Drive in and sleep

At some point in the last few decades, motels lost their cool. That is to say they were no longer considered by most West Australians to be fashionable places to stay. But there are several motels in Perth that defy this notion by providing high quality service and attractive rooms, sufficient to compete strongly with most hotels. These motels also offer the generous bonus of letting guests drive up and park just outside their rooms.

That is especially attractive these days, when many hotels in the city charge exorbitant parking fees of up to $25 per car, per day. There are several lovely motels included in the State Government’s new Stay, Play and Save campaign. This promotion allows WA residents (from now until the end of April) to save $200 off bookings at more than 30 properties across the Perth metro area. Here are three of the best motel-style properties included in this campaign.

Hotel Clipper

I’m definitely biased, because this is where I live, but Rockingham is the most underrated holiday spot in Perth. There are many good reasons our State Premier Mark McGowan chooses to live here, and they’re all patently clear once Perth folk make the effort to drive down the coast and visit.

Unlike the popular beaches of Scarborough, Cottesloe and Sorrento, which can get crowded on hot days, there’s always plenty of space on the sand at the many pristine beaches in the City of Rockingham. Not to mention the great benefit of the sea here being ultra-calm, and thus better for swimming than most of those aforementioned beaches, due to the offshore shelter provided by Garden Island.

From Hotel Clipper, it’s just five minutes’ walk down to Rockingham beach, which not only has translucent waters but also one of Perth’s largest and best oceanfront parks, with excellent facilities for picnics and BBQs.

For $250 you can stay for two nights at this motel in a spacious 33sqm Parkview room, which has views across to Anzac Park. Sweetening this deal, in a major way, is free breakfast daily, as well as a $100 dinner voucher for the on-site Café Clipper.

Wattle Grove Motel

Wattle Grove, in Perth’s south-east, is a great jumping off point from which to explore the city’s charming hills suburbs. From the Wattle Grove Motel, it is just a short drive up into the Darling Ranges to the historic town of Kalamunda.

Here hides one of Perth’s most unique and underappreciated attractions – the Kalamunda History Village. Located on the site of the 1890s Upper Darling Range Railway Station, this village is made up of an assortment of fascinating, relocated old buildings, including a 1905 school house, an 1895 settler’s cottage, and Kalamunda’s original post office from 1901.

The Government promotion offers two nights in a standard room at the Wattle Grove Motel for $334, which includes a two-course dinner with a bottle of wine on both nights of your stay at the on-site bar and grill.

Bentley Motel

Bentley might not be a location you’ve stayed before, or considered staying before, but it is convenient to a range of attractions in Perth’s southern suburbs. The Bentley Motel is just five minutes’ drive to arguably Perth’s best shopping centre, the massive and modern Westfield Carousel, which has more than 100 shops, as a well as a huge range of restaurants, bars and entertainment options.

This motel is also very close to the beautiful Canning River Regional Park, which boasts many walking trails, and the brilliant East Victoria Park dining and nightlife strip. There’s no need to go out to eat, though, as the Government promotion for the Bentley Motel includes a free two-course dinner at the adjoining Grove Bar & Grill, with a bottle of wine, on both nights of your stay. This is all included with a two-night stay in a Deluxe King room for $334.