Motel Dimboola

Seven days later, on my way back, I collected the pillow I’d left behind. The front desk had kept it in like-new condition. We’d booked the family room at a very reasonable price for five, and I slept really well. Very good service.

The room was only marginally clean, and the decor was pretty average. There weren’t any plates or cutlery, or a toaster or microwave. Those are standard in every other three-star motel I’ve stayed in.

I couldn’t get through to the host or front desk by phone, and the room wasn’t very clean. The location is the one good point, since it’s midway between Melbourne and Adelaide.

We paid $115, plus $20 for the pet, but decided to leave the $135 behind and drive on. The place was so appalling that we chose to add four hours to the drive home rather than spoil an otherwise perfect holiday. It was easily the worst motel I’ve stayed in over the past seven years: old, dirty, dusty and badly neglected. There was hot water and the A/C worked, but that’s where the positives stopped. The external door into the cupboard wasn’t secured, which felt unacceptable for safety. The doormat was filthy, flies were caught in the window screen, the ceiling fan was dirty and crumbling, the shower curtain was grimy, and the towels were so worn they were frayed and torn. The outdoor areas looked just as neglected. The garden was unloved, and green algae was flourishing in the pool. It shouldn’t have been open. Be wary of the exceptionally positive reviews. They don’t match what we found and seem highly questionable. In many countries, inspectors would shut a place in this condition down.