Village Motor Inn

CABINS, I mean, actual cabins, not “motel rooms”. They’re spacious and clean, and there’s a brilliant pool with huge fan palms. The cost is so low it makes you stop and wonder. Dollar for dollar, apparently the best accommodation in town. The helpful staff add to it. Sounds like the new owners have already put considerable money into bringing the place back from the dead.

The staff were helpful, and the place was clean, though pretty basic. I stayed two nights to visit my son, who was at the adjacent Caltex truck stop with a road train, so the location was very convenient for that. The accommodation is in small cabins, and I was assigned unit 26, the disabled unit. Its shower head was only at navel level, which wasn’t very convenient. The restaurant wasn’t operating, but the website didn’t mention that. There was a very ordinary meal available at the adjacent Caltex.

I stayed with family recently. The pool area was locked all day, and nobody was in the office because the manager also works at the truckstop next door. The restaurant wasn’t open and looked as if it had been closed for a while, though that’s not what was advertised. There were no plates or cutlery in the room, so why have a toaster or microwave? The cup and glass were dirty, and the room and linen smelled musty. I’d wanted to write something kind, but seeing the manager’s replies to other reviews changed my mind. It’s unprofessional. If they can’t run the place properly, they should sell it. What a joke.

They cancelled our booking without telling us, even though we booked weeks ahead and confirmed it with the motel. We ended up stuck in the middle of Gilgandra at night with nowhere to stay. When we called to say we were half an hour away, they were very rude. Absolutely disgusting business sense. They’ve lost regular customers. I wish I could give minus stars.