Hideaway Motor Inn Armidale

When the power was still out at 8:30, we were told someone would bring a candle and blankets because it was close to zero outside. Nothing came until after we'd fallen asleep around 11, when there was a knock and a thin blanket and candle arrived. Earlier, we'd been told the power would be back soon after arriving in the afternoon. I also noticed several cars idling with people inside when I went to the car. At checkout nobody was around. Booking was little help, and it took days to reach anyone at the hotel, apparently even Booking.com couldn't get through. After a lot of back and forth, and someone we suspect was the manager denying they were the manager while letting slip that many refunds had been given, the issue still wasn't resolved, so I had to go to fair trading. The place might have been alright in different circumstances, but customer service needs work. It's a little out of town, so I wouldn't stay unless I could be absolutely sure nothing would go wrong.

The ad claimed the place was newly refurbished, but we couldn't see any sign of that. In room 5, we had cockroaches and a leaking shower. We reported both to staff and got only an acknowledgment, with no fix. The trip into town may be just seven minutes, but it's convoluted and feels longer.

The manager was lovely, and the room was quiet, comfortable and well catered for. It's a little out of town, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Our only small gripe was that there was no designated parking for our room at the far end.

We were there during a snowstorm and the blackout that followed. Staff brought torches and candles around to everyone who needed them and checked that people were okay. They were very caring and helpful, and the rooms were really clean too.