Airport Whyalla Motel

The rooms suited our group perfectly for an overnight stay, and the service was excellent. We’ll be booking again soon.

The bathroom door had mould on the back, and the towels smelled musty, as if they hadn’t been washed properly. I also felt uneasy for the rest of our stay after an interaction with a staff member, and I won’t come back or recommend the place. My partner and I were visiting friends and invited them to our room for an hour or two before we went out to play pool. One friend got a bit loud, which I feel awful about. A man working there, whose name I never caught, knocked on my door and said I’d only signed a lease to sleep there, so I had to sign another form to have friends over, even briefly. They have their own house and were only visiting for a short time. I’ve stayed at plenty of hotels and motels and never had to do that. My friend apologised straight away, and the rest of us did too. The worker then said we all had to follow him so we could talk. He led us across the property to a pitch black shed, walked out, then took us to a room with couches, a kitchen and a washing machine. He hadn’t said anything while leading us around. Once we reached the last room, he changed his tone and said we could all hang out there if we wanted friends over. Then he told me I had a “beautiful singing voice” and that he’d like me to sing him to sleep, but should keep talking to a minimum. I felt uncomfortable the whole time, and that last comment made me feel sick to my stomach.

It’s a comfortable, clean bed in a clean, quiet place that’s really well priced. The building has a 70s look and probably hasn’t been refurbished, but it doesn’t need to be. Nothing fancy, so don’t expect a suite like the Shangri La in Ulaanbaatar.

We arrived after 10pm and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I called after 8pm, very late and looking for a last minute room with our dog, and they welcomed us and treated us so well. The bed was comfortable and the shower had good, strong pressure.