First Light Mooloolaba, Ascend Hotel Collection

Booked and paid for 3 night stay through Luxury Escapes. Upon arrival I was told they had taken an extra $80 from my account to cover Saturday night surcharge. I wasn’t happy with that and complained to Luxury Escapes. First Light later sent me an email saying they would refund the $80 but it would take up to 10 business days. It’s been 3 weeks since they took money they shouldn’t have and still no refund. Great location and well appointed apartment but en-suite bathroom was tiny. When sitting on toilet your knees are almost touching wall. Plus some maintenance issues with paint and some areas need better cleaning.

This is not a hotel. It is a collection of serviced apartments. We stayed for one night. Was pretty expensive for one night. Hotel location is ok, but beach access is still closed on esplanade (will be through to June/July) 2026). The most frustrating thing about this place is that they take 100% extra charge on your credit card, without telling you, as a 'bond' and for 'incidentals'. They did this a few hours after we had checked in in person. No mention at check in of pending charge, and room paid in full at check in. This is not a hotel, and there are no 'inciddentals' so the charge is a bond - for what? When we queried the charge at check out, they mentioned we approved it when we checked in online. I did not check in online, so it was an unauthorised transaction and they accessed the credit card on file. I let it go for 3 days, and then had to email to chase up when it was to be returned. They said they were too busy to process the return 'as they had a busy weekend'. So it took 5 days from check out before it was returned. They need to remove the word 'hotel' from their name. No beach towels in rooms, Sandpaper towels for showers. Nothing in room for coffee / tea. Lots of better places to stay.

We had a wonderful stay at this hotel, thanks to the friendly and professional staff who made us feel very welcome. The location is excellent, just a short walk to the beach, which was perfect for our family. We absolutely loved the beach in Mooloolaba and would happily stay here again.

The room was very well set up however there was a distinct odour coming from both the air conditioning and also the bathroom drain. Additionally the couch cover was stained and looked a little old, so we needed to request some extra towels to cover the spots and marks. Balcony was a good size and provided a nice view over the back area of the town. The staff were terrific and very helpful and the location being just behind the Main Street meant everything was easy to access.

Well-appointed units, flawless check-in with online precheck-in, which made it very easy. Good parking and easy to find. We got a free upgrade to the penthouse, which was a nice touch. Great location for everything in Mooloolaba is within walking distance. Thank you - We will be back again!

An ok apartment, not an apartment I would want to spend a lot of time in, just somewhere to sleep really. Tiny ocean glimpse, but only if you waljed out and looked, not from the lounge room. Location good behind the esplanade and an easy walk through the walkways. Clean, tiny and comfortable.

Great location, friendly helpful staff, great balcony. unfortunately bed too low, ensuite toilet too small, running late on cleaning for check in floors needed vacuuming. Pool area too windy and cold to use. Parking very tight. Lounge suit not big enough for a family of 4 tv tiny. Blinds let in too much light in main bedroom

We stayed in a 2-bedroom apartment for 3 nights and faced multiple issues in a short stay— a broken dryer, flooded bathroom from a blocked drain, power tripping with the microwave, and aircon in bedroom not working. While maintenance problems can happen, the real disappointment was the rude and dismissive attitude of the Hotel Manager, Emma. Poor facilities are frustrating, but bad management is inexcusable. I would NOT recommend staying here.

Most importantly this is not a hotel, it is an apartment building. We paid a lot during an event, and were severely disappointed at service and ammenties. There was no one for reception for check in, no visitor parking bays, and we were provided a single building key. The room was missing soap in one bathroom and had a broken towel rack. The pool area is small and uninviting.