Bannisters Port Stephens

Bannister has truly outdone themselves yet again! I recently treated my sister and niece to a delightful three-night midweek getaway, and it exceeded all expectations. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with a thoughtful welcome back note accompanied by a chilled bottle of champagne in our room.

Room service was phenomenal and we even found my nieces sleeping buddy with the remote and cookies in his hand, which made us laugh so much :))

Breakfast was a joyous affair, with warm smiles, freshly baked pastries, and exceptional coffee, all complemented by a breathtaking view. The Mexican restaurant by the pool is an absolute must-visit, offering tantalising flavours and impeccable service. And let's not forget about Rick Stein's culinary delights – his offerings were nothing short of superb.

Downstairs Cheeky dog, was delighted with the menu options, particularly the delectable stone bread.

I implore you to do yourself a favour and experience the magic of Bannister at least once. Trust me, it's an experience you won't soon forget.

Until next year, Bannister – we eagerly await our return!

My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed our brief but absolutely amazing stay at Bannisters. We felt a sense of calm and joy on arrival and the friendly staff were just lovely. Our room was so fresh to walk into, with breathtaking views. We could not get enough of the pool and I was so excited to be ticking a box off my bucket list eating at Rick Stein's. My all time favourite chef. We will be back and hopefully we can extend the stay upon our return.

My mum and I recently stayed at Bannisters in Port Stephen’s over Christmas since we have family close by. Everything leading up to our stay was easy, from booking to communication and check-in - everything was clear & friendly. We checked in & were surprised to see some cute little Christmas gifts waiting for us. The hotel was decked out in Christmas decorations and really made it feel festive. Our stay was amazing, we enjoyed dinner at the cheeky dog, laid by the pool, met some other tourists & felt so relaxed. But it was the friendliness of the staff that stood out, everyone was happy and so calm, even on Christmas morning while pumping out hundreds of breakfasts.

Speaking of breakfasts, I loved the continental breakfast we enjoyed every morning. The restaurant was nice and open and everything just felt calm.

All in all we had the best experience and we will definitely be back.

Thank you for making our Christmas amazing.

Very nice. We have been to the banisters restaurant cheeky dog so many times, and it is the best in Nelson Bay. I love the room service here at the hotel as well. Steak many times, but sadly we don’t have to anymore as we bought a house up here. Just a great place. I really recommend it.

This is a wonderful place to stay. We remember the hotel was tired & run down. Not now!! The place is beautifully presented. The welcome was just lovely, great staff.
The infinity pool very welcoming. Room facilities very good. Beautiful bed & bedding.
We ate at Julio's Mexican which was really yum. Light fresh Mexican food.
We had breakfast in Rick's each morning which has plenty of choice and again excellent service.

Very cool resort hotel. Staff were very friendly and helpful. We had one issue with our room which was sorted out, and we felt well looked after by James. We would most definitely recommend this hotel for a mini vacation. I'd also like to mention the delicious meals we had at both Julio's and The Rick Stein Restaurant.

The experience of visiting Bannisters port Stephens truly was exceptional.
The staff's customer service was top-notch, making me feel truly valued throughout my stay. The property's beauty surpassed my expectations, creating a perfect blend of luxury and relaxation. I highly recommend Bannisters for a memorable and delightful getaway.

The hotel stay exceeded expectations. I stayed 1 night in the luxury suite and 1 night on the ground level standard room. Both rooms were great and had amazing views. Surrounded by nature and the sounds of birds. Koalas were also spotted in the trees. I ate at Eric Steins and nearly ordered everything off the menu. Julios had fantastic food as well. Great photo opportunities around the hotel grounds and no issues with parking spots. All the staff were super friendly and even came and found me in the pool to let me know my food was ready when I ordered at Julios. Will definitely stay again soon, and hopefully try one of the spa packages :)

What an absolutely lovely place! We realised we'd made a good decision from the moment we got out of the car.

Without exception, every one of the staff we encountered was faultless, no matter the role they played. Nothing was a problem; they were generous with their time, and everything was done with a smile. What a breath of fresh air to see such an enthusiastic, unified approach.

It was so nice to be able to have a very well catered for breakfast then take our Cocker Spaniel for a walk along the beach. Gotta love a dog friendly getaway!

With the above in mind, the only feedback we can give you is to keep doing what you're doing. The room was excellent; everything was clean and tidy, so we wanted for nothing. On the F&B front, five stars there as well.

Thank you for a delightful stay, and we'll see you as soon as time permits.

Had a lovely 3 days on a luxury escape package. This included a lovely continental breakfast daily. It is not your average continental fare. Something that should satisfy everyone. We had boiled eggs ,sourdough bread, chia pots, fresh fruit, pastries and there was much more. You could pay for barrister coffee but there was also an expresso machine to make your own and it was fine. We also had 2 course meals included in our package for Julio's and Rick Stein restaurants. Julio's was fine for some lunch fare but Rick Steins was exceptional. I had fish curry and my husband the Basque snapper. We were both more than happy with our meals and desert was to die for. Our room was very comfortable and had nice water views through the trees. We had lovely walks down by the waterfront and all in all had a very nice and relaxing time. I will be returning and would have no hesitation in recommending a stay to anyone.

I booked at Bannisters for my Dad’s 80th birthday weekend. The stay was just fantastic. All the staff were extremely accommodating and I also appreciate the additional “touches” for a guest that required disability access. No issues getting around the resort at all

We had a great time and are already talking about when we can come back!

Amazing stay! Will 100% be back soon.
All staff were very welcoming and friendly (especially front desk staff)
Great choices at breakfast and again all staff were so hospitable.
Only negatives would be the pillows in the room were very large and uncomfortable.
There are also not enough sun beds by the pool and other guests marked their territory early (before 8am!) with towels/belongings and don’t arrive until much later. Would be great if staff could enforce some kind of policy here as it was very annoying paying so much and not being able to sit by the pool

We had our second stopover at Bannisters on Tuesday Dec 19th on our way north to QLD. Once again we found everything about Bannisters to be beautiful and easy. It is a stunning location on the bay, the rooms are so comfortable with stylish decor & homely touches, and all the staff are so friendly and helpful. We ate dinner at Julio's and had breakfast at Ricks and everything was good, but the staff are the best! Such lovely service from everyone. Thank you - we look forward to our next visit.
Best wishes
Wendy

Located in the quieter end of Nelson Bay, I was extremely impressed by the staff - friendly, knowledgeable and professional. We had a family dinner at Rick Stein's restaurant and ate the best tuna steak. The rooms were comfortable and ours opened to the lawn where we could walk down to the ocean for a morning swim. Great breakfast and coffee too. Will definitely be back and highly recommend for those travelling north of Sydney.

Just finished a great buffet continental breakfast, one of the best I have experienced as a coeliac, topped off with homemade gluten free carrot cake with fresh cream and a fresh pot of English breakfast tea, rookie mistake, ordered the full English breakfast, delicious, but couldn't finish it, so much food for so little a cost, now for a walk up Mt Tomaree. The staff were terrific, very helpful and friendly. The meal at Rick Stein's restaurant the previous evening was brilliant, lamb loin, followed by strawberry pavlova. Highly recommend a stay at Bannisters, Port Stephens for everyone.
Steve Campbell

My g/f and I stayed in Room 421 (two bedroom suit) to celebrate the impending arrival of a baby and for some R&R from the crazy world called life.
We stayed 4 days and 3night and we both left feeling relaxed and appreciative of the time away.
If you are gluten-free or a coeliac, pregnant, or all three, you can eat well and safely at any of the hotels restaurants, pubs, or cafes.
Big thank you to all the staff for making our stay memorable.

Spent 3 nights for our wedding anniversary. Could not rate the venue, staff and food any higher. Ate at all 3 venues and finished off at Rick Steins, was exceptional. All staff were terrific even the staff at Rick Steins accommodated our request to be moved to another table ( due to screaming kids) without any dramas. Can’t wait to return

Still one of Port Stephen’s quality resorts. Fine dining within the site and sits on the waters edge. Can’t ask for more than that. Great place for quick get aways.

Loved our stay here and the staff made it very special. The high level rooms are stunning. Julio's bar service was quite slow - made it hard to have a few cocktails before dinner. Overall amazing!

Rainbow lorikeets eat out of your hand on your balcony! Breakfast great, though missing hot breakfast section in the buffet.