Ocean Views Motel Lakes Entrance

“Comfortable/friendly/good value motel - spectacular sunsets for those who appreciate the beauty of the world.”

Review of the Ocean Views Motel, Lakes Entrance, Victoria We’d had a long day on the road – from Foster through Sale to Lakes Entrance (with a side trip to Raymond’s Island to see the koalas) - and were looking forward to checking into the Ocean Views Motel early that evening. Approaching the town… Plus

Review of the Ocean Views Motel, Lakes Entrance, Victoria We’d had a long day on the road – from Foster through Sale to Lakes Entrance (with a side trip to Raymond’s Island to see the koalas) - and were looking forward to checking into the Ocean Views Motel early that evening. Approaching the town the Princess Highway becomes a well-defined downhill run. There to the right above the town was the motel with views across the inland lake - complete with a handful of islands - and, in the distance, the open sea all the way to New Zealand (heading east). The motel presents a smart-looking collection of single-level buildings in tidy grasslands with mature palms and trees scattered across the grounds. A blue sign next to the covered entrance provides the name. Enter the doors and the counter is to one side – their welcome underwrites the friendly check-in. We were two families and were allocated a couple of ensuite chalets/rooms on Hotel Road at the rear of the motel – you could drive through the grounds or go round the motel by road. Across from the chalets there was the same spectacular view that we had enjoyed when descending into Lakes Entrance on the main highway. Here’s where you can enjoy that pièce de resistance’ – sunset into the sea of an evening. And, moreover, you can also follow it from a dedicated observation deck across the road not 50 m from the chalet. Here there were no trees to block the sky. Take in the >225-deg. view along the inland lake from the commercial centre of Lakes Entrance to distant Mutang and, 1-2 km seaward, to the distant shoreline … local images don’t get any better that this. The rooms were spacious, comfortable and relatively clean. For your money there was a comfortable double bed in the one room – occupied by the couple – with the novelty of a triangular shaped spa pool in the room a metre from the bed. There was a long bench across the wall opposite the bed with a microwave oven in one corner and, mounted on the wall above the bench, was a television. We gave the television away but made use of the oven for heating our breakfast cornetti. The ensuite bathroom-cum-kitchen led-off from the bedroom. In the cupboard was a selection of culinary things. The fabric of the building, furnishings, fittings and decorations suggested a much used/popular place in which to stay. Time for some investment in upgrading? That depends upon the business model followed. We paid $583 for the two rooms for two nights; family of two adults in one room and second family of five in the other (two adults & three little kids). That’s <$150/room/night and at the peak of the Christmas/New Year holiday period. Re-invest/upgrade, etc. and those prices will climb. Current costs/standards comfortably put the motel/room within reach of your average family. As a budget hotel it comes highly recommended. The place was convenient too – just off the main highway. And there was plentiful parking immediately outside the line of chalets/rooms along Hotel Road. A paved footpath together with a nature strip 4 m wide in front of the rooms separated the rooms from the line of parked cars. However, that said, nothing was fenced, and you would still need to keep an eagle eye upon any little kids playing around an open door. In the hotel grounds there was a small but inviting-looking swim pool stepped back from Hotel Road - directly opposite the observation deck. The pool was behind firm-looking security fencing and not immediately visible from the road. We had too much to do/see in Lakes Entrance and, to our regret, we never found time to play with the kids in the pool. Come to that we never saw anyone in it going and returning respectively, morning and evening. Perhaps the sea/beaches close by were simply too much of an attraction. Remember, we only had two days available. This was our reality – spending time exploring the locality including the commercial centre of Lakes Entrance and, across the Cunninghame Arm footbridge to the strip of land that protects the inland waterways and the township from the impact of the sea. The footbridge is >3 km from the motel so, like us, you’ll probably drive into town and park to cross the bridge to gain access to Ninety Mile Beach (reputedly the longest beach in the country). In summary then – the Ocean Views Motel was comfortable and value for money. We took advantage of the viewing platform across the road but failed to take full advantage of the resources of the motel/room. Management was helpful/friendly. Peter Steele 19May25

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