Elm Lodge

It’s in a good spot, with a decent BBQ in the backyard and lots of green trees around. You can still have a happy stay, but the accommodation is quite old. The bed sags and isn’t comfortable. It’s advertised with a kitchen, but the knives are blunt and won’t cut, and the stove doesn’t work properly. It takes 20 minutes to boil water.

Cheap and dreary, one star. I asked for another towel for our second day and explained that I have long hair. The towels provided are small and thin. They replied that we’d already been given one each and there wouldn’t be any staff on site. 🙄 The garden is pretty in spring, though.

We were in a clean, spacious two-bedroom self-contained unit for the weekend. The first bedroom had two single beds attached, plus another single, and the second had a queen bed. There was a parking space right outside, although another unit took it on our first day and we had trouble parking. Free laundry facilities are available in the backyard. Check-in is contactless. They send a code before arrival to unlock the lodge. The living room had air conditioning, a TV and DVD player. The kitchen was fully equipped with an electric stove, fridge, toaster, kettle, microwave, cutlery and crockery. The bathroom had a bathtub and towels. Extra blankets and pillows were provided, along with a heater built into the mattress, useful since nights can get really cold. It’s very close to town, hardly 150m from Bright's town center and a 10-minute drive to Mount Buffalo National Park.

The location was perfect: private, but only minutes’ walk from town. The gardens and grounds were in great shape, and having a parking space right outside the door was much appreciated. We enjoyed Bright and will return regularly. The room itself was frustrating, especially for over $220.00 per night. The double bed in the main bedroom had almost no support, and my partner and I kept sliding off the sides. We didn’t have enough towels. There was no dishwashing liquid, and the kitchenette sink was far too small to wash the electric fry pan, so cleanup was a hassle. The lounge room, which also had two single beds, was cold and had limited heating. They hadn’t supplied basics like tea and sugar. The curtains were overdue for cleaning and looked dirty. The plumbing was a problem too. There was hardly any pressure, and the hot water kept changing between too hot and too cold. It was frustrating. I believe one hot water unit is shared between several units. We also used the outdoor BBQ one evening but there was no light in that area. There’s a lot of potential here, and I think the simple things people expect need to be addressed.