Port Stephens Motel

Darren, the maintenance and cleaning guy, was friendly and accommodating. It was a good budget stay, close to the shops and beach, and had everything we needed. We'll definitely come back.

The little pool was nice, parking was convenient, and management was reachable, contrary to what I'd read in other reviews. The location and room were generally OK for what they were. But we found three small cockroaches in the room, and management didn't seem very concerned or willing to do anything. When we complained, they said we were lucky to even get the room, which struck me as a weird remark, and said this was perfectly normal in Australia. I've stayed in a few other Australian hotels before and since, and haven't seen cockroaches there, let alone several. I wouldn't stay again or recommend the motel.

The room was tiny, musty, and run down, and the “pool” was ridiculously small too. I really can't recommend it. Save your money and stay somewhere else.

I'm posting this to warn people that some rooms here don't have smoke detectors. When we checked in in May 2025, ours was missing, with just the bracket left. We were staying as a group, so I checked our other booked room and it didn't have one either. Reception said the detectors had been removed because their batteries were beeping, and told me they had seven days to replace them after I said that was illegal. They gave me a detector, and I mounted it in the bracket myself. We left early the next morning. The detectors are meant to be wired in, and these rooms definitely weren't. I've reported it to the appropriate authorities. Please don't book here.