Lotus Stay Manly – Apartment 31D

Hotel Description

So, Lotus Stay Manly – Apartment 31D is basically what happens when someone actually puts thought into a serviced apartment setup. I mean, it’s tucked away on Malvern Avenue, which honestly is perfect because you’re close enough to hear the ocean but far enough from the Corso madness that you can actually sleep at night. The building itself is nothing fancy – sort of that mid-2000s apartment block vibe – but 31D has this surprisingly spacious feel once you’re inside.

What I really appreciated was how they’ve set it up like someone might actually live there for more than two days. The kitchen isn’t just for show – proper fridge space, decent cookware, and you know what? The coffee machine actually works well. There’s this little balcony that catches the morning sun, and if you crane your neck just right, you can glimpse the water between the buildings. The bed’s comfortable enough, though the pillows are a bit soft for my taste. The bathroom’s clean and modern, with good water pressure – honestly, after some of the shoebox hotel bathrooms I’ve dealt with in Sydney, this felt luxurious.

Here’s the thing about the location that booking sites don’t tell you: you’re about a seven-minute walk to Manly Beach, but more importantly, you’re two minutes from the IGA and there’s this little café called Sunset Deli just down the street that does excellent coffee and doesn’t charge tourist prices. The ferry wharf is an easy ten-minute stroll, which means you can actually get into the city without the whole car park nightmare. Parking’s included, which is huge if you’re driving – I’ve seen people pay $30 a night just to park near the beach. The neighborhood gets pretty quiet after 9 PM, so if you’re looking to party hard, you might want to stay closer to the main strip. But if you want to feel like you’re living in Manly rather than just visiting, this setup works really well. The Wi-Fi is solid, check-in was smooth (they actually answered their phone), and the whole place just feels… I don’t know, genuine? Like someone cares about whether you have a good stay rather than just processing you through the system.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $374. Two-Bedroom Apartment with 1 large double bed, 1 single bed, 1 double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 5

Reviews

• Very good – Sophie from Australia – 23 August 2023 (8/10)

  What could be improved: The outside appearance was off putting and confusing regarding reception.

• Pleasant – Lydia from Australia – 22 July 2023 (6/10)

  great location, neat, clean & tidy, comfy. good value for money
  
  What could be improved: late checkin in. Keys were easy to collect from safebox, however the directions to parking and to the room were difficult to navigate in the dark, we ended walking right back around the block with kids and luggage in the dark. Perhaps a map with directions showing parking and room access from parking.
  Room was super cold when we arrived as heat pump switched off. nice and warm by the morning though.

• Pleasant – Takahiro from Australia – 15 May 2023 (6/10)

  The location is great- right near the beach and an easy walk to the mall/shops/restaurants/wharf
  
  What could be improved: Communication was an issue. I rang repeatedly to explain we would need a late check in and was told I would be sent a PIN but never received the text. Received an email thanking me for my stay BEFORE we stayed panicking me that it would not be available. The room also was NOT the one on the picture on the Booking.com site. Very stressful and disappointing

• suited our purpose and was balue for money however cannot believe to book next year for the same time its gone from $230 – Kylie from Australia – 27 February 2023 (6/10)

  location
  
  What could be improved: the look, street appeal was very disappointing

• We stayed in this 2 bed apartment with our family. It was spacious and clean. Have been coming back to this Group of uni – Aimee from Australia – 28 December 2024 (10/10)

  Great position in Manly, quiet and walking distance to the beach. Large clean apartment.
  
  What could be improved: Nothing

• Everything we needed – Richard from Australia – 22 December 2024 (10/10)

  Location and cleanliness
  
  What could be improved: N/A

• Disappointing – Pete from Australia – 24 November 2024 (4/10)

  Great location, close to the beach, not far from the ferry.
  
  What could be improved: Don't stay in Unit 4 if cigarette smoke is something that irritates you or causes hayfever – there's a strong smell of smoke in the unit. I haven't had to put up with cigarette smoke like that in many, many years. If that was fixed this unit has real potential.

• Not great – Jonathon from Australia – 11 June 2024 (3/10)

  Not much
  
  What could be improved: Dirty bed sheets and no parking anywhere, no bin liners and no wi-fi. No tea towels to dry dishes either .it was a bit expensive.

• Disappointing! Great location but highly overpriced for the condition of the property. – Jan-maree from Australia – 13 March 2023 (5/10)

  good location
  
  What could be improved: Venetian blinds were filthy and didn’t close properly which meant the bedroom was light all night. the screen door was scraping on the step and very loud & difficult to close.
  Dishwasher hadn’t been unstacked when we arrived.
  We paid for “reserved parking”, however it was not reserved and we ended up parking in a different location. There are parking spots, but not enough and certainly not reserved.
  On a positive, the beds were very comfortable.

• Vi hade en fantastisk vistelse. Servicen var utmärkt och vi fick hjälp med sen utcheckning. – Sophie from Australia – 8 December 2023 (10/10)

  Fantastiskt läge, nära stranden och city

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities