Capricornia Motel

The manager made my stay at Capricornia Motel a wonderful experience. They were kind and incredibly helpful from the minute I arrived, making sure I was comfortable and had everything I needed.

The staff are really friendly. It’s close to the sea and the CBD, and one bus gets you to the centre, which saves time and money. It’d be good if they offered food and drinks in the future.

For the price, I expected a decent place, but I’d stay somewhere else. Reception was often shut when guests arrived, and there isn’t enough parking for all the rooms, so you may end up on the street. The room had only the bare basics: a TV, noisy old-style air conditioning, a bar fridge, a kettle and two cups. No toaster or complimentary milk. It was dirty, with mould in the shower and a cockroach. A truly horrible dive.

The mattress was like car springs under a thin sheet of paper, and the furniture looked picked up off the street. Nearly every tile seemed cracked or chipped, with holes and cracks in the walls. It looked untouched since opening. The smell was awful, like an abandoned house shut up since the 1950s, and fresh air or deodorant didn’t shift it. There was dust, grime and dead insects everywhere. For over $100 a night, the place should at least be clean, but housekeeping seemed to do little beyond changing the sheets. Outside it looked grim and dirty, and inside was no better. The first thing at reception was a “NO REFUNDS” sign. I should’ve checked the reviews before booking. I honestly don’t know how it’s still operating. I’d give it zero stars if I could. They must be PAYING people to keep the rating up.