Glenndale Park Motel Holbrook

The Holbrook Submarine Museum and the submarine in the park are about a minute's drive away, so we visited before continuing on to Melbourne. We stopped at the Jolly Swagman Holbrook for one night on our January drive from Qld to Melbourne. Jason welcomed us in the tidy, well-organised reception, showed us to the room, switched on the aircon, and explained the room options and the Chinese restaurant next door. The room was spacious, clean, and well set up, and the drinks and snacks at reception made it easy to settle in for a nap before dinner. Parking right outside the door made unloading simple. Dinner at the Chinese restaurant was delicious, and we took a quiet walk around town afterwards, with birdsong and hardly another sound. Check-out was easy, just leave the key in the door. We’d give the stay 10 out of 10 and would return. The welcome was better than at most five-star hotels I’ve stayed in.

After coming back from overseas feeling very jet-lagged, I stayed a couple of extra nights because this place was so good and good value. The Jolly Swagman in Holbrook isn’t really modern, which suits me. The manager was lovely, and the rooms were spotless, the cleanest motel rooms I’ve stayed in despite travelling a lot. They were also very soundproof, and there’s a Chinese restaurant next door.

We’re in Holbrook every fortnight for work, and cleanliness matters a lot to us. We’ve even been kicked out of another place after repeated complaints about dirty bathrooms and beds. The Jolly Swagman is easily the cleanest place we’ve stayed, and we’re looked after better than anywhere else. The staff are great, helpfully place you in a room that suits you, and are happy to assist with almost anything. Best place we’ve stayed, by far.

I was travelling alone and felt safe and welcome. The friendly gentleman at reception showed me the room, helped with my bags, suggested dinner options and gave me bakery tips for breakfast. He even checked on me later when he happened to be eating at the same place. The room was clean, with a warm, comfortable bed, and I could park right outside, which was reassuring for leaving things in the car. It had toiletries, a TV, fridge/freezer, microwave, crockery and utensils. Wi-Fi was free, though the signal wasn’t strong enough for streaming on my phone; it was fine for most other things.