Carrum Downs Motel — Hotel in Melbourne

We booked two rooms for four nights over Christmas (originally we had six people but one couldn't come due to a medical condition). One was 'pet friendly' and slept 3 , the other one a no-pet family room that slept 5. Both were pristine, comfy beds, lots of space and storage. Shower a little poky but that's pretty standard in a motel. The sliding door into the shower was dodgy in my room but in the other room it was OK - that was the only issue inside the rooms that I noticed. ||||Total cost worked out to $155 per person between the six or just under $39 a night each which is super cheap for two rooms, especially in peak season.||||Other reviews state that the traffic as noisy, but not with the window closed and I'm from the country so I would notice! There IS air con. ||||The pool was no Spanish caravan park pool (ie: big!) but it was bigger than normal (about 12 or 14m?) and rectangular (WHY do people build kidney-shaped pools??) so one could do laps, although I did have to do 120 to get my normal swim. Salt water. Spa was useless - cold and couldn't even feel the jets. Gate a bit hard to get into - have to reef the child-proof handle up pretty hard.||||The location is great - not only was it close to our relatives but also half and hour to Hastings, an hour to Portsea, and on boxing day we drove for just over an hour to another relative in a stunning part of south Gippsland. (I think I'll skip the Peninsula drive on a public holiday next time though ...)||||Good shopping isn't far away either with Dandenong (the markets there are great), Ikea Springvale, Chadstone and Moorabin DFO all within half an hour, Frankston five minutes and so is the Royal Botanic Gardens of Vic (definitely on my list for next time).||||My main complaints were about the rules outside:||||1. There is no pet exercise area close to the motel rooms. The grassed spaces including the huge waste-of-space of a verge are supposedly NOT for exercising your pet, although the BBQ area is large and totally enclosed which would be ideal. There would even be room to fence off one half of it (pretty much a wasted space as it is with no seats or anything) so pets are away from the BBQ. If I was bringing my dog again I would definitely not stay here without a change to those rules.||||There is access to an off-leash park out the back of the entire park but it is a long way from the motel which is at the front, and way too far for a midnight or early-morning pajama-clad deposit. It is also too far for anyone (or pet!) with a certain type of disability - pretty ableist. I doubt my in-law's little dog could walk that far on a good day and my father in law certainly couldn't.||||2. signs outside the rooms ask that people smoke at least 4m from the rooms, but the ashtrays are within 1m and of course that's where people congregate. Our neighbours smoked in the early morning and late at night and their (normal) voices carried right into the room (as did the smoke when hubby opened the door to ask them to keep quiet - to their credit they did and apologised the next morning). It would be so much better to have a designated smoking area away from the rooms - the BBQ area would again be perfect as it is right next to the motel but does not look onto any doors or windows. The only time our little dog really barks is when he hears strange voices and he can't see who it is, so congregating away from the rooms would also suit the 'pet-friendly' tag. ||||If I were to stay there again with a pet I would want those those issues fixed - the pet exercise area in particular is a non-negotiable. I mean WHERE exactly do they think people are going to take their dog for a pee during the night?? Crazy.||||That issue ruined the whole thing for me, really, otherwise it would...

Wow what an EXCEPTIONALLY wonderful experience my son and I had the privilege of staying here over Christmas for 3 weeks. We were beautifully looked after by the superstar teams who manage and make the Motel as amazing as it is. The 2 powerhouse teams Rick & Stacey & Jo & Crispy who couldn’t have done more to make our experience as wonderful as it was if they tried. I will be forever grateful for the professional yet super friendly service we received and for all the support and help I was given during our 3 week stay during a time that was crucial to keep afloat. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and a huge shout out to Rick & Crispy for the very welcomed education on how to set up a swag & also handy tips & advice re camping i am able to take into our future. Amazing pool which was so refreshing to dip in on the hot days and the convenience of an amazing cafe “ THE FAT CHEF “ close by plus chemist, bakery, IGA and hairdresser. It was such a warm and beautiful time both my son and I treasure and HiGHLY RECOMMEND anyone reading this to book away. Facilities ALWAYS clean and kept to a high standard as is the grounds. Thank You and excited to come back one day too. Warmest wishes always...

Thought we would book a room here again, as our first visit was quite good.||This trip was planned for 3 nights but due to Victoria's covid restrictions and our state governments border closure, we need to cut our trip short and leave 1 night earlier. Trying to get a refund from these guys is impossible. So they get to keep $115 of our money, as we needed to get home before our borders shut. ||Room was fine, but the traffic noise is terrible. Put a fence up at the front, might block some noise. Bit of mould in the shower||Lots of strange people roaming around too, make sure you lock your doors. Police present when we were checking out.||Probably won't stay here ever again - I hardly ever write bad reviews, but I'm pretty annoyed that they wont give us a refund, seeing the early departure was out of our control.||Beware if...