Ballina Motel

We paid $161 a night and came back for another stay after visiting several times over the years, but this place has gone backwards. It appears to have international owners now. At reception, a young woman in track pants, a T-shirt and sandals couldn’t find our booking at first and kept suggesting it might be under other names. She eventually found it and our key. In Suite 2, there was no toilet roll holder, the bedroom net curtains had a big rip, and the wardrobe’s melteca door covering was torn. The kitchen elements needed cleaning, and there were only seven tiny milk tubs, with none replaced on the second day. The bed also wasn’t remade for our second night. There was a notice above the kitchen sink telling guests to clean their cups and glasses before leaving. Really? How hygienic is it to rely on the previous guest’s cleaning standards? The shower head dripped while in use, and the toilet buttons didn’t return properly until we fixed them.

The unit was dirty, and I was glad to leave. My 95 year old aunt had booked an accessible unit, but we were put upstairs in a unit with a shower over a huge spa bath, which was never going to work for her. The bathroom was unclean, so we didn’t shower or bathe. A large snail lives behind the toilet and comes out at night. Cooking was nearly impossible: the kitchenette had a broken power outlet, so we had to precariously position the hot plate where the electric kettle would go. There were almost no utensils, pots or pans. It takes very little to keep a unit maintained and working, so I found that sloppiness disgraceful. The online descriptions talk about “luxury” and make the place look good, but that wasn’t our experience. It wasn’t 4-star accommodation, and would barely be 3-star even if everything worked. The internet and reception door list phone numbers for help, but nobody answers, or the number is no longer in use. We were led to believe otherwise, so in an emergency we’d have been on our own. That feels unsafe as well as inhospitable. I’ve stayed in budget hotels, but this was something else. Zero management skill or expertise.

For the price, it was good value, and the bed was comfortable. I was only there two nights and had no other issues, but the place is tired and needs a makeover. I put out the room service sign and expected service, but it didn’t happen. The sheets had gone grey instead of crisp white, and the carpet needed cleaning. The shower is over the bath with no curtain or safety rails to hold onto getting in and out. Water pressure was ample and the water was hot. Just okay.

The restaurant next door was good, and the shopping centre is within walking distance. The stay itself was memorable for all the wrong reasons, though, and I won’t return. It wasn’t the luxury experience advertised. There was dust on top of the TV and on the lamp stand, stains on a carpet that looked like it needed cleaning, and something spilled on the sliding balcony door. The shower tap had tape around it and wasn’t properly fixed to the wall. Parking was pretty tight too.