The Surf Yamba - Yamba, New South Wales

Robyn C.

What a beauty. The rooms was very comfortable, the mini bar was stocked everyday without extra costs, The room serviced daily . Heated pool on the top deck was refreshing. We were on the 2nd floor on the corner and had 180d views. What a Location, rock pool, beach walking track and town center all within walking distance. Plenty of places to eat out, just be mindful that Mondays and Tuesdays appear to be the preferred days for restaurants to close. Would definitely recommend to friends and hopefully we can return sometime soon. Thank you Garry for keeping a 5 star accommodation available.

Brett C.

We were genuinely so excited to stay at The Surf Yamba for four nights following our wedding in Byron Bay. The hotel and amenities looked amazing and we had been looking forward to a relaxing, special stay - a mini honeymoon after our wedding. Unfortunately, due to Cyclone Alfred, we had to make the heartbreaking decision to postpone our wedding and return to Melbourne.

We reached out to The Surf a full week in advance, via both phone and email, to explain the situation and request a refund. We’re not unreasonable people—we completely understand that small operators have policies and procedures to follow. But these were extreme circumstances beyond our control (i.e. extreme weather) and we had hoped for at least a basic level of empathy. Instead, we received one of the coldest and most transactional responses we’ve ever experienced from Garry (the owner). To quote the email we received:
“To be honest we are not even obliged to offer a credit. This situation is exactly why people are always advised to take travel insurance.”

We did have travel insurance, but that wasn’t the point. We had given ample notice in unprecedented situation and other accommodation providers—including our Byron Bay hotel —handled the situation with professionalism and care, immediately offering a full refund.

Had we been met with even a basic level of warmth or understanding, we would have happily taken a credit. But after this response, we couldn’t imagine staying at The Surf, knowing how little regard they have for their guests. It’s truly baffling why anyone would want to run a hotel with such a lack of basic hospitality.

The Surf Yamba may be a beautiful property, but service like this completely undermines its appeal. We won’t be returning, and if you value genuine hospitality, we’d strongly suggest booking elsewhere.

lme2011

We booked a second level superior room billed as having a seaview. Be warned, when sitting on the balcony, one sees only a sliver of sea over a long red-tiled roof next door. There was no one on the premises when we arrived and Reception was locked. I had received a text asking for arrival time which I gave. On calling the number of the text, I was told instructions had been sent but these were not received - and never were despite being told they would be resent. I was given verbal instructions on how to gain access. We then found our room safe was locked so could not be used. They emphasise the great rooftop terrace but bushes on the perimeter block any sea view when seated. The following day, we put a sign on the door for the room to be made up when we left for the beach. It had not been cleaned when we returned two hours later. My wife took a shower and as she stepped out, the housekeeping women knocked. My wife answered the door wrapped in a towel and with dripping hair. She asked if they could come back in 20 minutes and they said ‘no’. As they started to wheel their trolley away, my wife asked if they could just give her time to dress and the woman Amanda was very rude and said ‘do whatever you want, lady’. I then went out and found Amanda and asked that she request the manager to call me. We waited expecting the room cleaners to return, which they didn’t and my wife found Amanda at the Reception desk and asked when the room was going to be serviced. Amanda said it was too late for that. Also, the manager who they said was ‘Gary’ never called.|In my 60 years of travel, I have never encountered an accommodation that claims to be 5 star with such rude staff - when you can find them. There are much better options in Yamba.

Emily L.

We had the most incredible few days at The Surf Yamba. Everything was perfect - beautifully appointed room, lovely products to use throughout the hotel and every detail had been thought of. Thank you to Garry and the team, we will definitely be back!

Ezzmay_Petunia

I booked a one-night stay for March 13th 2025 via booking.com, but upon arrival, I encountered the worst welcome experience I've ever had. The man at the desk (possibly named Gary, though he didn't introduce himself) claimed our reservation was for the previous night and had sold our room. Despite showing him our reservation was indeed for that night, he blamed booking. com (booking site) and reluctantly offered an upgrade, only to retract it because the room was "stripped." He then questioned our rate, making me feel like I had paid the wrong amount ("what rate is this?") before eventually finding us another room.||He could have simply said, "There seems to be a mix-up. Let me fix that for you," but instead, he made sure we felt the full extent of his inconvenience.||An experience at a hotel is more than just the facilities—it's about the staff. This man was incredibly rude, arrogant, and lacked any sense of customer focus. When we checked out, he was nowhere to be found, and we saw him sitting across the road on a bench, staring at the ocean. Clearly, he doesn't enjoy his job and shouldn't be welcoming customers to the most expensive accommodation in Yamba.||The property itself is beautiful, with beautiful rooms, an amazing pool, fantastic rooftop lounge and a superb location with views. It was very clean and had great amenity. However, an experience at a hotel is more than just the facilities—it's about the staff. Unfortunately, the staff (? Gary at front desk) made us feel like an inconvenience, and his negative attitude overshadowed our entire stay.||Two days after I got an email saying they missed us already (so fake) and to book directly next time. If the property hates people who use booking. com - then don't list the property on the booking site.||Despite the property's beauty, I will never stay there again and would definitely not recommend it to friends or family purely based on Gary's attitude. If Gary leaves, then I would. I suspect Gary is the owner though.

Noah B.

A big thank you to Garry and the team for looking after us during our stay. The property was well maintained, and we enjoyed spectacular views of the beach and town from our balcony and the rooftop pool. Highly recommended for anyone needing accommodation in Yamba.

Jacob N.

Honestly such a good stay, close to everything (shops, bars, cafe), fantastic views, awesome room and facilities (rooftop pool and common area. Stayed on the 2nd floor with ocean views and it was fantastic. Highly recommend for a weekend getaway or just a general getaway. 1 min walk from the beach and rock pool.

Jacqueline P.

Lovely rooms, and beautiful rooftop for breakfast. Great location right by the beach. Very clean and thoughtfully designed. Great choice to stay and Yamba is also a wonderful place.