Koala Tree Motel

6.8

Fair

459 Guest reviews

6.8

Fair

459 Verified Reviews

Read all reviews

Cleanliness7.4/10

Service7.0/10

Comfort7.0/10

Condition6.6/10

Neighborhood7.4/10

Value7.6/10

Amenities5.4/10

slightly noisy being on the main road the room was clean and fresh and comfortable no milk in room for tea/coffee (didn't know this had to be collected from reception in office hours) tried to call prior to arrival - call not answered when office was open and no answering machine office not open the hours stated on website $40 per hour early/late check in fee - discovered this on arrival, not mentioned in booking process. cost an extra $80 because we arrived 2 hours early. no after hours key collection option.

Terrible place.

Great location even though it’s a bit hard to find the first time. Not the best drive entry. Enjoyed my stay there, will be back in 2 weeks upon my return trip👍

Outdated decor, loose tiles on the floor.

Tv remote hardly working, asked for help new batteries put in, still not working any better, only 1 channel. No plug in sink, no spare toilet paper. Nothing extra. Certainly would not recommend!

Nuthing

I would have liked a hairdryer

James did not inform me that declining the after hours fees would still incur my booking being charged. Poor communication and feel he took advantage of my kindness to allow him to stay in bed rather than coming to give us a key. He could have called us at 0745pm to ask what was going on instead of waiting for us to show up late to request more money.

Wouldn’t recommend this poorly executed property. Also taking cash out of your account for a bond and taking 7-10 to return it is unacceptable, a credit card hold will be sufficient. Worst place in port Macquarie

The room was good and very clean. Fits up to 4 people. Kids loved the bunk beds. A few minutes drive to the shops and beach. Unfortunately, service was terrible. The landline number was disconnected and they didnt answer mobile or messages. We were charged $80 for a late check in fee even though it says we need to contact them to make an arrangement after 8 but of course they didnt answer or call back. When we showed them we had contacted them earlier in the day the man literally said 'i dont care'. This was after a very long drive.

It was a mixed experience and we had booked it despite average reviews because we needed a pet friendly option for our little Cavoodle. The outside and pool areas were terrible, very messy and not like the photos. The room was large and mostly clean, the a/c good, sheets clean and we had a decent nights sleep. We weren’t happy about being charged an additional $40 for a later check in, apparently for them sending us a door pad code via sms.

its been over a day and i havent received my security deposit back.

Clean room. Friendly staff

Motel in very poor condition on exterior and rooms smell of old smoke and musty. Didn’t feel fully clean

A few things required repair. Needed coffee cups and stuff to make a cuppa. This was put down to a new cleaner. A clean budget motel

Comfortable Pet friendly motel.

Pet friendly comfortable motel perfect for overnight stay travelling down the coast. 30 minute walk to downtown and 5 minute walk to groceries.

Staff were lovely very helpful only downfall was the pool was full of leaves would stay again

Room and bed was comfortable Bathroom had jus been done up and was nice. Blinds didn’t shut the light out. Bright lights while trying to sleep. Curtains had rips in them Room was old and showing its age.

They refused me to check in and let me sleep in my car for the whole night.

Very Basic but clean facilities. However on arrival the manager was quite rude and grumpy and our room was not ready, and had to wait another 30 minutes. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but when you have just driven 6 hours you just want to unpack and get to your room.

This property was very awkward to access as it was on the very busy Oxley Highway. It was supposed to be a delux room but it lacked facilities. The best thing was that it was pet friendly.

Nice place but noisy between rooms

Bed was comfortable

Good old style motel. parking is close to rooms but a little inconvenient to access.

Clean room, good security

For a pet friendly motel it was quite adequate. We did have to ask for some plates and cutlery but didn’t have any milk in the fridge. Outside grounds were not kept tidy and driveway was very cracked and broken. Could do with some outside tidying up. The shower was excellent.

Needs attention

All over place needs a big tidy up, we were in a little room and no table or chair needs more attention. The place has ants running around

They are only interested in taking your money, they don't have any customer service.No staff answers the phone and the emergency number they give for late check in is disconnected, I do not recommend this place if you are working and need a place to rest.

👍

Had not swept under the beds or couch. Additional fee charged for late check in even though they have key pad doors. Advertised as queen and 2 twin bunk beds but only 1 bunk bed and queeen bed provided.

Basic motel good for a couple of nights.vlose to everything

Charged and extra 30$ for late checkin of a text message for rein key code. Bugs over floor and bathroom with very dated furnishings.

Tried ringing Koala motel 1 hour prior to closing time at 8 pm to let them know of possible late arrival enroute from New Castle but had no 5G Optus coverage. Arrived just 1 minute past 8pm but the office was already shut and in darkness. Rang the after hours number and can only leave a message. Did that twice but did not ever get a call back. And yet we were charged the full price. We were lucky to get a room in nearby Mecure which is just a tiny bit more but good service, nice clean hotel and spacious. So buyers beware!!!

Waiting to check in

Booked this room for one of our truck drivers traveling from ACT, he arrived at approx. 8:30pm. We were charged an extra $30 for "late check in" and by late check in I mean the rude guy at the desk had to text him the key code to enter his room, rather than tell him in person. Absolutely ridiculous. Maybe think about texting the late check ins their code before you leave work if you're going to charge people $30 for an sms. No where on Wotif or the Koala Tree website does it say anything about a late check in fee. Will never stay here again and tell everyone who will listen this story.

Over priced for a small room. The amount of dust on the blinds was awful. Access from road was terrible. Noisy from other guests and road noise.

The rooms were nice

Poor management, give this place a mis

I was highly disappointed in the attitude and mannerism of the hotel receptionist/manager. He dealt with a situation very inappropriately and breached my confidentiality. I had paid for the room beforehand and on check in was asked if they could charge the pet fee and security deposit which I was happy to do. Unfortunately the online booking had supplied an incorrect card and he couldn’t charge this after I had checked in, so he proceeded to enter my room while I was walking the dog (I had my phone and personal belongings in it), locking me out, then when I went back to see why, he was extremely rude, demanding and did not listen to anything I said (explained my phone was in the room when he called but he got angry and misunderstood saying “what your friend was in the room?!”) within minutes I had another credit card on file that he could charge but he never calmed down or apologised for his poor actions. This whole situation and attitude was a breach of my personal space (entering my room that had full payment) and I will not recommend this hotel to anyone while this manager cannot treat humans with any kindness or understanding.

Appalling service. Avoid at all cost.

We booked this hotel the day of our stay. After we booked we go a notice that, if we were arriving after 8pm to call to arrange access. We called - multiple times - phone didn't answer. We arrived at the hotel at 9. The manager's office was in darkness as was what looked like their accommodation. There were two numbers on the front door for after hours and emergency service. We called both multiple times - one didn't even ring, the other went to a text service. We left messages, No one called. After waiting for nearly an hour and multiple calls, by this stage it was nearly 10.30pm and no motels were open in the area. After driving for 8 hours that day, we had no option but to continue to drive home - another 4.5 hours. Very dangerous - and got home at 2.30am. This place is terrible!

I cant really fault the place. It was clean and roomy enough for 3 adults and a dachshund. The room was reasonably modernised. The parking was

Clean comfortable room, recently renovated bathroom, basic kitchen. It’s just a short drive to any amenities

Absolutely the worst place I have ever set foot in!! I would not even wish my worst enemy to stay here! Had multiple (and I mean multiple) large cockroaches come out when my partner and I were in bed wanting to get some rest after an extremely exhausting day. We called the after hours phone number immediately only to be told we wouldn't be believed. When we went in the next day the owner blamed the council for them, said pest control would have made it worse, asked what I would have liked him to do about the animals with legs that walked into the room and said he wouldn't refund us despite the fact we exited the room at midnight because "he didn't feel like it". Finally agreed to refund the amount we paid to upgrade the room but since dealing with Fair Trading he has claimed he never said that. I have the ENTIRE conversation recorded. If you hold anything dear in your life don't stay here. If I could less than 1 star I would.

It’s worth I have been saying my life. They took deposit $200- without notice they charged $459- one night. I have been asking receipt so James Danton General Manager The Koala Tree Motel [I have no responsibility to do that so I will make you a reprint and send that as a photo for just $10.] If you staying need receipts cost will be $10- I never received original receipt. If someone takes up the challenge of staying overnight, I would like to respect that person's challenge.

Nice

Attitude, outdated set up.

An older style motel with real character. The accommodation was comfortable and the shower nice and hot! Very conveniently located, in walking distance the the centre of Port Maquaire.

DON'T STAY AT THIS MOTEL. THEY CHARGE A $200.00 SECURITY DEPOSIT ON TOP OF THE MOTEL CHARGE!!!! THE ROOM CHARGE ADVERTISED IS NOT THE END PAYMENT. IT IS $70 MORE. IT IS A RABBIT WARREN TO GET INTO AND PARK. THEY ARE RENOVATING AND THE FITTINGS ARE WEAK AND PRECOCIOUS BUT NOT FUNCTIONAL THE MIRROR IN THE BATHROOM WAS HUGE AND HEAVY AND JUST HANGING READY TO FALL!!!! WORST OF ALL THEY CHARGE A $200.00 SECURITY DEPOSIT AND DON'T TELL YOU BUT THEY REFUNDED IN 5 WORKING DAYS. DON'T STAY AT THIS MOTEL, MANY GREAT MOTELS IN PORT MACQUARIE. .

Motel under going update

Great and friendly service. Top job. Thank you.

Shower getting changing water temperature other than that you get what you pay for

Value for money pet friendly motel with the a wonderful sofa and large windows which gave the room plenty of light. The property is being renovated. The room had a microwave and toaster. Walking distance to centre of Port Macquarie. Great cafe on the next corner. We would definitely stay again.

Cheap is what you get.

Very old motel in mid slow cheap reno. Very narrow parking and drivewaysetc covered in leaves & weeds.

Check in was quick and easy. Room was adequate. Older property, very basic.

Great

A very poor stay, the facilities in the house were shabby and the bed actually rolled when one sat on it!

The property allowed our pet to stay as well. While the hotel is an older property is is fresh condition and everything was in working order. The rooms are clean and the bed was confortable

If I could leave a negative star I would. We booked and prepaid to stay here on 15th April. We arrived just before 2pm to a construction site and dangerous building materials scattered throughout the property. My first impression was that it had shut down for a full renovation but no you just had to avoid the debris during your awful stay. When the office failed to open at 2pm and with three guests waiting to check in I called the number on the door to be rudely told to wait and hung up on. Each guest was made to pay a $200 supposedly refundable deposit prior to receiving their key. There was NO requirement on our booking confirmation for this to be paid, however having driven 6 hours I offerred my Visa card for this payment. The room was small and mostly clean but the TV remote did not function and both chairs were broken. Each light globe was either different or not working. We left the next morning and returned our key. After almost four weeks our deposit refunded after several rude exchanges with James Danton and opening a dispute with our bank for the transaction. It seems many others have been through the same - please do not stay here - sleeping in your car is a better option. The photo attached to this reveiw only proves the owners disgusting attitude to customer service. It seems many have been ripped off by this less than third world motel and it's grinch like owner.

Very dark/non-existent outdoor lighting. Property is off very busy street, hard to access. Very clean accommodations.

don't book this motel ever if something happens and you can't stay because it's non refundable and they won't give your money back

Expensive. NOT 4 star. Manager was incredibly rude. My wife and I were so upset by the argument with the manager that we couldn't sleep. $25 late check in fee. $30 fee for changing the booking. Total for 1 night nearly $300. Renovations actually going on during our stay. Garden messy. Retaining wall falling down. No designated parking. This is an old motel that needs updating. Facilities are basic, 3 star max. Fridge was not working. It is hard to see how they are still on business. Do not stay here.

Only stayed overnight but everything seemed fine

Untrustworthy. Avoid this place if you think making a booking means you have a room to stay in after an 8 hour drive. Despite booking a month in advance using a reputable booking site (Wotif), we arrived at the Koala motel only to be told that we did not have a booking. He claimed there had been an issue with the credit card. Which we believe was absolutely not the case. We had received booking confirmation from Wotif when we booked and no issues were reported to us. Nor did we have any issues with the 3 other places we stayed on three subsequent days which were booked on the same site using the same credit card on the same day. He then tried to sell us another room for $40 more than the original booking cost which only had one bed. But for $50 he would get another bed for us. So an additional $90 for a smaller room. He then took a deposit on the dearer room which my daughter paid. Only to be told “Someone else has just booked the room online, So you can’t have it now”. He then refunded the deposit. Why he needed a “deposit” at all seemed highly suspicious. He was border line rude and at no time offered anything resembling an apology. By the way, the place looked like a dump from outside anyway. The alternative place we managed to find and stay at was much nicer. And the owner was extremely helpful at short notice. And even allowed our pet to stay when they usually do not.

Booked online, no instructions as to how to access room, the key box was broken. All 3 listed phone numbers disconnected. I woke up the manager and he told be get stuffed and slammed the door in my face

The room was adequate for a one night stay,

The property was undergoing renovations with incomplete works and for the price of a one night stay, the property looked liked it was was the 1970s.

i do not recommend this property

Mouldy bathroom bugs flying out of drains, smelly, musky No coffee making facilities , uncomfortable bed that moved constantly Very overpriced for a dirty room!

Bed was comfortable, place was clean parking was limited. Overall it was satisfactory

Car parking was terrible , room was a dungeon plagued with mosquitoes and had no air flow

While driving to the motel from Sydney called motel to let them know we were in our way and we’re informed our booking had been cancelled apparently by Expedia and there were no vacancies. What an utter disgrace you should dump this motel from your web site we are out if picket $174

Owner/manager was the most unfriendly person ever

Walked into a room that was not clean, abusive reception staff.

Would not book this property again

We had been on the road for over 20 hours rang to say we would be after check in time they charged us an extra $25 to text us the code for they key pad lock on the door to our room. Which was clearly still being renovated. Dirty linen, dirty bathroom fan nice shower head though. Dangerous walkway outside half renovated no milk for a coffee even. Bed was comfy though for the 6 hours we were there anyway.

Do not run late for check in. We rang the emergency number 8:01 to be told we had missed check in. & when I asked if a key had been left out I was told “im not your maid” When he then came within 5min to check us in. He was present enough. But he didn’t warn us of the building materials to climb over to get to our room door. The room was clean & comfy.

Parking was horrendous. Most customers had 4wd vehicles whixh could not fit into allocated parking spaces and owner made a point of saying he doesnt understand why 'old people' buy big 4wd's .. was not helpful at all with guidance about parking options. He also did not explain clearly enough how to operate the electronic room key process .. he was just totally unhelpful in all regards .. and should not be in the hospitality industry. Made our stay miserable.

difficult to find.

No cutlery for takeaway food. Towels and bed linen very clean

The property is under construction the manager is undeniably rude when l arrived l waited 25 minutes before having to go & look for him he didn’t even apologise he should be removed from this website his rooms are dangerous with decking missing & faulty bathrooms

Great place to stay that is pet friendly and close drive to main points of interests and places to eat in Port Macquarie.

Check in was 2.00pm and no one was there till 2.20pm. There was no towels or soap in the room. Overall the room was nice and the price of the room was ok but its the small detail that count (like being on time for room check in and having towels and soap).

The hotel was perfect for our overnight stop giving us the chance to relax in clean spacious and comfortable surrounds

we knew we were going to be late, coming from Victoria you have NO control of the traffic conditions or drive times, so as the 3rd party booking site said to call ahead to sort something out we did, 6 hours before the office closed. The person on the other end of the phone was quite short saying that if we couldn't get there on time we would forfeit our booking, then he hung up on us. Same response with the other 2 calls we made. We made it to the Koala tree motel 7 minutes after closing and by chance managed to find someone who worked there and ended up staying the night. It was very stressful and potentially very expensive ( speeding fines??) When leaving we found a key safe, why wasn't that available to us??? Wont be staying here again.

Excellent pet friendly room.

Booked to break up the journey from Brisbane to Sydney. Condition of room was so poor we left after 1hr and continued driving to Sydney

Easy overnight stay for small family.

Definitely the filthiest property we’ve ever seen

very disappointing

unflushed toilet, unusable shower, ants in cupboard, fridge, bed. NOT the room i booked. i booked and paid for a room with a double and 2 single beds but got 1 of each. had to request a bin, remote control and table and chair for the deck.

Disappointing

The room booked was not the room we were given.. Toilet had 'yellow water' and toilet paper in it -- unflushed. Had to ask for a rubbish bin, a tv remote control, a table and a chair for the balcony. Blinds broken, so choice of closed window or flapping blinds.Also had to ask for bug spray as small insects swarmed under fridge, in cupboard, on bedside table and IN THE BED. I have stayed here before in a cleaner, better room

quick easy stay over , 5 minute drive to all shops ect

FIX YOUR SHOWER

Impossible to shower! Water is either freezing cold or boiling... Impossible to mix. I had a REALLY BAD start of my day. THANK GOD I STAY ONLY 1 NIGHT. Having a shower working properly is party of the BASIC !!! Do you expect your guests to not shower??? Seriously

It was horrible. Dirty, old and in terrible conditon. Do not arrive at night as there is no lighting outside. On a very noisey road too.

Nice that there was a microwave but bowls or plates to use in it would have been helpful. The Venetian blinds looked like they’d been dusted with a cricket bat. Shower was very good for a motel.

Falsely advertise late check-in available

Booked this motel last minute based on the Hotels.com profile and the motel's website noting 24 hour check-in upon request. I phoned immediately after (7:30pm) and was told the staff was leaving at 8pm, could not accommodate a 9pm check-in, and that we would still be charged. They still haven't offered a refund despite not providing any services or accommodations.

The bed was terrible and the air-conditioner was too loud

There was no one available for check in and the contact numbers were unreachable. We ended up sleeping in the car while the other families that couldn’t check in also slept in their car or on the floor of a friends place. There were three groups that ultimately couldn’t check in on the night and based on my discussion with the owner/manager the next day this would seem to be a regular occurrence. Very difficult to rate the facilities since weren’t allowed access to use them, despite having prepaid and they do not refund. I would warn others against booking into this motel if they wanted any guarantee of getting accomodation Zero stars if that rating is available.

There was no one available for check in. The room was not prepared and when someone finally arrived they could not locate our booking. They took 30 min to prepare a room. The room was not well prepared and smelt of food. I will not be staying there again.

Can't believe how rude these managers are called once to say we'd be late and no answer . Second time called and he turned the phone off . Now he won't even consider refund as we never even got the keys for our room. Extremely poor management and to now hand up twice on a conversation

We booked a family room that sleep for 4, as we have to young children. The room was tiny with a bunk for the kids & a queen bed. They had a small bench with microwave & a small fridge. Cups & utensil were dirty, not clean at all. We went out to buy plastic one instead. Crack tiles that was tap together on the floor near the bathroom door was a hazard, as we keep on stepping on it. We had to but a towel there for safety. No facial tissue in the room. They bolt a door stopper right next to the bed which is another hazard. We keep on kicking into it as we walk by the bed which hurt like hell. The bed doesn't have a frame with bed head, which cause the bed to move around and away from the wall. Look nothing like the photo on the website. What a waste of money for a crap & tiny place. Location wise is close to everything. We didn't even have a proper parking spot, as our room was right on the corner of the block right next to the exit of the building. It was a last minute trip & there wasn't much place available. We took this option as it was close to the shop & beach. But definitely not staying here ever again. I think the person that checked me in was the owner & he doesn't seem like a happy chap when we came for check-in to get out key, no one was there at the reception & it was locked, light out when the signed on the door clearly say OPEN & the operating hours was within but no staff there. Very unprofessionally.

Great little find at short notice that allows pets. Room was spacious and clean. Even located on a main road , room 2 was very quiet - some noise in the morning from guests departing but nothing unacceptable. Sadly , the bed not so good. A very uncomfortable hard mattress / base on wheels that moved all night on the timber floors ! No hairdryer or iron in room. Overall ok for a 1 or 2 night stopover. Shops across the road - beach a 3 min drive.