Canberra Rex Hotel — Hotel in District of Canberra Central

We recently stayed at the Canberra Rex Hotel as a family of three, traveling from Sydney to celebrate the New Year. While there were some positive aspects, our overall experience was disappointing.

Starting with the positives, the reception staff were very nice and courteous, which we appreciated. We liked that it is very near a light rail station and quite close to parks, restaurants, and cafes.

The layout of the hotel posed challenges. Our room was quite far from the lifts, and with only two lifts positioned side by side in a corner of the building, accessibility was inconvenient. It seems the hotel design is to blame, as the lifts are not centrally located like in most hotels.

One of the biggest letdowns was the pool. We specifically chose this hotel for its pool, hoping our little one could enjoy it. Unfortunately, the pool heater was not working, and the water was freezing cold. To make matters worse, we noticed some bugs in the pool, which was unsettling. The staff wouldn’t have known the heater wasn’t working if we hadn’t informed them. It felt like the pool's maintenance and condition were overlooked, which was a major disappointment for us. Had we known that we won't be able to enjoy the pool, we would've settled in a hotel that is far more affordable.

As compensation for the pool issue, we requested and were granted a late check-out, which was a kind gesture from the hotel. However, it didn’t feel adequate given the inconvenience and disappointment we experienced.

Additionally, the King Suite we stayed in had some practical flaws. It only had one bin, which was insufficient for a family of three, as it filled up quickly. Another inconvenience was the shower area, which didn’t have any shelves. This meant we had to place shampoo and conditioner bottles on the floor while showering, which was far from ideal.

Overall, while the reception staff’s service was commendable, the hotel fell short in terms of facilities and maintenance. I hope the management takes these points into consideration for...

We recently stayed at the Canberra Rex Hotel as a family of three, traveling from Sydney to celebrate the New Year. While there were some positive aspects, our overall experience was disappointing.Starting with the positives, the reception staff were very nice and courteous, which we appreciated. We liked that it is very near a light rail station and quite close to parks, restaurants, and cafes. The layout of the hotel posed challenges. Our room was quite far from the lifts, and with only two lifts positioned side by side in a corner of the building, accessibility was inconvenient. It seems the hotel design is to blame, as the lifts are not centrally located like in most hotels.One of the biggest letdowns was the pool. We specifically chose this hotel for its pool, hoping our little one could enjoy it. Unfortunately, the pool heater was not working, and the water was freezing cold. To make matters worse, we noticed some bugs in the pool, which was unsettling. The staff wouldn’t have known the heater wasn’t working if we hadn’t informed them. It felt like the pool's maintenance and condition were overlooked, which was a major disappointment for us. Had we known that we won't be able to enjoy the pool, we would've settled in a hotel that is far more affordable.As compensation for the pool issue, we requested and were granted a late check-out, which was a kind gesture from the hotel. However, it didn’t feel adequate given the inconvenience and disappointment we experienced.Additionally, the King Suite we stayed in had some practical flaws. It only had one bin, which was insufficient for a family of three, as it filled up quickly. Another inconvenience was the shower area, which didn’t have any shelves. This meant we had to place shampoo and conditioner bottles on the floor while showering, which was far from ideal.Overall, while the reception staff’s service was commendable, the hotel fell short in terms of facilities and maintenance. I hope the management takes these points into consideration for...

As part of the Department of Defence we held a 2 day conference here. Food was good, staff were more than happy to help with little or big queries, and my event manager(s) (as unfortunately I had upwards of 4 over the course of the planning and conduct of the conference - this did provide many continuity issues where I had to remind / amend details) never got frustrated by the amount of times I hailed them. The audio visual systems here are modern, integrated and outstanding quality. All I needed was a laptop with the conference content. Their 3rd party technician would bring all wires, wireless slide changers, microphones etc, and connect it all (there is even fast reliable free WiFi). The cost to the Commonwealth was also extremely competitive. The initial event manager I had altered their first proposal to align with Defence travel budget calculators AND include complimentary meals for our interstate delegates - which we had 40 - so this saved the Commonwealth alot of money (in addition to the cheaper rates for hire and catering to their local competitors). The conference room itself was comfortable, well lit and didn't echo. The chairs were basic steel with cloth cushions. 4 / 5 stars. Would've been 5 however fell short because of the constant and frustrating changes in event manager. Whilst it was out of their control due to staff leaving; as a client utilising public money and investing in an establishment, there's a certain level of communication in the internal hand over of information and notification for change of point of contact you'd expect. There was also frequent spelling errors and incorrect details in the contract / event order - we got to version 5 before it was satisfactory. But overall, the conference went smoothly without major problems. Don't be fooled by its 3* listing - it's recent renovations and quality of products (guest rooms, food, equipment, customer service) rivals and surpasses many 4* establishments. Some extra refinement would see the Canberra Rex Hotel in the...