Citrus Valley Motel

Basic, but nice and very good for the price. The shower was good too. I just had no hot water at 5am when I wanted to shower before getting on the road.

It was a scorching day, so walking into a room with the air con already on and the place nice and cool was a relief. The room was clean and comfortable, though basic and a little dated. Check-in was easy, just show ID and pay, with no forms. We booked through wotif, so I’m not sure if that had anything to do with it. The drive-through key drop was a nice surprise.

Nothing fancy, but it wasn’t shabby either. For the price, it’s a good place to stop between trips. It didn’t seem bad enough to deserve a one- or two-star rating.

I booked through booking.com months ahead for an October long weekend event, knowing it would be a hectic time in the Riverland. Three days before the stay, the concierge called to say major electrical problems meant the motel needed to cancel my booking, with repairs expected to take three weeks. I was told to log in and cancel through booking.com, and that I’d get my money back. I cancelled as instructed and noted in the system that the motel had asked me to do it. The price had been very reasonable when I booked. With such late notice, there was nowhere to stay in Renmark, so I ended up in Berri paying twice as much. Then, as we drove into town, I saw Citus Valley was open with a vacancy sign out front. The process left me questioning what had happened.