Echuca Motel

We chose this motel specifically for its pool, but on our first day the water was cloudy, with dirt and debris floating in it and green algae around the edges. It looked as if it hadn't been touched in ages, and people had scratched words into it. I spoke to the owner, who said he didn't know pool maintenance and relied on a local pool guy visiting every fortnight. He knew there were problems but said they couldn't work out what they were. I told him to close it because I thought it was a health hazard, but he only put a cover over it. When we returned from Echuca, two elderly people were using the pool after removing the cover. I warned them about the high possibilities of bacteria and infections from the dirty water, then went back to the owner. He had to be told to lock the pool off, which he didn't do, and put up CLOSED signs, which he did. The following morning, children were in the pool because it still wasn't locked. Again, I explained how serious it was and told him he needed to lock the gate, buy a pool water testing kit and test the water every other day at minimum. He agreed, but we didn't see him do either. From what we could tell, the new owners don't know the first thing about running a motel properly, especially one with a pool. Keep your kids away from it.

The room smelled mouldy and musty as soon as I walked in. The shower leaked, with black tape holding it together and water spraying everywhere. The fridge and freezer were iced up so badly that I couldn't fit anything in the freezer. The cheap bed had no padding and springs sticking out, so I couldn't sleep properly. The sheets felt unclean and left me itchy all night. Dust covered the top of the headboard, a problem for me as I'm asthmatic. The carpet hadn't been vacuumed in ages and was fraying near the bathroom, and there was thick dust on the bathroom windowsill. This place should be shut down. It was like staying in Schitts Creek, only worse. Do not stay here. You get what you pay for, which isn't much here. For over $100, you'd expect something halfway decent.

The pool area was dirty, with broken tiles around the edge and overgrown grass and gardens. The room smelled bad and the whole place was very unkempt. The chairs were stained, and the hard bed had springs digging into my ribs. The bathroom sink was the only place to fill the kettle, but the kettle wouldn't fit under the tap. The shower was barely a dribble, with so little water pressure that it took half an hour to rinse the shampoo and conditioner out of my hair.

The room smelled of damp and mould, and the carpet was wet. When I arrived, the heater had been left on and pointed at the carpet, presumably in a feeble attempt to dry it before check-in. The windows had a sheet of mould and clearly hadn't been cleaned in years. I refused the room and went to another motel. This was a terrible motel, and I don't recommend coming here.