Name: Alara Motor Inn
Address: 52 Nebo Rd, Mackay, Queensland, Australia, Mackay, Queensland, AU
Price range: US$88–US$155 per night
Rating: 8.35

What guests think

Across recent reviews, Alara Motor Inn is praised as a convenient stopover with clean, comfortable rooms, friendly service and pet-friendly touches, plus an on-site restaurant and pool, though a few guests report parking quirks, occasional noise, or room fit-out niggles.

Rooms are generally spacious and quiet, but bed firmness varies and several mention awkward shower-over-bath setups. Staff are widely described as welcoming and helpful, with smooth late check-in and support for special requests; a couple of reviews cite booking or refund problems. The location suits road-trippers and offers access to the nearby botanical gardens, while one review noted aircraft and early-morning noise. Overall, expect a straightforward, traveler-friendly stay.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

The on-site restaurant with room service is well liked, and the pool is appreciated during stopovers. Parking outside rooms is convenient for many, though one review reported limited or undesignated spaces.

Related guest reviews

8

Kim

8 Feb 2024

·

Good parking outside rooms

10

Thomas

7 Apr 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

From the personalised doggy chew gift, to the high quality room amenities and sheets/beds, Alara is quite simply one of the best Motor Inns we have stayed in. The pool was a welcomed oasis after the six hour journey as was the fact the room had been pre-cooling for us. The biscuits to go with our tea and coffee were absolutely delicious. This will be our one and only choice for accommodation whenever we pass through Mackay again.

10

Dale

5 Jan 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great staff pool was good however would have liked to have had the full menu at the restaurant.

8

Brett

25 Dec 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely place, nice pool, friendly staff.

10

Allan

12 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Excellent accomodation at a reasonable price. The in house restaurant has a great range of high quality items on the menu.

6

Megan

7 Apr 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The floors under the beds need to vaccumed this is the second time in 6 months that I have said the same thing. Different rooms and still the same issues we had pistachios nut shells all under on of the beds and rubish. The parking is terrible not designated and watched two cars for one room which then meant we couldn’t even park for our room. General repairs you can’t use the exhaust fan in the bath room which also controls the main light as it screams and makes a terrible noise.

10

Pauline

24 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We found the unit to be clean easily accessible with having a car park literally at the door. After a long drive we found having room service available for a meal was excellent - the meal itself & customer service. Jimmy D's restaurant is also open to dine in - breakfast also available for room service if ordered the night before. We will definitely stay again.

8

Isabella

21 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Gute Unterkunft für 1 oder 2 Tage. Sehr freundliches und hilfsbereites Personal. Das Restaurant Jimmy D's hat sehr gutes Essen vor Ort oder als room service.

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8

Guy

18 Sept 2023

·

Good solid motel with great staff and a much better than average restaurant. Some other review said the bed was too soft I'd say it was a little too firm - so subjective. A pleasure to have room service at end of a long day. I''ll be staying again.

10

Cameron

31 Dec 2023

·

Stayed 6 nights

Nice large parking area, rooms were quiet and well kept.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Cleanliness

Reviews consistently describe rooms as very clean and well kept, though a couple of guests noticed missed vacuuming under beds.

Related guest reviews

8

Rob

2 Dec 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice and clean, quiet, friendly staff

8

Lee

9 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I was only in one night whilst travelling. It was clean and comfortable.

10

Carl

18 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Very Clean, Spacious and Comfortable Room. Only concern was the Open Shower over a Corner Bath with No Rails for Support while Showering. Very Happy with Room.

10

Jen

21 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great place to stay! Wifi was amazing, clean rooms and amenities and parking onsite! Would stay again

10

Ian

24 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We had our little dog with us and were welcomed by staff. Unit was spacious and clean and great for an overnight stay. We will stay again.

6

Megan

7 Apr 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The floors under the beds need to vaccumed this is the second time in 6 months that I have said the same thing. Different rooms and still the same issues we had pistachios nut shells all under on of the beds and rubish. The parking is terrible not designated and watched two cars for one room which then meant we couldn’t even park for our room. General repairs you can’t use the exhaust fan in the bath room which also controls the main light as it screams and makes a terrible noise.

10

Debra

26 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice room. Good size. Very clean. Quiet.

10

Rosemarie

21 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Easy, clean, affordable.

10

Cameron

31 Dec 2023

·

Stayed 6 nights

Nice large parking area, rooms were quiet and well kept.

10

Jason

24 Nov 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Friendly staff that were very accommodating for our requests. Clean rooms, pet friendly with a long strip of grass just behind the rooms for the dogs to run and investigate. Free washing machine was a nice surprise too. Definitely stay again when we pass through Mackay again.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Rooms are generally spacious, quiet, and comfortable, with some appreciating extras like in-room microwave and cutlery. Bed firmness divides opinion and several mention awkward shower-over-bath setups; a few note minor appliance or maintenance issues.

Related guest reviews

6

Tracy

29 Jun 2022

·

Stayed 1 night

Didn’t know the motel was under the Mackay airport flight path. The tradies leaving early were noisy in the morning. The shower was over a bath and it was both slippery and small. Bed was comfortable and the room was clean

10

Rita

20 Feb 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Very welcoming reception, made us feel right at home. Room spacious and very clean…

10

Carl

18 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Very Clean, Spacious and Comfortable Room. Only concern was the Open Shower over a Corner Bath with No Rails for Support while Showering. Very Happy with Room.

6

Janine

30 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The King Bed was Aweful both woke with a sore back way too soft just sunk into it. Sheets weren’t very nice very stiff not overly nice. The shower head was too forceful it pelted you like needles. The fridge and freezer didn’t work properly half cold at best and freezer didn’t freeze our blocks.

8

Janine

9 Sept 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Very pleasant stay room was big & nice with an upgrade to a king room. The Bed was a bit too soft for us though but other than that it was value for money.

10

Shanna

18 Sept 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Comfortable pillows, dog friendly, cutlery and microwave in the room

8

Mark Emma

2 Apr 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Comfy bed, very clean, great water pressure, pet friendly

8

Guy

18 Sept 2023

·

Good solid motel with great staff and a much better than average restaurant. Some other review said the bed was too soft I'd say it was a little too firm - so subjective. A pleasure to have room service at end of a long day. I''ll be staying again.

10

Debra

26 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice room. Good size. Very clean. Quiet.

8

Colin

12 Nov 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice motel with good amenities. Just saying, a full length mirror would be great, especially for those of us attending a special event.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Service

Service is frequently praised as friendly, accommodating, and efficient, including smooth late check-in and support for guests with pets. A few guests reported booking, room assignment, or refund issues.

Related guest reviews

10

Ron

13 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great for an overnight stop , had everything we needed , small suggestion , add a second bedside table . Very helpful at reception

10

Travis

30 Dec 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Had an issue with a work CC and they itemised it to make it easier on our finance staff went above and beyond to accomodate nice work guys x

10

Garry

12 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

May sound minor but the fact that when we booked in late at night, the key was in the safe box at the office and the room had milk and biscuits was great. Nice room as well.

10

Bernadette

18 Sept 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

We booked a Pet Friendly room it was co-ordinated very well. Excellent Service staff were friendly and helpful. Room was clean, comfortable. Only negative was we wanted to wash the dishes we used but no dishwashing liquid or tea towel. A very small detail I am sure they wanted us to leave them. A big thank you to the staff we dealt with they went above and beyond to make us comfortable.

10

Sophie

9 Apr 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff were incredibly friendly, check in and out was easy and I’m so glad it was pet friendly. Highly recommend!

6

Mathew

20 Jan 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

I booked this room specifically on the basis that it was pet friendly however this was not the case and I had to ring around to see if someone would take my pet in for the night. The property manager was lovely and apologetic about the fact that there were no more pet friendly rooms available but I wasn't happy with that outcome because I had paid for a room that was pet friendly. The room was booked during the time that there was an extreme weather event in QLD so I only used it for a couple of hours and then decided to head onwards to my destination because the motel would not accommodate my pet. The property manager wasn't keen on a refund but I instead asked her to give the room to someone else who was desperate for accommodation in such horrible weather which she wasn't keen to do either. I would not stay at the this place again.

10

Pauline

24 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We found the unit to be clean easily accessible with having a car park literally at the door. After a long drive we found having room service available for a meal was excellent - the meal itself & customer service. Jimmy D's restaurant is also open to dine in - breakfast also available for room service if ordered the night before. We will definitely stay again.

10

Malcolm Joseph

5 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Pet friendly with a super welcoming attitude to our little fur baby. Great restaurant, easy check in, and fantastic staff. Loved it and looking forward to our next visit!! Our first choice xx

2

Dan

5 May 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The hotel turned me away and said ill be refunded but haven't don3 anything about it i had nowhere to stay for the weekend

4

Darren

16 Jul 2022

·

Stayed 1 night

Sick of motels advertising that they have a restaurants when they haven’t. Got put in the wrong room and had to move. Never again.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Location

Convenient for road trips and stopovers, with easy access and proximity to the botanical gardens. One review mentioned aircraft and early-morning noise.

Related guest reviews

8

Kim

8 Feb 2024

·

Good parking outside rooms

6

Tracy

29 Jun 2022

·

Stayed 1 night

Didn’t know the motel was under the Mackay airport flight path. The tradies leaving early were noisy in the morning. The shower was over a bath and it was both slippery and small. Bed was comfortable and the room was clean

10

Brigitta

12 Apr 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The room service was exceptional, food was fantastic, even our puppy received a treat. The room was very clean. Management and staff super friendly. Easy walk to the botanical gardens to stretch the legs, which we needed after a long drive in the car.

10

David

6 Feb 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great location, friendly staff. Kids had fun in the pool.

10

Andrew

22 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I was really impressed with this motel, which is the perfect stop off during the long drive.

10

Tony

2 Nov 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Well located, friendly staff. Very clean. Highly recommend.

10

Pauline

24 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We found the unit to be clean easily accessible with having a car park literally at the door. After a long drive we found having room service available for a meal was excellent - the meal itself & customer service. Jimmy D's restaurant is also open to dine in - breakfast also available for room service if ordered the night before. We will definitely stay again.

10

Cameron

31 Dec 2023

·

Stayed 6 nights

Nice large parking area, rooms were quiet and well kept.

8

Howard

20 Nov 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Convenient location; clean and good parking.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Dining

Jimmy D's restaurant and room service earn strong praise for tasty food and convenience, with breakfast available. A few reviews noted a limited menu at times, an underwhelming dish, or confusion about whether the restaurant was operating.

Related guest reviews

6

William

6 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Booked one night the room was fine had my small dog scooter with me room was quite expensive but needed a room at short notice so ok I’ll cope it , had a $48 steak that was very fatty at the onsite restaurant was very disappointing gave half to my dog he was happy should of called domino’s

10

Dale

5 Jan 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great staff pool was good however would have liked to have had the full menu at the restaurant.

10

Brigitta

12 Apr 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The room service was exceptional, food was fantastic, even our puppy received a treat. The room was very clean. Management and staff super friendly. Easy walk to the botanical gardens to stretch the legs, which we needed after a long drive in the car.

10

Allan

12 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Excellent accomodation at a reasonable price. The in house restaurant has a great range of high quality items on the menu.

10

Pauline

24 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We found the unit to be clean easily accessible with having a car park literally at the door. After a long drive we found having room service available for a meal was excellent - the meal itself & customer service. Jimmy D's restaurant is also open to dine in - breakfast also available for room service if ordered the night before. We will definitely stay again.

10

Robert

12 Dec 2022

·

Stayed 1 night

the great service , the welcoming fruit platter was great , just was a vert nice stay, the meals were great as well.

8

Isabella

21 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Gute Unterkunft für 1 oder 2 Tage. Sehr freundliches und hilfsbereites Personal. Das Restaurant Jimmy D's hat sehr gutes Essen vor Ort oder als room service.

Translate

8

Guy

18 Sept 2023

·

Good solid motel with great staff and a much better than average restaurant. Some other review said the bed was too soft I'd say it was a little too firm - so subjective. A pleasure to have room service at end of a long day. I''ll be staying again.

10

Malcolm Joseph

5 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Pet friendly with a super welcoming attitude to our little fur baby. Great restaurant, easy check in, and fantastic staff. Loved it and looking forward to our next visit!! Our first choice xx

4

Darren

16 Jul 2022

·

Stayed 1 night

Sick of motels advertising that they have a restaurants when they haven’t. Got put in the wrong room and had to move. Never again.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22 $155	23 $102	24 $102	25 $101	26 $91
27 $90	28 $89	29 $90	30 $90

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $92	2 $90	3 $92
4 $88	5 $92	6 $90	7 $91	8 $90	9 $92	10 $90
11 $92	12 $90	13 $92	14 $90	15 $92	16 $90	17 $92
18 $90	19 $92	20 $90	21 $92	22 $90	23 $93	24 $95
25 $94	26 $93	27 $93	28 $96	29 $99	30 $93	31 $93

Alara Motor Inn

About this property

Location

Room options

Deluxe Family (Non Pet)

Queen and Single (Non Pet)

Room, 1 King Bed, Jetted Tub (Non Pet)

King Room (Non Pet)

Queen Room with Bath (Non Pet)

Pet Friendly Queen Room

Queen Room (Non Pet)

Accessible Room (Non Pet)

Queen Single Room Pet Friendly

Family Room, 2 Bedrooms (Non Pet)

Guest reviews of Alara Motor Inn

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Alara Motor Inn

Prices for upcoming dates