Great Eastern Motor Lodge

The location was great, with plenty of parking and a bus stop right outside. At check-in, the two men at the desk were friendly and brought extension cords so my husband could use his CPAP overnight. I also liked being able to open the windows for fresh air, though there were no locks to secure the room. Beyond that, we had very mixed feelings and wouldn’t return unless things improve. The room felt tired and overdue for a proper clean. There weren’t power points on both sides of the bed, which we’ve never encountered in all our travels. The bed was hard and basic, not great for a longer stay, and the thin, frayed towels had clearly seen better days. After three nights of our five-night stay, we asked for the room to be serviced. Rubbish was still there, the sheet had just been thrown over the bed, and the replacement towels were even worse. I was shocked those towels were still being used. Dust, soap scum, and a smell in the bathroom made the general neglect obvious. For a busy hotel of this size, I expected better.

The lodge was mostly OK, with reception open 24/7, though the lift creaked. The rooms were only decent for a motel. Guests next door were very loud around midnight, and reception mistakenly dialled my room. I was quite annoyed since I had to get up at 3 am. I think it could work for a FIFO RDO stay.

We’ve stayed here twice recently with our small family. The first visit was somewhat pleasant, though still kind of gross. The second was unpleasant and, literally, made me sick. We’d booked a spa room with a balcony for my daughter’s birthday. For the price, things looked clean enough until I found a previous guest’s used, crusty underwear on a pipe above the bin under the bathroom sink. My partner and I also had to put a lot of effort into cleaning the spa. There was gunk, pubic hair, and other crap in the jets, so we bought cleaning products and sanitised it before anyone could use it. After using it, I had lower abdominal pain and felt sick. My partner had the same outcome, and I’m guessing my two-year-old daughter did too. The shower needs a proper scrub with proper tools. For an expensive room, I’d have expected some kind of couch. The chairs provided were stained and dated, the carpet smelled stale, and the heater was missing a wheel. Staff doing the cleaning seemed unprofessional and careless about details, doing the bare minimum. The receptionists, though, were polite, understanding, and well trained, and did their jobs well. The television kept turning itself on and off and closing apps like YouTube after a few minutes. The balcony was a nice touch, but traffic on the main road was loud enough to wake you early.

The room was spacious and clean, but the beds were quite uncomfortable. My main issue was the breakfast information: the hotel website clearly advertised a “Breakfast Service,” with continental breakfast boxes for sale at Reception. When I asked politely, staff rudely said there was no breakfast service at all. I showed them the website details, and they just replied, “that’s not here.” If breakfast isn’t offered, the listing is false advertising. If it is offered, staff are giving guests the wrong information and seem untrained. Either way, that’s unacceptable. The staff were extremely rude and unhelpful, with no effort to assist or even be polite. The women at reception made us feel unwelcome. The man working at night was kind and professional, the only positive interaction we had. The hotel needs to train staff properly and correct the misleading website information. If you don’t like hospitality, you shouldn’t work in customer service. Definitely not recommended.