Panorama Motor Lodge

We stay here regularly. Some units have views over Caroline Bay, including two rooms that look across it and others with bay-facing balconies. Even the small unit has a full sauna. It’s easy to get to the bay, restaurants, and main shopping area. Direct room rates are $180-$210.

The rooms at Panorama are always clean and nicely presented, and the nearby cafes and bars are handy. But after staying several times over the past three years, I’ve learned to avoid roadside rooms. Traffic noise is horrendous, especially with trucks engine-braking down the hill all night. There’s no air-conditioning in summer at present, and winter heating is just a fan heater. The control panel on mine was faulty, so I couldn’t tell what temperature it was set to. Apart from the road noise, Panorama is probably one of the better-located motels in the area.

We got a replacement heater because the one in our Deluxe room was out of order. It worked excellently, and we stayed warm all evening. Room 6 had a not-too-bad view. The room had the things you’d expect, including a comfy bed with a warm duvet, sofas, TV, dining table and chairs, mini fridge, microwave, and Wi-Fi. Parking can be tight when other spaces have long vehicles, but it’s a short walk to bars and restaurants. A good motel that does what it says on the tin.

Room 11 was along a main walkway, which was a bit annoying, but we enjoyed the stay. The kitchen was functional and well equipped, and both the room and bathroom were clean. The receptionist at check-in was a friendly lady who answered my questions politely with a lovely smile. We picked this motel because it’s close to the little blue penguins’ habitat, and most importantly, we saw the penguins that day.