Country 2 Coast Coffs Harbour Motor Inn

We stayed in a spacious, clean family room at the northern end of Coffs, near The Big Banana. There are lots of rooms, including some that allow pets. The motel facilities were great, especially the pool and BBQ area, and the cafe menu looked good. We missed out on eating there, though, as it wasn't open Sunday night or Monday morning. Check the dinner and breakfast hours. Booking online was easy. We didn't meet reception because we checked in after hours and didn't see anyone at checkout. The linen and bed comfort were about four star. The kitchen sink flick mixer was taped up and sprayed in every direction, so it needs fixing. The bathroom could use a renovation. Also, the doors lock automatically when they close, so take your key even if you're only stepping out to the car.

We refused the rooms when they offered to reinstate them at the original price. We didn't want to go back after that, and we didn't ask for a refund. This all started when our footy club's manager was told that a booking for more than 100 players had been cancelled for “renovations” and that we should request a refund. Later that same night, the rooms appeared on the website for five times the price. We were then contacted and told we could have the rooms back at the original rate. What happened to the renovations? It looked like they were lying to get more money out of people, and we thought they'd obviously get in trouble by law. I stayed there for a footy tournament in 2024, and the rooms were awful. There were two bunk beds held up by a $2 frame that creaked whenever I rolled over. There was no room service, rubbish from the previous guests was still in the bathroom, and the whole room looked old, dirty and grimy. A really scummy business in a really scummy place. Don't go. If you want to pay $5000 for a grimy room next to the big banana, go right ahead.

The only good thing was the location, right next door to the big banana. I would never stay here again. The room had nails sticking out of the carpet, a bed with broken springs on one side, a broken toilet seat and linen with holes. The crib we ordered wasn't delivered. When I went to get one myself, it was stained and had a cockroach in it. Staff didn't come to clean, so we were left with dirty nappies in an enclosed room all day. The kitchenette's timber panelling had water damage, and the chipboard was so rotten it crumbled into shavings on the floor whenever you touched it. Breakfast was advertised online, in the room and at reception, but we were told they don't do it anymore. We couldn't even get a coffee in the morning.

There's some truck noise at night from the nearby motorway, but it wasn't too bad, and the Big Banana is close by. The room was basic but clean, with a great big showerhead, and pets are allowed in some rooms. It's best to enter via the Big Banana. Navigation didn't direct me there until I'd passed the entrance, and it was hard to turn back. The sign is easy to miss until you're turning in.