Harriet House Tumut

Today we were travelling back to NE VIC with our two kids from Port Macquarie (9.5hr trip)! We decided at around Goulburn we might pull into Tumut for the night and called to book the Harriet as the pictures looked lovely and fresh. A bit further down the road and kids were still looking like they might get all the way home so I called back (20 mins later) and said we might actually cancel as the payment hadn’t even been processed yet and we were sent no confirmation text. The lady said no cancellations on the same day and that they were booked out and we took the only family room, which was really disappointing. Straight after our phone call the money was processed. We decided to just go anyway as might enjoy a night in Tumut 🤷‍♀️ We arrived and the kids wanted to go for a swim. The grounds definitely were not as pictured. The grass was long, weedy and dry and the outside area needs some serious love. Pool, while clean was really old and needs a re-paint as it’s all exposed cement underfoot. Inside at first glance seemed ok… until my daughter accidentally spilled some drink on the Lino flooring. I used a washer to wipe it up and well… let’s just say we are now in the maccas drive through and are tackling the last 2 hours home in the dark. (I couldn’t attach the picture but one quick wipe and the washer was completely black!!! 🤮) The door also had some sort of old liquid spilled over the back of it and the door looked like it had been Jimmy-barred open. You can see they are having a go but obviously we didn’t get the memo as the place was virtually empty. Would be a great, central spot if the cleaning and maintenance was picked up significantly!

This motel is very old and absolutely nothing like the photos they have on their website! The pool area is shocking. Garden refuse just thrown over the edge of the fenced area. No pool towels, no pool lounges and one very mouldy umbrella. Everything is very tired and needs attention. There was dirty laundry bags, bags of rubbish and recycling left near the stairs during our stay. We could not use the fridge as it stunk of prawns. The toilet also had a very bad smell of urine. We stayed in room 19. We could not find it and when we finally did, it felt like we were in the basement. It had a kitchenette in the bathroom! The room cleaning was very haphazard. One bin was emptied and the beds were made, but pillows and throws were just left strewn on the side of the beds. The cups and cutlery we used were not washed either. On a positive note it is in a great position, the beds were comfortable and the sheets and towels were ok. I would not return. It is very expensive for what you get.

Harriett House was a great find. So central. There are 2 pubs that are as good as next door and the shopping strip with its cafes and bakeries are only a couple of minutes away. The room was spotless and modern and the small balcony looking over the pool and outdoor area was a nice addition. Contactless entry made things even easier. Seem to have a good range of rooms.

Harriet House is a refurbished mission style hotel towards the lower end of the main st in Tumut. Rooms have recently been renovated and overlook a grassy area with pool out the back. The views of the valley and surrounds are a cheeky little reminder that you're in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains. Rooms are very comfortable, clean, and each room has been tastefully decorated in a quirky way. A few little things that I have appreciated are; lights in stairwells are motion detected, recycling bins are provided, 'who gives a crap' toilet paper is used and they are prepped for the icy mornings with bucket and scrapers for car windscreens. There's plenty of parking but it is a short walk to the main st if you're looking for a bite to eat or a bev. Below the accommodation lies Tumut's best kept secret, a little cafe called Two Tarts which dead set has the best cinnamon buns you have ever tasted! Also an array of other delectables if that's not your cup of tea.