Portland Bay Lodge, 2 Bedroom Apartments

location and comfort

nothing

Great Natural area with comfortable well set up twin room cabin.

Had everything we needed for a week stay

To be honest nothing…

We arrived around 11 pm for what was meant to be a birthday stay for my mum. Unfortunately, the accommodation did not match the listing. It was advertised as a “Bay Lodge 2-bedroom apartment,” which suggests a two-bedroom apartment within a lodge or apartment-style building near the bay. In reality, the property was a 2-bedroom cabin/trailer with two bedrooms, a small living area, kitchenette, and a bathroom in the middle of an open field along the beach road. Arriving late at night with very little lighting around made the first impression quite unpleasant and uncomfortable. We also had trouble locating the key and entry on arrival. There were no clear instructions, and the key/lock was somewhere at the back of the property. It felt quite unsafe getting out of the car in the dark—an empty field with trailers around, no lighting, no one nearby, the ocean across the road, strong cold wind, and the middle of the night. By chance, I drove toward what I thought was reception after seeing a “reception” sign, but it turned out to be a day office next to the owner’s accommodation. Luckily, the owner had just arrived home and guided us to the correct cabin and showed us how to open the door. Without that coincidence, it would have been very difficult to check in. The location is very isolated, with nothing within walking distance—any shops or supplies require driving. It is also important to note that the property is actually in Allestree, not Portland, so if you are specifically booking to stay in Portland, this may not be suitable. Additionally, the washing machine has a touch-screen panel positioned deeper than the bench space, and it kept turning on accidentally whenever we leaned against the counter, which was frustrating. The TV was also difficult to use. We wanted to use YouTube (for kids), but it required downloading and navigating additional apps just to operate the TV and remote.