Motel operator says Essendon motor inn featured in Liam Neeson film is ‘literally empty’

The state government will soon release $200 travel vouchers to bring visitors back to metropolitan Melbourne.

Under the scheme, 40,000 accommodation vouchers will be available for use in the city.

It comes after the popular travel voucher scheme for travel in regional Victoria.

Operator of Essendon’s Alexander Motor Inn, Maree, welcomed the move, which she says is the first assistance provided to the accommodation industry in suburban Melbourne.

“I’m just so happy to hear that we’re getting some kind of support,” she told Dee Dee.

“We hear about the CBD and we hear about regional … but we’ve never had a grant and we haven’t had any vouchers to try and get people back to the motels.

“We’ve lost 80 per cent of our income. We’ve had to do all kinds of things just to survive.”

Maree urged 3AW listeners to visit the Alexander Motor Inn, which is set to feature in film, Blacklight.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to have Liam Neeson filming his movie here … during the lockdown,” she said.

“We were very fortunate to have that supplement income because we were empty, literally empty. We still are.

“One of the rooms was used for the film.

“If you want to come visit us, it’s called the Liam Neeson room now!”

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