Marlin Motel

The room had a working kettle, plenty of tea, coffee and sugar, and a good fridge. The location was good too, and the staff were nice. We arrived after 5pm, and the instructions for late check-in were clear. The room had been prepared with the aircon on and the keys inside. But it was in poor shape. The bed had uncomfortable springs near the door and couldn’t be used. There were bed bugs, a clump of hair and dirt on the floor, and rubbish outside, including a cigarette butt, a broken toy and sugar sachets. The floating shelf wasn’t fitted properly, the door had no bolt, the bathroom had no light, and there was no toilet roll holder. Cleanliness and upkeep need a lot of work. The price was exorbitant, and the photos online don’t show what this place is really like.

My kids loved the pool, and I felt safe there with my three kids even though I’d gone alone. We did see a few people who looked a bit shady, but they weren’t rude or a bother. Most smiled and waved. The rooms were older style but clean and had everything we needed. The cleaners were working hard every morning when we saw them, and the manager was amazing and friendly. I’m not sure why others have left negative comments, but for the price I thought it was great. We had a great time, thanks for having us!

We paid over $900 for the stay. The manager agreed to a partial refund of $250, but we’re still waiting for it and our calls are now being ignored. People tried to break into our room while we were inside, and we didn’t feel safe, so we had to leave immediately. Earlier in the stay, we witnessed open drug use and drugs being handed out on the premises. Someone overdosed at one point and an ambulance was called. When we raised it with the house manager, we were told this was a “normal occurrence”, which is extremely concerning. This was one of the most unsafe accommodation experiences we’ve had. Management’s response has been unacceptable. Based on what happened, I’d strongly advise others to avoid staying here.

The rooms are quite comfortable, with aircon and most amenities, including a bar fridge, coffee pot and plenty of towels. The workers are magic, really helpful. There’s a decent deep pool, though it’s small. It’s $129 a night, and bringing cash doesn’t make it cheaper than paying by card. I’ve stayed here 3 or 4 times and can never get to sleep, though it isn’t because of noise. They seem to use a lot of ozone machines, but I can’t work out what keeps me awake.