Gateway Motel Carnarvon

We came in for the buffet roast on Sunday 3rd August 2025, and the six of us had a great meal. I couldn’t fault any of the menu and would definitely go again. The receptionist was polite and was helping clear tables too. Thanks for the lovely meal and service. I can’t comment on the rooms since we didn’t stay here.

After an emergency trip to the vet that was traumatic and affected our stay, we asked about a refund. Cindy, the “owner,” offered half, saying she could have sold the room at 11pm that night. I was hung up on more than 30 times, and when I finally got through, she said she didn’t care that we had a sick dog and we weren’t getting a refund. By then, the money wasn’t what mattered to us. The way she handled it and the way she treated us were disgraceful. Her customer service is terrible, and she seems to care only about money. Keep it, Cindy, and maybe put it toward improving your attitude.

The dining room was beautiful and clean, and I loved the oysters. At $35 per person, though, the buffet wasn’t what I expected. It was roast meats, vegetables, gravy, oysters and desserts. Most of the desserts weren’t made in-house, apart from the jelly, and were little slices, crumble and custard.

The restaurant was a letdown. Dinner on the first night was okay, but the next night it was obvious the buffet was serving leftovers, so we ate somewhere else. On the third night, my daughter ordered scotch fillet with chips and vegetables, but it definitely wasn’t scotch fillet. The vegetables were diced carrot, peas and corn from a frozen pack. The unit had ants right outside the doors, big cockroaches inside, and rubbish scattered around outdoors, including an arm from someone’s glasses, pillow fluff and empty chip packets. The beds were really uncomfortable, some lights had no globes, and there was exposed wire coming out of a wall in the main bedroom. One entry door could only be secured with a slip chain, the kitchen drawers were broken, and the towels were very threadbare. We won’t be back or recommend it.