Black Marlin Motel

It’s an easy walk to the town centre and pretty much anything else you need. Ian and Julie make you feel right at home, too. Not the Hilton, but a great, true blue Aussie experience.

Mary Lou was lovely, and the room was nice with a comfy bed. My dad and I stayed one night for my cousin’s wedding on 23/08/2025. I wasn’t expecting much, but I thought it was great. I’d definitely recommend it!

The booking went smoothly, and Mary Lou was friendly when I met her. That evening we had no cold water, so I contacted her. She said she’d promptly call the plumber, as it had been an ongoing problem. We left the next morning without having a shower, after hearing the plumber outside our room shortly before we went. I never heard from Mary Lou again about what was happening. Very disappointing communication, and I won’t return.

13/10/25. I’ve given up trying to get the refund. I’ve been chasing it since February, and it seems we were never going to receive it. The manager kept directing us to head office, the Birch Hotel Group, but nobody there replied to my emails. I can’t be bothered pursuing it any more, which they probably counted on. As I said before, stay at the "Barrier Reef" hotel instead, it’s much nicer. Back in Feb 25, we arrived on a boiling hot day with a booking for two separate rooms. The air con in one room was only mildly cool and not working properly. My room had poor maintenance, with a bathroom door that almost fell off. The milk for my tea had a straw in it, and the shower’s bath gel dispenser was empty, so I was glad I’d brought my own. After trying to call the manager for about an hour, we told her we wouldn’t stay the second night because the cleaning clearly hadn’t been done or checked, and the air con wasn’t working well. She agreed to refund that night. I have her texts saying she was happy to approve it and arrange it through booking.com. Booking.com tried several times to get the money back, but the manager seemed to have no intention of paying and just ignored them. If you’re considering staying here, don’t. The Barrier Reef Motel is much better.