Abacus Motel

The motel’s older style worked well for us. We could park right outside our clean, comfortable room, which had a good bathroom and a little outdoor space at the back. There’s a grassy area for walking the dogs, and it was easy to find. Staff were helpful and friendly, and brought cutlery and glasses when we asked. There’s a restaurant and bar, and we had a meal to heat up.

The bed was comfortable, and it was fairly quiet apart from the ceiling fan, which made odd noises and woke us a few times. The towels were large and somewhat soft, but the shower pressure was poor. At $195, this felt overpriced for a motel that needs major updating. It may still be the best of a bad bunch around here, judging by reviews of other places. This is transit accommodation, tolerable for a night, not somewhere you’d come for a holiday. The check-in was abrupt. Reception handed over the key without explaining anything about the facilities, though we found a folder in the room with details about the restaurant, laundry, and unallocated parking in front of the rooms. The room looked like a 1970s time capsule, with stained yellow pillows and two black marks on the sheets. There was only one pillow each and no pillowcases. Luckily, we’d brought our own pillows. The furniture felt like a random assortment, with side tables used as bedside tables and no lamps. Fluorescent lighting under a pelmet wasn’t exactly cosy. There was a toaster, kettle, and microwave, but no glasses or mugs, and just one teaspoon. The room was reasonably clean, but the floor needed vacuuming and there was a hair on the sink. The covered verandah was nice, though the chairs were too dusty to sit on. The little courtyard at the back was bare and depressing. We couldn’t drive out for dinner because another car was blocking us after we’d parked in reverse directly in front of our room, so we tried the restaurant. It had been empty at 6:30 p.m., with no sign of activity in the kitchen, and we thought it was closed. The receptionist said the cook was her brother and that he was somewhere outside. It all felt awkward and strange, so we didn’t stay for a meal.

The staff were really friendly and wonderful, and the pet-friendly rooms worked perfectly for our dogs. We felt safe and secure on the drive from NT. A really good stay.

John was so helpful and the service was wonderful. The clean family room welcomes pets and has a small private backyard for them. We’ll stay again :)