Apollo Motel Parkes

For a budget motel, the value was excellent. It was easy to find and book online, and there’s an after-hours key box if you need to leave early. The secure parking is inside the complex, with spaces angled up near the room doors. It’s close to Coles and town, and pretty quiet between rooms. The beds were comfortable, the TV was fine, and the bathroom was roomy enough. We did hear a little road noise through its window, but it didn’t bother us. The room was clean and the A/C got really cold, which was perfect after travelling from Melbourne. There were carpet stains and some flaking paint on the bathroom ceiling, though neither affected the cleanliness or our stay. Reception was very friendly and processed our online booking quickly. A great place for travellers.

The hot shower was about the only good part of our stay on 31/12/2025. After a 12-hour drive, we just wanted to relax and sleep before another long day on the road, but the room was a letdown. We’d booked a Queen Deluxe, and there was nothing deluxe about it. The bed cover seemed to be covered in dog hair, which had me scratching all night, the carpet was disgusting, and the TV remote looked chewed. The bathroom smelled strongly of bleach, but the shower curtain didn’t look like it had been washed in a while. The woman in the office was quite rude when we arrived. She’d been talking with a friend by the back door, and when I came in through the front, I got a rude grunt, as if I’d interrupted their catch-up. It seemed like the friend gave my partner a filthy look too. I wouldn’t recommend this place.

The staff member who helped me over the phone was lovely, and the service was great. The place itself was no fuss and did the job for the price. I didn’t get an upgraded room, so much of the interior was older, and I think the old carpet and air con set off an allergy sneezing fit. I’m guessing it all needs a really thorough vacuum and steam clean, along with an AC filter change.

We left and wouldn’t recommend either Wotif or Apollo. After dealing with Wotif’s chatbot, an agent emailed to say the booking couldn’t be cancelled. The accommodation hasn’t replied to my email, so now I have to go through the ACCC and my credit card. We’d arrived after travelling all day in 33-degree heat, looking forward to a cool swim. The reviews were great and the website pool looked good, but after checking in we found it had only about 60 cm of green water. We asked if there was another pool and were told no. When we asked about somewhere to swim, staff suggested the next town, even though we were travelling with a dog. We explained that we’d stayed just for the pool and asked to cancel. The staff member said she was happy to cancel, but that we needed to do it through Wotif.