Boyne Island Motel and Villas

The young woman who checked us in was lovely and tried to sort out parking, but it didn't work out. Our booking hadn't mentioned the 2.1m vehicle height limit, so we had to park outside, where spaces were scarce because trucks and other large vehicles were parked there too. The bathroom was old and chipped throughout and needed replacing. I couldn't see any laundry, and the air conditioning barely worked and was noisy. Such a beautiful place, but the motel felt run-down.

They double-booked us, then blamed booking.com. Management wouldn't provide what we'd paid for or refund us as promised. They called me a bully for asking to get what I paid for, then hung up while saying I wasn't getting my money back. Avoid at all costs.

The villas are right by a major road, and cars raced past all night, making it hard to sleep. They're also in the middle of nowhere, so getting anywhere means calling a taxi. Inside, our villa was dated and not very clean, with ants everywhere. One room's air con blew hot air; when I reported it, I was told, "we will have a look at it." The listing says coffee and tea are supplied, but I had to find a staff member to ask for more. I also heard a staff member tell a bloke off for smoking outside, though there were no signs saying he couldn't. It looked like there were new owners since our last visit 3 years ago. I was disappointed this time. I got a text saying the office would be closed when we arrived at 6pm and that I needed to arrange to collect the key. I texted back but got no reply. When we arrived, the key was in the door. We won't stay here again.

After a 6hr drive into the night, the clean, cozy 2-bedroom villa gave our family a comfortable place to rest. Reception was very helpful and offered to stay well past opening hrs to help us get in, then confirmed the late check in procedures.