Bondi Motel

Bondi Motel Moree was unsafe, unclean and deeply disturbing. I'd call it monstrous if I could. After a 12-hour drive, I'd called ahead to confirm our arrival. The man who answered was curt, barely spoke English and made no effort to welcome us. At reception, an older woman grumbled as she led us into a space about the size of a toilet cubicle that smelled of cooking oil, cigarette smoke and stale air. She handed over the key and made an inappropriate, invasive comment about my non-binary partner, questioning why two people would need only one bed. It was offensive and completely out of line. As we found out the next day at the aquatic centre across the road from the motel, many queer people lived and worked in town, so this wasn't unusual. Our room door was wide open when we arrived, with the TV blaring, and the car park was empty. While we unpacked, someone staggered across the lot, muttering about the cold before vanishing into a nearby room. Another car arrived soon after. The place felt unsettling from the start. Inside, it was a horror show. The bathroom was filthy, with grimy streaks on the mirror and squashed bugs on the tiles, as if it hadn't been properly cleaned in years. The kitchen was falling apart, with missing tiles, mould and dirt caked on every surface. The lace curtains were torn and coated with oily dust, and looked like they hadn't been washed in decades. We were exhausted and tried to sleep, but barking dogs and violent yelling from other guests kept waking us. Doors slammed, abuse was hurled, and the chaos went on into the early hours. It felt unsafe, and the owners did nothing to intervene. We didn't shower because the bathroom seemed more unhygienic than we were. Shaken and disgusted, we packed before sunrise. Outside our room, a middle-aged man sat coughing and spitting. He was clearly the older woman's son and in charge of the motel that morning. I followed him into reception, handed back the key and said we wouldn't stay the second night we'd paid for. He didn't ask why. I later learned the motel locks huge gates at night, leaving guests locked in with no way to escape if abusive guests turned on us or our car. How is it legal to lock people in without even telling them? The nightmare cost us $190. Even $50 would have been unacceptable. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. The motel is unliveable, and its 3-star rating and 8 on Booking.com are baffling. Either the reviews are fake, or people have extremely low standards. We camped for the rest of our trip, and even the showers at the oldest caravan park were cleaner and more welcoming. Bondi Motel Moree was by far the worst accommodation we encountered. If you value your safety, dignity and hard-earned money, sleep in your car, pitch a tent or find literally anywhere else.

We were greeted at the door by a mouse!! The bathroom was grubby and the kettle was full of grime. We couldn't reach the managers. Don't believe the photos showing new toilets and rooms. Cheap, yes, but you get what you pay for. If it seems too good to be true, it usually is!

The location is the best, right by the hot spring pools, near takeaway places, and close to the shops and train station.

We chose it from the photos because we thought there was a pool for our child, but there isn't one. In December 2022 we paid $110, on the higher end for Moree accommodation, and later found cheaper places with better updated rooms. We would have picked somewhere else if we'd known there was no pool. The room was clean but cramped, and the bed was uncomfortable. Bugs or mites bit me while I was lying in bed, and I was itching. The shower felt dangerous. The whole bathroom floor is the shower, with sloped tiles to hold the water in the shower area. Once there was soap on the floor, the tiles got very slippery and I slipped getting out. The air con took hours to cool the room even on full, so I wouldn't recommend staying here in summer. The parking was horrible, very narrow and cramped. After driving in, we had to reverse all the way back out when leaving because there was no room to turn around. Sorry, but we won't be returning.