The worst motel in Australia?
I reckon I found the worst motel in Australia the other night…
This is a story I just have to commit to the internet while the details are fresh. This is about a truly dreadful stay I had in Wollongong not long ago, for which I had the privilege of paying $60.00. I’ll let the motel in question remain nameless. But I can say that it’s in Wollongong, New South Wales.
I had been sent up north for my studies and being the sort of person I am I didn’t bother booking a place to stay but decided to ‘chance it’. Just my luck that all the motels in Wollongong were booked out except this rather dodgy-looking place featured below. Being desperate to find a place to stay, I decided to book a room; it’s cheap façade actually concealing quite well the disgrace that lay within.
Unfortunately I cannot give you all the details of this place otherwise you’ll probably be able to identify it quite quickly if you live in or near Wollongong, but I can say that the staff did initially seem quite friendly. I paid my fee and was given room 32 which I was assured was “the best room we have” in a way that implied I was really quite lucky to get it since it was the only vacant room. Lucky me. Here’s what greeted me when I opened the door.
You’ll notice that gap to the right of the vertical blinds on the window. That is because there is a gap – one of the columns from the blinds was missing. This window was one floor up, looking onto the main street of Wollongong. So on the Saturday night when everyone else was out having a fun time, if the clubbing got a bit boring they could stand on the street and see clearly into my room. Reminding myself that I should not be complaining as I was lucky to get a room at all, I was then struck by the carpet which was covered in bits of dirt (no, that’s not some sort of funky pattern but bits of grime).
You know when you get in the train and the carpet is full of gum and other gunk? Well this carpet was like that. Dating from the mid sixties – this was like the prototype for shag pile; the first of the piles but the conservative ‘low shag’ variety before everything went crazy in the 1970’s and carpet – like hair – got long. Then I noticed the arson attempt above the door…
You’ll see the burn marks on the top left of the doorway. Standing back, I then noticed that the wall beside had been painted over. But I couldn’t tell whether it was arson or graffiti but I now think it was graffiti (see later). Anyway, my thoughts were interrupted when the fire alarm went off and we were all evacuated because of what the manager called “that bloody woman in room 4” (was she smoking?). In any case there was no fire, the fire alarm wouldn’t go off and the fire brigade had arrived. I decided to leave at that point and see what was happening in Wollongong.
Sad to report, it’s a bit like Adelaide.
When I returned, I had the prospect of sleeping in the dodgy purple and pink bed. Well it wasn’t a bed but two mattresses piled on the floor with a cheap plywood backing. The two lamps on the side of the bed had no light bulbs in them and no power supply so why they were there I don’t know. One was missing it’s shade also.
The walls had water/liquid stains all over them and everything was grimy. Concerning to me were the towels, which suspiciously were not white as in normal motels but were patterned and had an attached label making reference to a surf company (ie they were beach towels). By this point I was fearful to look under the doona to see what sort of bed I was going to sleep in. Thankfully the sheets were white and unlike anything else, looked clean.
I was really reluctant to touch anything by this stage for fear of what I might find or contract. I reluctantly went to bed, where I got 2 hours sleep for the whole night while I was woken up by trucks driving past at top speed as well as the usual Saturday-night Wollongong hooligans who are nosier than in any other Australian city I am sure.
But the worst thing was just about an hour ago when I had a look at these digital images that I took (thinking that any verbal description of this place would hardly do justice) was the image of the graffiti on the wall which had been painted over and which I had missed when I was there (i think it says ‘tukk’ and I have printed it below so you might see it).
It’s kind of creepy when one looks back and finds things like that. I never saw any rodents but like the neighbours on the other side of the wall I am sure I could hear them (along with a host of other odd noises).
But the worst bit was the lack of anything. It was the walls which held up the cheap plywood furniture. There was no radio, no clock, a TV which only had ABC and WIN and some dodgy pay-tv channel, no clean towel, and a toilet which while it wasn’t dirty didn’t look clean either. And the receptionist was a nutcase as I discovered when my car battery had gone flat in the morning and when I asked to call the NRMA I found that the place had no “outgoing telephone line” and I’d have to use his mobile. He talked to me about Lord knows what for at least half an hour until another guest arrived and I could escape.
Sadly, I cannot name the place and post it here on the internet but I’d love to. I could tell you more about the inconvenience of having the sole light swich at the other end of the room from the bed, or the over-cramped bathroom but I haven’t the room. Hopefully this short story has provided enough.
Lesson: Book your accommodation when passing through Wollongong and be careful where you stay.
Comments
7 responses to “The worst motel in Australia?”
I’ve had worse sad to say. I was staying at a motel on the Eyre Highway. I won’t say which one. I had driven all the way from Port Lincoln and was heading back to Perth (btw, I stayed in a lovely apartment in Pt Lincoln – I guess this next place was going to even things out a bit).
The host was extremely disinterested and it seemed to much of an effort to give myself and my Uncle a room for the night. Finally getting to our room, the entire room stunk of cigarette smoke. Was absolutely vile and extremely difficult to breath.
So we went up to the “restaurant”. I paid $11 for some fish and chips, most of went straight in the bin. I have had better three day old leftovers at home. My Uncle was peeved because he had to pay $5 for a bottle of beer.
We finally decided to call it a night. For some reason the stupid architect who designed the motel decided to put a gigantic floodlight outside facing directly into the rooms. It was like trying to sleep outside in the middle of the day. Then around 9PM the people in the next room decided to have a “throw your furniture against the wall contest” for the next 7 hours. At 4AM in the morning my Uncle and myself had had enough. We got in the car and left.
I had another incident earlier on the same trip. My Uncle and I were heading to Brisbane to catch up with family and we stayed at a place in Broken Hill. First, the place lost our confirmed reservation and gave us this really derilect accommodation down the back. If it weren’t for the missing doors, the strings to turn the lights on and off, the leaking shower, leaking toilet, black and white television, noisy fridge motor and floor coverings that were older than myself it might have been quite likeable.
I have heaps more experiences. I guess I will post them later.
Here’s another one. I stayed in this motel in Alice Springs. Sad to say on the surface this place looked quite nice. That is until you stay there. The first thing I discovered was the competition they have called “let’s see who can get the last car parking space”.
Unless you get back by three in the afternoon you have to go and park your place in public parking and risk a fine or having your vehicle towed away. It would be nice if they built the same number of car parking spaces as they had rooms. They were about 20 or so short.
On the last night they had some drunken celebration for about 50 middle aged women. Would be good if they sound proofed the bar so the guests who are actually paying $150+ a night can actually get some sleep. But no, to about 2am in the morning drunken women were running up and down past my room screaming and carrying on. And the management did not control the situtation.
Finally, on my bill, they charged me an extra $70. I asked them “what is that for”. They claimed it was for the meal I had there the other night. But I walked down the road and had Hungry Jack’s that night. It sure didn’t cost me $70. They put the money back onto my card, but I then had to wait for it to clear leaving me $70 short for a day. Not impressed.
The following night I stayed in Port Augusta. They charged me $58 for the night and delivered bacon and eggs to my room the following morning for breakfast. It was a basic room with television, fridge and en suite. Nothing special. But for the cost I was extremely pleased. I would stay in this place again if I ever stay overnight at Pt Augusta!
There are nice places out there. I am not expecting something for nothing. But when I pay something, I expect to be given something, not nothing.
Hope to see some more comments from people.
Newcastle has a good collection of worst motels. It’s a bit like lotto, except no matter which one you chose, and now matter how much you pay, you never win. For the past three years my family have stayed in one after the other, in different suburbs, each time hoping against hope that they improve. They don’t. It goes from bad to worse. The first one we stayed in looked lovely on the internet, but after arrival and paying upfront (major mistake), found that on a 36deg day the pool was dirty and half empty. Our room was dismal. The two beds were so hard they could have caused serious spinal injury, there was no toaster, no iron, and a lovely concerto from the passing traffic which was luckily drowned out by the ancient air con. The one upside was the sagging folding bed, which was the only comfortable bed and had us fighting over it.
The next year we paid more for a different motel only to have to compete for a carspace as the car spaces were not sufficient for each room. The room itself was nothing to sing about, with a lovely view over an overgrown embankment.
Third year I thought it had to get better and chose a big motel on the outskirts. The check in was lovely, the room was disgusting, with burn holes in the bedspread and shabby carpet. Our room was right across from a reception hall where a birthday party was in progress. The revellers parked right outside our room in our carspace and partied on for hours. Asked to be moved as the motel boasted up to 80 rooms, of these 10 were occupied. Instead we were told they’d get the revellers to move out of our carspace, which they did, only to be replaced by new revellers. Luckily, once again we were saved by the loud air conditioner.
Well, you ain’t seen nothing yet! Try the dodgy one hotel town in musselbrook for size. Dripping tap which played “chopsticks” all night despite me placing the off-white flannel underneath it to stop the drips only to find that in the morning, the drips were rusty!
I too got charged for having two overpriced meals when in fact, I made the mistake only the once and had a pleasantly priced eagle boy gourmet pizza at a third of the price. Staff were rude and had obviously arrived straight off the boat. It’s criminal what they charge and just have such nerve serving up filthy linen, décor and attitude these days. You’re better off staying in your car!! Good luck!
I stayed in a hotel last night in the Liverpool area it had dirty sheet on a round bed it took 2 sheets just to cover the foam mattress that had no cover on it so no top sheet white stains on the brown blanket was so wrong in so many ways Hand prints on the mirror they re used the soap by putting it back in the wrapping rubbish was not taken out still has an empty can of soft drink in fridge. Bugs living in the spa that was full of mould showerdoor didn’t close and had clumps of hair on the top of it now I know why there was no lights in the bathroom never again $65 I was not expecting much but hygiene I though was a must this place needs to be closed down and they say they do breakfast who would be game.
Visited Strahan Tasmania. one of those onsite cabins (stayed in heaps around over time never a problem). The place was grotty, grubby marks on everything, the joint was filthy, bunk bed sheets still scrunched up from previous occupants. Double bed same and had the classic stains in the middle on the bottom sheet. Thought we were in a B grade Hollywood movie scene, A set-up right? Where’s the hidden cameras? Paid up front $120 expecting a quality unit. Reception swore blind the unit had been serviced this morning (yeah right!) Managed to get our money back after a bit of a discussion. Where do these people get off really? Went up the road paid a little more, and I mean only a little more and got a fantastic self contained place, clean as a whistle, and great people to boot.
I used to work in a “resort” in the Hunter Valley wine region. There are some gorgeous places to stay in the area but the one I worked at was not one of them!
The absolute MINIMUM price for one night was $110 (mid-week walk in rate) but went as high as almost $800 for a two night weekend stay (two night minimum if the stay included a Saturday night). So we’re not talking Formule 1 or Ibis here folks!
The rooms, although clean, were all in desperate need of a face face lift as they had seen their hey day decades prior. Front desk staff (of which I was one) were generally pretty chipper & eager to please but the fact that the live-in manager was an unstable drug addict who was embezzling from the company & looking for any opportunity to blame someone else for the missing money made us all pretty tense!
The main complaints however involved the on-site restaurant…shitty service, overpriced pub food in tiny portions done up to look like fine dining options but tasting like second rate back water bowling club swill (that was an actual description from a guest on check out). The list of complaints about the restaurant was seemingly endless. Breakfast was a joke…almost $20 a head for continental & almost $30 a head for full but the food was seriously sub-par!
There were pretty regular complaints about the accommodation – paper thin walls, cheap toiletries (liquid soap, shampoo & conditioner in dispensers on the wall), no or broken outdoor setting on the advertised patio (which was actually a small paved area about the size of two A3 pieces of paper put together), tired/drab rooms, motel feel/look at resort prices…
It certainly wasn’t a terrible place to stay but if you had just paid $800 for two nights & a meal you expect a certain standard! I think the $110 a night walk in price is pushing it really!