Advance Motel Wangaratta

The Advance Motel is a highway motel on Parfitt Road at the southern entry to Wangaratta, the kind of stop travellers use to break the drive between the Hume and the Ovens and King valleys. Rooms run from standard doubles through to family setups, and the listing includes a three bedroom apartment and a disability access room, which makes it useful for groups and for travellers who need a specific room type. The facilities list also takes in a pool and the usual motel set.

Wangaratta itself is the service town for the north east, with the rail trail, the wineries toward Rutherglen and the historic towns of Beechworth and Yackandandah all within an easy drive, so the motel works as a touring base as much as an overnighter.

Dogs at the Advance Motel

Per the motel's own terms and conditions, this is a pet friendly property but prior arrangements are required, so call ahead rather than arriving with the dog and hoping. A surcharge applies on top of the room rate, and the charge depends on room type, the number of pets and the length of stay. The facilities list confirms four pet friendly rooms, with extra charges applicable to those bookings.

The exclusions matter as much as the inclusions: the spa suites, the disability suite and the three bedroom self contained unit sit outside the pet policy, and cats are accepted by arrangement as well as dogs. Guests report the grassed area at the back of the motel is the practical dog spot, with walking tracks straight off the rear boundary.

Worth knowing

With only four rooms in the pet friendly pool, the practical advice is to book early and state how many animals you are bringing when you do. Book through a third party app and you can land in a non pet room, so regulars phone the desk directly and confirm the surcharge upfront.

The Parfitt Road frontage carries truck and work vehicle traffic, so if your dog startles at engines, ask for a room away from the commercial parking bays when you call. For a proper run, the river reserve country along the Ovens is minutes away.

Max: we rang the day before and the four dog rooms were down to one by the time we booked it.

Close by with the dogs

Beechworth makes an easy day out: Beechworth Carriage Motor Inn if you decide to stay over, Beechworth Holiday Park for a cabin or site, and Two Sisters on High at Yackandandah for the coffee stop on the way back. If the trip continues north, Warrina Motor Inn at Wodonga picks up the chain. The full list is on the Victoria dog friendly stays page.