Wyatt Guest House

The Wisteria suite looked clean and was made up nicely, but we couldn’t stay. There was a very strong smell on the verandah, possibly from rising damp in this very old guesthouse. It triggered an asthma attack for me just a few minutes after walking in. I’ve only had a couple in my life, so it completely took me by surprise. None of the windows could be opened for ventilation. The suite only has a small fridge. We didn’t use the facilities, so I can’t say whether they worked. Luckily we found alternative accommodation at the Commodore Motel, which operates the guesthouse. They were helpful and sympathetic, and the rooms there are very nice and kept clean.

The Burgundy Suite was clean inside, but beyond the building’s style I didn’t find it inspiring. There are quite a few small maintenance jobs to sort out, and the furniture looks cheap, nasty and out of place. The lounge is uninviting as it stands. A comfortable settee, a couple of grandpa recliners and a coffee table would make it much nicer to relax in. The main bedroom pillows seemed like cheap K-Mart ones, already three years past their used by date, and there was only one spare in the wardrobe. The outdoor spa looked unused for a while, and the area didn’t seem to be maintained regularly. Breakfast is just half a loaf of bread and the usual hotel room sachets. There are only two small parking bays, so a large vehicle will need to park on the street. You also have to check in at the Commodore on the Park near the McDonald's roundabout before going to the house. It’s OK for a short stay, but if you expect standards like Grand Chancellor or Marriott, you’ll be sorely disappointed.

The place was absolutely disgustingly dirty. The spa tub and shower were covered in brown scum and clearly hadn’t been cleaned. Three quarters of us wouldn’t use the shower. The kitchen tap dripped, with scum under its spout; the blind was dusty, and the window was stuck shut from not being cleaned. The cutlery was dirty, the light switches were scummy, and the glass doors and windows were cloudy. The guest information book was hidden in a drawer and filthy. When I wiped it, the cloth turned black. I took photos because I couldn’t believe it was this dirty during a pandemic, when businesses should be extra careful cleaning between guests. There were no instructions for using the appliances, not even in the guest book. Reception was somewhere else, and the receptionist didn’t have the information either.

Triune House is a big old house split into two suites, Federation Suite and Burgandy Suite. I stayed in the Federation Suite. It was clean and OK, and cheap compared with other places in Mt Gambier, but there were several things that bothered me. It’s advertised as having multiple bedrooms, but there’s only one proper bedroom, with a king bed. Two single beds sit in what seems intended as a leisure area for that bedroom, and it connects to the bathroom, which could be awkward to share. Another supposed bedroom is the entrance hall, with a temporary fold-out bed. The other is more like a study and has no door. The central heating didn’t work, and neither did the installed electric fireplaces. One floor light didn’t even have a bulb. The bathroom has been redone, but the design is poor: water sprays everywhere because the glass shower screen is far too short, leaving nearly the whole tiled area wet. The worst part was the king mattress. It felt like an old spring bed and left me with huge back pain the next day. The electric blankets were nice, though.