A Great Ocean View Motel

Genevive was an absolute lady, and made our two-night family stay lovely. The rooms were very clean and comfortable, with excellent views and very good parking. It's just a few minutes' walk into town for some excellent food venues. A great base for Apollo Bay or the Great Ocean Rd. Thank you, Genevive, for a lovely few days at your establishment.

I left my Airpods pro in the bedside drawer by mistake after checkout. I contacted the owners and explained that I'd pinged the earphones to the motel location, in the room. They said they'd look once the current occupants had left, rather than knock and ask to check the room. Those guests have since left, and now my iPods are travelling along the Great Ocean road, currently north of Warrnambool. So essentially, they've been stolen. The owners were rude and unhelpful, hung up on me, and said, ‘this conversation is over’ and that I was at fault for being negligent with my personal possessions. On arrival, the couple staying next door told us the room smelled of sewer and they had canceled their stay. There were also noises in the walls at night, probably rodents, and the plumbing was very noisy. Unfortunately, I don't recommend staying here.

The bed felt like sleeping on a billiards table. The hotel is a little rough around the edges, especially the stairs and walkways behind the upstairs rooms, and it was probably a bit overpriced, like everything in Apollo Bay compared to the rest of the Great Ocean Road. Still, the rooms were clean and well kept, the staff were very friendly, and it's close to town. It's a good little hotel with exceptional views.

The view is the main reason the price felt worthwhile. The hotel is in a great position, but after paying 30% less the previous night, I expected better quality. The room looked straight out of the 80's, and the taps and shower head reminded me of school holidays at Grandma's. At least the rooms were clean. The cups were thimble-sized, as were the glasses, which came wrapped in paper bags like something from a roadside truck stop. The extra star is for Genevieve, who recommended a great rainforest walk. That was our only interaction with staff, and checkout was just leaving the keys in the box. I think calling it a 3-star hotel is generous. Without the view, the price would be really annoying, especially when there are much better places around for less.