Old Hotels, Mediocre Service - You be the judge!

I seem to find enough Old Pubs with bangers & mash to satisfy me Baz, although their accommodation may still be of the era. lol
But most 'older' motels could sorely do with some upgrade. Their rates can approach that of some 4-Star city hotels but their decor and facilities do not!

A "good weekend" for us too. We are also heading off on Saturday to WA for 12 weeks. The Pilbara particularly, via the Anne Beadell Hwy. (Yes, we are suckers for punishment)
You never know, we may see you along the way. Have a great time.

Baz,
I think they all should be pulled down and replaced with Langham style 5 star pubs.

Free Salmonella with every high tea. Sorry Baz, one problem is they don't serve Bazza (Vietnamese sewer fish) only Nile perch.

Totally agree-let them stay in the cities!
We just did a jaunt from the east coast, across to Alice and up the Tanami, around the Kimberley and home...it was a bit quicker than most of you would do but we're not grey nomads yet and have work to return to!!
Our little home made camper trailer has no kitchen so we well-and-truly take our tourism dollars with us to the pubs for tea! We only eat "in" when we have nowhere to buy a cooked meal.
(I'll be sad when we buy our "real" van one day because this system means that we get a real holiday and don't have to do all the regular cooking/washing up!)
I'd reluctantly give any pub a low score because you never know if the regular cook was away that night and one of the waitresses had to step in (that's what happened at Tilmouth Well and she was so excited to hear from us that she'd cooked such a damn good steak!).
We ate great steaks across Australia and oh, the cheese cake at Home Valley Station and the nightly spread at Drysdale River Station, the homely meals at the Ellangowan Hotel in Augathella... and even the burgers at Borroloola had us back the next night for more.
We camped next to a Japanese couple in Camooweal who happily heated up food in the camp kitchen before retreating to the warmth of their little tent.
Not all tourists want 5 star in the cities. I did 5 star with a European Evergreen tour a few years ago and it was great, but I honestly feel sorry for those who think that's all that's important.
Let's celebrate the fact that we are wiser to more of the great things in this country than they are!
Cheers to the little country pubs who do a decent job!

:)

There are sone Allan. One at Middletonthat was well worth stopping at but I must agree they do seem to be changing.

We found some bangers and mash once. So I ordered them. Crap!!! The mash was full of small bits of greenery and spices and the banger was a goumet sausage from the Adealide Hills with something stuck up the middle. Yes, that's what they told me when I asked after returning it, mostly uneaten, "A gourmet sausage ...." Oh yes. The gravy was full of spices also. Not that lovely stuff that Grandma, Mum and I make from the leftovers in the bottom of the pan. It also had a tang to it like someone tipped a bottle of curry powder and chille in it.

That was Innamincka! We will never eat in that or the Birdsville Pub either as they are both owned by the same idiot. At least you can get a VB at both. And a pie at the bakery will do me. At least the tomato sauce is realistic.Well it wasn't ketchup last time we were there.

Stayed in a cabin and went to the pun once for a meal. All I wanted after a couple of weeks in the scrub was a good old traditional ( > 90 years old) "home" tasting meal. Yuk.

And need I mention the rude mob at the next table who gave us such a "stare" when the grand daughter fell off her chair and hit her head on the concrete floor. Luckily we were dressedup with the polished things!!!! Her Dad was ropeable. They had driven all the ay up to meet us for a couple of days from Adelaide and she got a "split head" - No high chairs.

7 days to lift off. Now I hope the stitches come out okay and the wound healed enough to go for a drive. More bloody cancer.

Phil

I read your blog post and was thinking about the most typical out back hotel that we had been to and low and behold there it was in the photos, The Royal Mail Hotel at Hungerford. Cant beat those well worn floorboards and the newspaper clippings on the wall, or the 'local' sitting in the corner who was going to get his 'town car' to pick up the visitor who was arriving by plane.

There are others but many have started to cater for the tourist. Muttaburra was another hotel that we spent a few pleasant evenings at as well that catered to locals not trendies.