Macquarie Barracks Motor Inn

Macquarie Barracks Motor Inn sits at 103 Hastings River Drive in Port Macquarie, slightly out of the CBD rush but handy to the river. It is a clean, comfortable motor inn with an outdoor pool, BBQ area and on-site restaurant, and it is one of the few motels in town with genuinely designated pet-friendly rooms rather than a dogs-by-arrangement policy.

Dogs at the Macquarie Barracks Motor Inn

Pets are allowed only in the inn's designated pet-friendly guest rooms, never in standard rooms, and the pet room stock is small, so you must book the correct room type in advance. Up to two pets are welcome per pet room, and the pet rooms come with practical creature comforts: reverse-cycle air conditioning, a smart TV, free Wi-Fi, a microwave, bar fridge, toaster and tea and coffee facilities, with a private bathroom. Several pet rooms have their own courtyard or verandah, which makes the dog side genuinely workable. Any pet fee is not published, so confirm with management when booking. Outside the room, dogs stay on a leash, owners clean up, and pets must not disturb other guests.

Worth knowing

Guests rate the comfortable beds, clean kitchenettes and spacious rooms, and the motel carries a solid mid-price positioning between the budget cabins and the beach resorts. Turning up with a dog without a pet room booked can mean being turned away, so phone ahead even for a one-night stop.

Getting there and parking

Hastings River Drive puts you minutes from the Hastings River for morning and evening walks, with a pub within walking distance and the CBD a short drive. Off-street parking is at your door.

Close by with the dogs

Nobbys Beach is a short drive for a proper run, and the Lighthouse Beach off-leash zones stretch further south. If the pet room is taken, Narimba Motel is another quiet pet-welcoming motor inn, and NRMA Port Macquarie Breakwall Holiday Park covers the caravan-side option.

More options are on the NSW pet friendly stays guide and the Port Macquarie destination page.

Pepsi: this motel's pet setup lives or dies on the room type. Book the pet-friendly room explicitly and confirm it by phone, because a generic room booking plus a dog at the door does not fly.