Cranbourne Motor Inn

At $130, this may be a budget motel, but basic hygiene should still be expected. I found a mouldy shower, white gritty powder on the kitchen sink, sticky bedside tables with black marks, a hole in the bed cover, and a stale cigarette smell. There were no bedside lamps, plates, bowls, cutlery, or toaster, even though there was a microwave. Gaps showed around the skirting boards, brick walls, and shower, with grout missing in much of it. The online photos didn't match the room, though the gardens were neat. There was no proper reception desk, and the keys were left on beds in unlocked rooms. While I was on the toilet, someone knocked loudly at the unit door. It was the manager, checking my identity. He was polite until I said I was disappointed by the dirt. He said his wife did the cleaning and did a wonderful job, so I invited him to look. His expression changed when he saw it. Then he said, 'It's a budget motel. What do you expect?' I told him I expected clean, basic accommodation. He might get more customers with a bit of spit and polish. If this is considered a wonderful job, I'd hate to see what he calls dirty. I doubt it would pass a Health Department check. Never again. I'd keep driving down the South Gippsland Highway and look for the Carrum Downs Ingenia motel and holiday accommodation. It was only $5 more and looks clean and attractive.

We left before the booking was over and found somewhere else to stay. After only five hours in the room, my allergies had flared up. It was dirty and smelled strongly of cigarette smoke, with mould in the shower, dirt on the pillows, splatters on the bed and cupboards, and a broken mirror in the wardrobe that hadn't been repaired. There was a kettle and microwave, but no cups, plates, bowls, or other amenities. Hugely disappointing.

The room rates are far too expensive, and the customer service was bad. The operator on the phone was rude and wouldn't hand over the keys. He wanted cash left in the after-hours box before even telling me where to collect them. I will never book at CRANBOURNE MOTOR INN again.

The day after the booking, I received an email saying payment had been declined for the room, even though I had a confirmation and PIN. On the day of the event, at 11:55am, the motel called to say my room had been taken and there were no others. We live two hours away and were about to leave, so this left us nowhere to stay. I had reserved through booking.com and had emails confirming it, but they hadn't contacted me to arrange payment before giving the room to someone else. When I called back, the man sounded annoyed. I explained that I had a confirmation, and he replied, 'Sorry, the world doesn't work like that.' The attitude was horrible. Now they're trying to charge me for a room they say they gave to somebody else. Disgusting conduct from the man on the phone.