for someone with mobility issues. I was aware there were stairs in the unit to the bed rooms and had countered in pain management for that. I wasn't expecting the amount of stairs to the unit and no apparent way to avoid them. We contacted reception when we arrived in the unit to see if there was any way that one of us could be collected by shuttle or buggy at the door so they didn't have to navigate the stairs and was advised no. I found this a bit difficult to understand as the golf buggies for house keeping would have to go along there. So now I am home, in chronic pain from the stairs, but I still had an awesome time.
All the resort needs to do is include on their website a warning about the stairs and for people with mobility issues to contact the resort before booking to arrange a unit with less stairs.
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Review collected in partnership with Minor Hotels
Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shaun O'Bryan, General Manager at Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort
Responded Dec 14, 2020
Dear JenniferCr231864, Thankyou for providing your feedback on your recent stay at Cypress Lakes Resort by Oaks. While we are delighted that you enjoyed your stay with us, it is disappointing to hear of the issues you experienced regarding the amount of stairs on the property, and the pain it has caused. We do have some villas available with easy access from the car park that can be requested prior to arrival and allocated subject to availability. Thank you once again for your valuable feedback. We sincerely hope to see you in again in the near future. Kind Regards, Yvette Bugeia Front Office Manager
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First of all, house keeping - once they have left for the day there was no way of getting an extra towel and had to go down to reception to pick it up. Considering your venue covered such proximity of the area it would have been considerate to offer to drop off the towel as a courtesy for your customers staying there.
Dining at the Bistro for dinner resulted family members feeling unwell including myself. For such a reputable venue i am surprised with the poor quality of the meal.
Not only did the mentioned dining and house keeping experience spoiled the weekend away, it has left an even more bad experience to ever want to be staying at this accomodation again as they accused the children of our family for damaging a tv in the room of the villa which the kids were not even staying in that room. We were contacted 3 hours post check out whilst when we left everything was fine and was not damaged. Who is to say that it wasn't damaged by house keeping and yet accusing a family who had left the place in the same condition it was upon check in?
Absolutely disappointing with this experience, please do not stay here if you have children as they get accused for damages which have not been caused by them and if travelling with seniors as you would be needed to trek down to reception to get an extra towel.
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Date of stay: September 2020
Value
Location
Service
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We stayed as a family and the location was good for the wine region and touring. The cleaning staff needed to be given a lesson on using a duster and vacuum cleaner however. There was dust on all the window sills. It is a dusty region but I guess the windows had not been open for a while, The floors had pop corn under the chairs so it was obvious the chairs had not been moved when the cleaning ? Took place. The bathrooms were clean but shower need a good dose of chlorine to remove the mould around the shower panels. Water saving heads had been fitted so the water force was low. The kitchens had adequate but basic crockery etc. Cleaning should have been better than a rub over. Tv and other facilities were adequate with tv in each bedroom. The price suggests a better standard of cleaning and apart from that the property is adequate. You must have a car or transport as the villas are all spread over hilly country but the bushland setting is delightful. Wallaby’s and birds are prolific. We did not eat there and self catered for breakfast but used the region for other meals. Evening meals sites are restricted however.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shaun O'Bryan, General Manager at Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort
Responded Aug 25, 2020
Dear Dinkumguy, I appreciate you taking the time to send me through your feedback. I am pleased to hear that you found the location very good and the location in the bushland setting. As you mentioned we are in a high dust prone area however I have passed on your comments to our Housekeeping Manager to address with our teams. Thank you again for sharing your feedback, any feedback is of the highest value to us, so if you would like to discuss any part of your stay in more detail, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at the hotel. Warm regards, Josie Gibson Hotel Manager
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The room itself was reasonable. However, there were bugs on the bench that were dead. The neighbours are easily heard and you are woken up by golf buggies from the workers!
The reception was not accessible at night when it came to 2:30am and the party upstairs were still going. Loudly screaming and moving furniture.
The bathroom definitely needs an update as we had to try and fix a leaking shower tap and toilet ourselves. They were dripping loudly all day and night.
There was a very old blind on the bathroom window that outsiders could definitely look into. I didn’t feel comfortable showering at all.
Workers drove around cleaning rooms in gold buggies they a started around 7:30-8:00. The buggies are very loud and with minimal soundproofing, heard directly in the room.
There were actually 3 bedrooms in our apartment but two were locked. It would have been nice to have them opened because of the bathroom issue.
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Review collected in partnership with Minor Hotels
Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from CypressLakes, Manager at Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort
Responded Mar 14, 2020
Dear mhayday27, Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback on your recent stay, . I am concerned to hear that we did not meet your expectations during your stay with us. I was particularly disappointed to hear of the cleanliness and assure you this is not a representative of our normal standards you and I would like to take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience caused. Thank you again for sharing your feedback, any feedback is of the highest value to us, so if you would like to discuss any part of your stay in more detail, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at the hotel. I do hope that you will allow us the opportunity to redeem ourselves, when your travels next bring you to the Hunter Valley. Warm regards, Josie Gibson
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Yes, I would be able to help you. The Cypress Lakes Resort which has the largest inventory works with Bookingscom however Weekenda has about 24 Villa's also works with Bookingscom which don't have access to the tennis courts, pools & spa, golf etc.
Yes, they have, we had food and ice brought to our room. I'm sure you can have stuff delivered from outside the Resort as well. A lot of the Villa's on site are privately owned.
Cheers, Jeff
Probably too late now but not every villa / room is the same. Some have been recently renovated, some havnt and they are often privately owned and let out by the management company so nobody can confirm what you will get when you book.
There are more places to choose from in the Pokolbin area.
PRICE RANGE
C$199 - C$470 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
cypress lakes hotel pokolbin, cypress lakes pokolbin, cypress lake resort, cypress lakes resort
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Cypress Lakes Resort
LOCATION
AustraliaNew South WalesGreater NewcastleCessnockPokolbin
NUMBER OF ROOMS
200
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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