Name: The Ellson Hotel
Address: Chapman Tce, Kingscote, 5223, AU

6/10

Pleasant

11 Mar 2025

Sarah

Modern Retro

The location is beautifully by the water and close enough to the town shops and pub to walk there. The motel is older in style and has undergone a significant refurbishment. The furnishing was modern and gave a retro homely feel.

The only issues I had were:

~ lower water pressure in the shower
~ the lack of sound proofing in the rooms- a layer of soundproofing felt I've seen in other hotels would be a useful addition
~ no windows- KI is known for beautiful fresh air and I would have loved to be able to open a window or even the door (if they installed safety screen) to have some fresh air in the room.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Dec 2024

Christine

The Seaview rooms have been beautifully updated with contemporary design features. Resting in these rooms you look through palm trees to the ocean beyond, lovely!!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Nov 2024

Martha

We had a nice stay at Kangaroo Island Seaview Motel. It appeared recently renovated and was clean. Easy, free parking on site, and was walking distance to nearby restaurants and shops.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

07 Nov 2024

Brenda

The property was well located and the view was beautiful.

10/10

Exceptional

09 Sep 2024

Tracy

Nice stay

8/10

Excellent

18 Jul 2024

Ali

Great location, very close to all shops and restaurants. They should remove the 3rd bed for couples to allow for more space. The shelf above the bed needs to be higher to stop from hitting your head. It’s the last thing to have to worry about every time you get into bed.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

19 Apr 2024

Jenny

Wonderful place with a great location right in front of the beach. An amazing Italian restaurant just a few minutes walk. The pizzas were amazing.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Nov 2023

Madeline

I liked the room decor, the walkability of the town, and the sea view.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Sep 2023

Aimee

This motel was an unexpected delight - the rooms are in great condition and have been renovated in great colours and lovely decor. Would recommend!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Sep 2023

De

I had a look at a few accommodation options but I chose the right one, it’s straight across from the police station and within walking distance of everything I needed. I will definitely be staying here when I return.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

06 Jul 2023

Linda

Conveniently situated withing walking distance to eateries, we found it a very easy place to stay. Room was exactly as depicted on website, with updated bathroom and decor.

We stayed two nights and were sorry to not have been able to get into the on-site restaurant The Odd Plate. While it is run independently from the motel, it would have been helpful for the motel to prompt visitors to book in when confirming their stay. The restaurant is quite small and was in very high demand at the time of our stay in low season, when a number of other optional eateries were closed on vacation. Other than that, our stay was very pleasant.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jun 2023

Verified traveler

Very nice motel

Very nice motel. Stayed at the Sea View Suite. Inside must have been recently refurbished. Thoughtful and handy little details. Little kitchen was lacking salt, pepper and oil etc., but other than that well equipped.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Nov 2022

Kirstie

The staff were so kind. The property was clean, well managed and easy accessible

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

18 Sep 2022

Bree

Great location with sea views! Staff were friendly and helpful.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Aug 2022

Verified traveler

Highly recommend this beautiful place. Very clean and looks like something out of a house and home magazine. Stunning touches and extremely comfortable bed. Ocean views directly from the big glass window of your room. Friendly checkin too.

Right opposite on a Saturday morning at 8am at the Tidal pool is the Parkrun. Great 5k and locals are welcoming.

So close to drive to wineries and gin distillery.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

19 May 2022

jayson

Quiet and assessible to local shops-hotels

10/10

Exceptional

21 Apr 2022

Marcia

Nice stay!!!

Very comfortable clean room!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Mar 2022

Bernice

Very pleasant, close to everything, great views and friendly Manager.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

05 Mar 2022

Angela

Friendly and helpful for 3 star, good value

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jan 2022

Andrew

The service from the staff was excellent. The accommodation was ok, getting a little tied though. Overall I’d definitely stay again.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jan 2022

Annie

Great service and cleanliness as always

Business Partner

8/10

Excellent

19 Oct 2021

Heath

The rooms were simple but clean and tidy. The staff were friendly. They are currently doing renovations and hopefully they will add a Cafe/Restaurant.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

10 Apr 2021

Verified traveler

Dated, yes. But charming and quirky. I loved the little shutters over the floor level air vents. All in all this fits the natural charm of the seaside town of Kingscote. Very clean, cosy, and everything we needed for a night in town. Lots of on-site and street parking. Across the road from the natural seas pool and an easy short walk to anything in town. Very pleasant stay.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Mar 2020

Agnes

Family stay

Good location by the rock pool and the center of Kingscote. Basic room clean and easy access. Good for a week end!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jan 2020

RobJ

The check in was quick and service was excellent. With some great recommendations of local eateries and activities.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

20 Dec 2019

Janelle

Needs some updating!

No air conditioning, external bathrooms, images online don’t reflect actual rooms. Not really value for money.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

18 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Million dollar view!

Very close to the beach and all amenities. Peaceful and relaxing. We'll be back. Beautiful sunrise.

Partner

2/10

Poor

02 Nov 2019

Verified traveler

The blonde hair manager was extremely rude, approaching my son, to complain about the mess in the bathroom, which consisted of a foot towel being left in the bathroom despite there being no wash basket or bin to put used soap in the cubicle.

The fact that she approached a 11 year old without parents being there was disgusting.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

22 Feb 2019

Peter

It’s a great view

Perfect for a quick overnight trip

6/10

Pleasant

29 Jan 2019

Xiao W

Good view, but the single bed is too softy.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

Sea view.good location and excellent service. The staff are very friendly and helpful. Room are clean and comfy.

6/10

Pleasant

30 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

Very dated but clean, no toilet en-suite so you have to go to a seperate building outside

4/10

Poor

27 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

Room was unclean, stuffs from previous stays were left under the bed. Bed was uncomfortable, filthy room. We agreed to check out at 11, but by the time we went for breakfast outside, cleaners entered the room and we couldn’t use the room later. No microwave in the room. Towels were old. Television is robs my 12 inches. Not worth for money.

Family

8/10

Excellent

13 Dec 2018

Brett

Unit was basic and clean. Would stay again.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

02 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

Nice room but one air conditioner doesn’t cover both bed rooms. May be big stand fans will be good idea for bed rooms.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Oct 2018

Peter

2 Days on KI

We had a very nice stay and the staff were more than helpful

Partner

4/10

Poor

02 Oct 2018

Verified traveler

Fake hotel description

The website shows that room has two bathrooms, but actually there is only one. Also the number of beds is different from the picture showing on website. It's a terrible experience for me.

Friends

8/10

Excellent

19 May 2018

BillyBoy

Nice basic accommodation,. but watch just what your buying as I was a it confused and ordered a room with a shared bathroom. But the staff sorted out the issue with me nicely.

8/10

Excellent

21 Apr 2018

Verified traveler

Nice Hotel with sea wiews

Enjoyed our stay as we were central to many tourist attractions.

8/10

Excellent

05 Apr 2018

Verified traveler

Nice location close to restaurants and natural pool

8/10

Excellent

30 Mar 2018

anne

Booked the Baudin room which would have been ample room for four. Small spa bath in bathroom and great ocean views from this room. Even your own little terrace. Lounge. Had a microwave toaster and kettle.

8/10

Excellent

08 Feb 2018

Frederic

Nice but might be noisy...

Nice stay on KI, well located, but bedroom walls very thin and you can hear your neighbours snoring...

Family

6/10

Pleasant

28 Jan 2018

Verified traveler

Uncomfortable bed, too soft.

Family

4/10

Poor

03 Jan 2018

Les

Kangaroo Island stay

The hotel is pretty old. Fixtures & fittings old. Bed squeaks. Lounge seats have old used coverings. Not my preferred style. Best described as \"Looks Tired\".
Bathroom tap was leaking. Obviously not a high priority for hotel to fix.
Some (glass) doors and windows don't have curtains, so very bright from outside lighting all night.
Definitively not value for money.

10/10

Exceptional

28 Dec 2017

Verified traveler

Highly recommended!

Very nice and helpful staff, room with beautiful view, enough space for three of us in the room. Easy walk to town and fun stroll along the beach right in front of your room. Convenient parking, comfortable room, we are very happy!

Family

8/10

Excellent

27 Dec 2017

Verified traveler

Conveniently located close to town with awesome views., friendly staff. Needs new mattresses

8/10

Excellent

27 Dec 2017

Verified traveler

Close to beach and shops

Nice clean old motel. Beach and shops just across the street. Free unlimited wifi but a bit slow.

6/10

Pleasant

24 Nov 2017

Fred

Great service, but misleading pictures of motel.

This was a convenient motel to stay in. It was withing walking distance to restaurants and other establishments, and a pickup point for the ferry. The office people were extremely helpful, and went beyond what one could expect for service. The pictures of the motel lead one to believe it is new and updated, however once inside it is obvious that it is not, but in all fairness, they do let you know there are no bathroom facilities in your room in the write up of the place.

8/10

Excellent

13 Nov 2017

Verified traveler

Lovely view of the bay, walking distance to food

KI is a wonderful place, and this hotel is conveniently located in the middle-ish of the island. The staff were friendly, and the walks around town were lovely.

6/10

Pleasant

12 Nov 2017

Steve

Not bad for a short stay

The room is a good size and comfortable but lacks some bench space around the kettle area and it also could do with a full blind of curtains over the double entrance door to make the room darker in the morning as all you have is a blind that went down half way.

8/10

Excellent

09 Nov 2017

Albert

very expensive for shared bathroom and no breakfast.

6/10

Pleasant

13 Sep 2017

Verified traveler

Nice view, the lamp cord was broken, so couldnt turn it on

Partner

8/10

Excellent

27 Jun 2017

ray

nice old hotel with lovely beach views.

Got a shock on arrival, owner took several minutes to answer bell from reception..sorry, your room has shared bathroom facilities ...hmmm. But for an extra $20/ nite you can have a standard room with ensuite ..ok. Nice old motel/ guest house with lovely Seaview and opposite the beach. Short stroll into town, pier, nice pizza rest opposite. Good spot to explore the wonderful Kangaroo island. Room, bed, shower, all ok.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

07 May 2017

Verified traveler

No kitchen in the baudin suite. Room is ok, big enough for 4 people

10/10

Exceptional

13 Apr 2017

Jan

Nice location overlooking the sea

Clean, friendly, nice size rooms in the old house. The shared toilet block was like no other. Flowers, hand towels, bath mats, hair dryer etc.

10/10

Exceptional

28 Feb 2017

Verified traveler

Clean, great view, lovely friendly staff, close to everything in Kingscote

8/10

Excellent

13 Jan 2017

sunny singh

Very nice

The staff was very nice n friendly....!!
Room was also good !

10/10

Exceptional

23 Nov 2016

Verified traveler

Sun rise across the Bay

Just a fantastic place to stay if you like chilling out and for a change a dip I the tidal swimming pool.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

18 Nov 2016

Keith

Tiny, out of date in areas.

Make sure if you travel to KI pre book for dining out.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Oct 2016

Verified traveler

Stunning sea views add friendly staff

A very enjoyable stay for my first visit to Kangaroo Island. I'll certainly come back to Seaview.

8/10

Excellent

25 Apr 2016

Annie

Close to ocean and to town.

Older hotel kept very clean. Friendly and helpful staff. Enjoyed the ocean views from the cares right outside our door. Good value.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Mar 2016

Aggie

Comfortable accommodation with a brilliant view

Baudin Suite was very comfortable and spacious although furnishings were a little dated. We would certainly stay at KI Seaview Motel again!

2/10

Poor

20 Mar 2016

Kwan Chong

Very disappointing, did NOT deliver!

Dirty, poor attitude of cleaning staff, lack of maintenance is horrific.We stayed at Haven Marina Glenelg, same era and star rating, $10 cheaper per night, and vastly better than Seaview Motel.

8/10

Excellent

13 Mar 2016

Geoffrey

Pleasant location

Very satisfying vacation. No further items need be added.

8/10

Excellent

25 Feb 2016

Linda

Good family hotel

I stayed at this motel with my daughter and her 2 sons. We stayed in the Matthew Flinders unit which had plenty of room for a family and included a kitchenette. This suited our needs perfectly. Rooms were spacious and clean. Beds were comfortable. Staff were friendly and helpful.

6/10

Pleasant

16 Jan 2016

Verified traveler

Not a good choice

Good location for the sea view. But the room is not very clean. Poor sound proofing.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

13 Jan 2016

RR

Good location close to CBD, It ends there.

We stayed in backpacker like room, shared shower-room but private room. Cooking was not allowed, which is disappointing as take away food are fairly expensive around town. The room has a small fridge, sink and tv, are nice addition. Shared shower-room smells quite awful as you expect for such a place. The shower-room is outside the living quarter (different building), if you are planning to have shower in the morning, get ready to feel the cold strong wind.

Family

8/10

Excellent

11 Jan 2016

Verified traveler

Affordable and comfortable stay in Kingscote

Nothing fancy but good price and a good size room with everything we needed for our three days - the ocean view was a great bonus. Nothing to complain about, would recommend it to other families.

Family

8/10

Excellent

07 Jan 2016

Tracey

Comfortable hotel near beach

We enjoyed our stay at the Seaview Motel. The staff were very accommodating, friendly and willing. The views from the sea facing rooms spectacular and the location to town and the tidal swimming pool fantastic. The room was a little dated but very clean and provided all that we required.

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jan 2016

Verified traveler

Ideal motel close to beach & shops

Greeted by friendly staff, very clean room and very comfortable. Would definitely stay again

8/10

Excellent

31 Dec 2015

Verified traveler

good location and easy parking

it's good to stay

Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Dec 2015

Verified traveler

OK

satisfactory accommodation in kingscote on middle/east of island. generally good, but would not recommend if going to watch the sunset at flinders chase.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

13 Dec 2015

belinda

Holiday getawway at KI

Room cosy. Overall clean. Only problem was water was yellowish.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Dec 2015

Phoebe

Kingscote seaside motel

Our room was so close to the main street it was super convenient, it was the perfect place to relax and not too small. Doing day trips out from Kingscote the room was an easy place to come home and crash. Motel in general was very quiet, (probably because of off-season). Pelican feeding at the local pier was the highlight of the trip- if you see this hilarious and entertaining experience, don't skimp out of the $5 per person donation- the guy buys the fish out of his own pocket! Beaches and local tourist destinations are very close.

6/10

Pleasant

17 Oct 2015

Verified traveler

Stayed in a 2 bedroom- 1 with queen, other with 3 singles. Also a kitchen with oven and dining/lounge area. Was up outdoor stairs and like timewarping back to the 70s. All clean though. Barely any wifi coverage in this room. Central to shops/hotel. DVD collection is bad.