Prince of Wales Wagga

After a long drive, arriving here caused us a lot of stress, and we wouldn’t stay again. We’d booked through the hotel’s own website for our return trip from Victoria over Christmas, paid an extra $50 for a pet-friendly room for our dog, and requested ground floor because my husband can’t manage stairs due to a disability. The invoice showed both requests. I also called twice and left messages, but nobody returned them. When we arrived, the receptionist said our room was a standard one upstairs and couldn’t see either request in the system. I was told those details weren’t visible to them. They’d apparently wondered why we’d paid extra, but hadn’t contacted me to ask. We eventually got a ground-floor room after a lot of discussion. The pub down the road was loud until late. The restaurant was closed, but we only learned that on arrival, even though the booking confirmation had given us information about it.

We had two separate one-night stopovers here on the way to and from Sydney and came away with no complaints. I’d expected less after seeing the booking.com reviews, but the rooms were fantastic: very clean, roomy and well equipped with a comfortable bed, microwave, fridge, table and chairs, and sofa. The bathroom was quite large for a motel room. Parking was easy to find, and the location was great, in a nice part of town within walking distance of pubs and cafes. It was also dog friendly, which was hard to find for stopovers. Some rooms are upstairs, so that may not work for someone with mobility limitations or heavy luggage, but it was fine for us.

A straightforward overnight check-in made this an easy stop during a long drive. Staff gave clear instructions, didn’t make a fuss about payment before checkout, and seemed to care while letting us get on with our trip. The room matched what was advertised and was clean and tidy.

The hotel itself was fine, but I’m not comfortable with how staff handled the $100 worth of products I accidentally left behind. I’d just bought all the bottles, and they were “thrown out.” I was told they didn’t know what Redken and Cerave were. I guess the staff will have lovely hair and skin for the next few weeks. Be careful not to leave anything behind while travelling, as it may disappear.