Drury Motor Lodge — Hotel in Papakura

Good: Clean room. Kitchenette well stocked. Large space, large bathroom. Didn’t mind the road noise, it’s really not that bad and it’s opposite a field so no headlights coming from across the street. Easy booking and check in. Friendly staff. Wifi is good. Sky tv. Well stocked room for extras like ironing board, hairdryer etc. Good parking available.

Not good: broken guttering meant constant drip sound when it rained. Loose carpet on the stairs is a hazard (room 11a). Three guests but only gave towels for 2 which is odd as they knew it was three people. No headboard so uncomfortable to rest as no couch. Overly strong chemical smell gave me a headache and itchy throat, smelled bad of toilet cleaner or similar. Terrible water pressure in shower and water goes hot and cold. No fire escape so you’d be trapped if there was a fire downstairs or on the stairs.

Value for money: fair but $160 a night is at the top of the scale for this...

"The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs" is one of Aesop's Fables. The tale has given rise to the idiom 'killing the goose that lays the golden eggs', which refers to the short-sighted destruction of a valuable resource, or to an unprofitable action motivated by greed. |This is an average hotel, at its best. There is hardly any other option around, besides the questionable B&B choices, with no pictures whatsoever. The service here is kind, nice people, but the facilities are dated and do need a major uplift. Yes, the shower is still good, but most other bits are falling apart. It seems to be crumbling to dust, with peeling walls, unsightly carpets and forced locks, while the owners milk as many golden eggs as they can, but the goose struggles to keep breathing. Drury is growing and they will get competition one day. Hopefully it will not be too late to invest. They should start doing...

I skipped booking online because I thought ringing the motel directly would be cheaper so they didn't have to pay a commission fee for the booking. Apparently I was wrong and they wouldn't accept the lower online rate, then charged me more than the online prices. As soon as I opened the door, there was a strong smell of fish. I assume it was being cooked in next unit, but but it was gross. It's got to be the noisiest motel I've ever stayed in. The window latches were broken and the window facing the road wouldn't close properly so the traffic noise was loud and just doesn't stop. The snoring from the unit below and the occasional freight train also wouldn't stop, so I got no sleep. I can't believe the lack of sound proofing for a motel. It may have been a handy location for me but I will not be...