Barkly Motorlodge

It was quiet around the motel, though sounds from neighbouring rooms and doors opening or closing did carry. Earplugs sorted that out for us. The room's a bit dated, but clean and a comfortable size. We arrived early and found reception unattended. There was a local number to call, and someone answered promptly. Just something to keep in mind if you're visiting from overseas and need to make that call.

We were only stopping for the night on our way through, and the lovely receptionist gave us a free upgrade. Check-in was quick and easy, and there was complimentary parking, which was a real bonus after coming from Melbourne cbd. The room was spacious and clean, with block-out curtains. A good budget-friendly stay.

The staff at the little restaurant were really kind, though I did hear someone yelling at another person in the kitchen. My room, number 16, was pretty good apart from the charging ports, which seemed a bit broken. The showers were the big problem. Both the first and last one were piping hot, and no matter how much I tried to turn the settings cooler, the water only got hotter. I think I might have burned a few parts of my body. The hotel was okay overall, I guess.

The location was the one good thing. The heating in our upstairs room didn't work, and Ballarat was freezing in mid-winter. Only one side of the electric blanket was plugged in, and we had to pull the bed out to reach the plug. The lounge had no support and its base dropped to the floor when we sat on it, causing a back injury. The toilet was almost under the bathroom bench and very hard to use. We eventually found the kettle at the back of an under-bench cupboard and had to get down on our hands and knees to reach it. Reception was unattended when we arrived, so we called a landline and waited about 10 minutes for someone to come over. No one was there when we checked out around 8:30 either. With nobody to greet us or see us off, we didn't feel welcome or appreciated. These are little things guests shouldn't have to deal with. It's crazy the place was allowed to get this bad. It's officially the second worst place we've stayed, and we'll NEVER come back. I'd rather sleep in the car. I love the questions that follow, like “How would you describe the hotel?” Sadly, “Crap” isn't an option.