Sunset Beach Updates 2026

Booking Deposit Policy

2026 Onwards

We're making a small change to help keep things fair for everyone - starting sometime in 2026, we'll be introducing a deposit system for bookings. This helps ensure cabins don't sit empty when guests' plans change, so we can offer them to others who are keen to stay. We're not quite sure exactly when this will kick in (still waiting on some banking admin on our end!), but expect to see deposit requests rolling out in the next few months.

Here's How It Works

📅 60 DAYS BEFORE ARRIVAL

You'll receive a text or email requesting a 20% deposit of your total booking cost (per cabin, per week).

✅ UP TO 28 DAYS BEFORE ARRIVAL

Your deposit remains fully refundable if you need to cancel.

💬 3 WEEKS BEFORE ARRIVAL

You'll get your usual reminder text from me to settle the remaining balance.

📌 Last Minute Booking Rule:

For bookings made less than 60 days before arrival, the deposit will be requested immediately upon booking.

💰 Cash Payers:

For those who usually pay cash, this deposit process is not applicable for now (may change in the future).

⚠️ IMPORTANT:

Deposits become non-refundable within 28 days of your arrival date.

This system helps ensure Sunset Beach remains available for everyone. If you have any questions about this change, just give me a yell.

View Your Future Bookings

New Feature Coming Soon

Coming soon will be the ability for you to view your current bookings at the push of a button. This will save you the hassle of calling or texting me to find out when you're booked in for.

📧 What to Expect:

I'll be sending emails in the next day or so to everyone with future bookings in 2026. Save that email or bookmark the link for easy access whenever you need to check your booking dates, cabin numbers, and payment status.

It's simple, convenient, and available 24/7 - no more waiting for me to reply!

No More Screenshots

Coming in 2026

🔄 Work In Progress:

Although it's not active just yet, we're working towards you not having to send screenshots of payments. Until further notice, screenshots are still required, but we're working on eliminating that requirement. Stay tuned!

Sunset Beach Requirements

Friendly Reminders

Just a friendly reminder of some of the rules and requirements for Sunset Beach:

🕙 Arrival Times: The earliest arrival time on Saturday is 10:30am - NOT 10:00am. Please respect this time to allow proper cleaning between guests.
🛏️ Bring Your Own Linen: The beds at Sunset Beach come with pillow protectors and mattress protectors and blankets. These are NOT bed sheets or pillow cases. Please bring your own single sheets and pillow cases to prevent staining and damage to these items.

Thanks for helping us keep Sunset Beach in great condition for everyone! 🏖️

Sunset Beach Updates July - 2025

At the Start of the year we introduced a Guest Portal page which allowed your to reserve bookings and request gate access. Since then we have gone one step further and it’s now been upgraded to having a “Online Receptionist” called Janet.

Sunset Reception

As of July 2025 Janet can do the following :

1. Answer general questions about Sunset Beach.

2. Show you what availability there is for this year and the following year. ( on a monthly basis) EG: what’s available in December 2025?. She doesnt do entire year requests at this stage, just monthly requests.

3. She can book you in.

4. She can log maintenance requests.

5. She can organise Gate opening requests.

6. She can log your feedback and send it to the property manager.

Give her a try 🙂 Just talk to her like you were texting a normal person

Other News
Sadly Vaughan passed away in Mid May 2025. However Sunset Beach is still operating as per normal so no need to worry, we look forward to seeing you back for your holiday adventures.

Sunset Beach Updates Jan - 2025

Below are some minor changes to current procedures for Sunset Beach. These adjustments are in place to make things run a little more smoother for everyone.

1 . New Check-in times

We’ve tweaked the check-in times to make things run a little smoother:

• Check-In: 10:30 AM or 3:00 PM
• Check-Out: remains at 8:30 AM

The guaranteed gate openings at 10:30 AM and 3:00 PM allow us to clean at least some of the bungalows without interruption, so there’s less chance of you baking in the sun while your room is getting ready! 🌞😅

For added convenience, if you’d like to arrive between 10:30 AM and 12:00 PM, we may be able to accommodate this with prior arrangement—just let Larry know ahead of time. This gives you the flexibility to sleep in a little and arrive at a more relaxed time, rather than having to rush to make the previous 8:30 AM check-in.

2 . Payment Reminders

All payments must be made two weeks prior to arrival (unless paying by cash). Don’t worry, though—our fancy new booking system will remind you three weeks before your stay, so there’s no chance of forgetting.
Once you’ve paid, just flick us a screenshot of the transaction via email or SMS to confirm. Easy as 👍🏻.

3 . Your New Guest Portal

We’ve built a Guest Portal to make things easier for you while you’re here. It’s a hidden page on the website (no public links, no prying eyes), and it comes with a few useful features:

Here’s what you can do on the Guest Portal:

1. Request A Gate Opening – This method bypasses bad reception, missed text messages and automatically sets an alarm on Larry’s phone. It’s simple and easy to use.

2. Submit Maintenance Requests – Have you noticed something that needs some attention ? Using this form will send Larry a maintenance suggestion to follow up on.

3. Check Bungalow Availability – See what Bungalows are available in the coming year and reserve a new or additional spot. Do you know friends and family that may want to join the Sunset Beach slice of paradise ? This availability page will allow them to also check out whens available and reserve their next vacation.

For quick access, save the page to your phone’s home screen by clicking “Add to Home Screen” while on that Guest Portal page.

Thanks for your understanding with these updates, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
HAPPY NEW YEAR !!! 🥳

Larry – Sunset Beach Property Manager

Sunset Beach Bungalows – Cape Gloucester

Sunset Announcements