Mercure North Melbourne — Hotel in Melbourne

HOTEL FROM HELL, Fawlty Towers on steroids - Run down property not Accor standard I have come to expect. Room possibly given worst room in property roommate went to reception and complained refused to move us not addressed our concern, completely disinterested.

When checked in went to room In the bathroom long black hair in grubby bathroom sink, crack in vanity (I have photo's). Went to make a cup of coffee dirty unwashed teaspoon that had been used! Unclean amenities in room very poor housekeeping. Drawer in full of thick build up of dust scrathed never been cleaned.

To top it off this morning left sign out for "please make up my room" all Accor properties I have stayed in when you display the sign do a quick clean tidy and change the towels this sadly was not the case.

Returned after a busy day with roommates to discover room completely untouched no clean towels no cleaning of bathroom no bed making completely untouched. Fellow traveller went to Reception no duty manager was told they'd clean it tomorrow very unsatisfactory response.

Tomorrow has come this morning (Sunday) cleaner turned up 2 roommates just finishing in bathroom asked her to come back in 10 minutes. Told no can do I finish at 11 am explained calmly our room was not cleaned yesterday and no fresh towels. Too bad I am finishing at 11 am. Roommate rang reception and complained as cleaner refused to come back in 10 minutes just changed towels and walked out!! Never come across such an appalling service at a hotel in my life, can not believe it!!! Hence why this review is being edited each time something occurs.

Night 3 Dialled room service 20 times no answer wanted to order room service don't offer it after 8 pm!

Breakfast - this morning looked at breakfast options liked the idea of advertised "a la carte breakfast" went down only to discover the most unappealing tired looking breakfast buffet imaginable and approached staff member asking for a la carte response was "oh we can't do a-la-carte breakfast" despite advertising that they do a-la-carte for breakfast - not good enough - totally unacceptable false advertising. This is advertised as 4 star in my opinion 3 star is being kind more like a step above self contained backpackers. Would I recommend it no I would not. Concerns not addressed wouldn't give new room.

3rd Morning 8 am roommates needed morning shower to start a busy day - no hot water - rang reception "oh must be on level 1" I asked can we shower in another room "we will get back to you" after a 20 minute wait temporarily moved us to another room to have a shower - room stinks - HOTEL FROM HELL!!! Had we not prepaid for 4 nights would have left long ago.

Only positive is location short $14 Ubers too points of interest and easily accessible to...

This is really hard to rate because I think they do some things really well and others not so well.

We were greeted by the friendly staff on arrival and check-in was smooth. We parked in the undercover parking area but you are charged extra for that privilege.

We went up to our room and realised that it wasn’t the room that we booked. I noticed that someone wrote the same thing on their review 3 weeks ago. The gentleman was helpful, offering the room we booked but we saw that the bed wasn’t that much bigger so we didn’t bother moving.

Later it rained and the room leaked water, even wetting the bed. We called reception and they said the other room we originally booked was also leaking.

They upgraded us to a big room that looked and felt comfortable. It was very luxurious in size. The staff are very nice and very happy to sort out any issues so I can forgive the mistakes.

However, this room had a few issues. The TV volume wasn’t working and neither was the spa. We originally didn’t pay for a spa so it didn’t matter too much. It did confirm to me that the hotel seems to be in disrepair. After all, three rooms we looked at had issues.There was birds poo all over the window but the view of the city was spectacular at night. The bathrooms in all three rooms we looked at were not modern but they were clean. When the bathroom fogged up, you could see that someone had left a love heart imprinted on the mirror.

We had dinner in the hotel. The meals were hot and fresh and quality was fair for the price. It was a nice atmosphere and the hotel, although very old, looks clean and modern. They sell alcohol at the bar as well. They forgot our gravy and messed up our order regarding salads. Again, they do so well but they seem to let themselves down with detail. They were very pleasant though.

There is an outdoor pool which looked clean and tidy. The lift is old and keeps moving even when the doors are opening but having the lift made it easy to travel up and down with luggage. Again, the lift lacks attention to detail and needs to be looked at as to why it moves with the doors open.

The hotel looks glamorous in the photos and there are parts that look lovely. The reception area is attractive and there’s a sitting area in the lobby.

I think the maintenance is the main problem with this hotel. It needs money spent on it. I feel for the staff because it’s not their fault and this company has the best employees. They really need to make their job easier by having everything working well.

It’s five star for service and friendliness. I think it’s ok overall considering it’s cheaper than others in the area and the location is ideal if you need to be near the hospital.

Thanks for making our stay pleasant,...

Compassionate Service vs. Unempathetic Management

While we ultimately did not stay at this hotel, I feel compelled to share our experience regarding the customer service we received.

My mother was unexpectedly admitted to a country hospital, and we were awaiting transportation to Melbourne. Our original booking was for Wednesday 11th, Thursday 12th, and Friday 13th, but due to her sudden decline, she was taken to her local hospital on Saturday.

On Sunday, I contacted the hotel and spoke with Natalie, who was incredibly understanding. She took all the necessary details, followed up with me, and adjusted our booking accordingly. Her empathy and willingness to assist brought me to tears, and I am deeply grateful for her support.

However, the following day, after finding out that mum would not be transported again, I reached out again, I spoke with Garima. Unfortunately, I found her response to be blunt and lacking compassion. She informed me that, according to hotel policy, we would be charged for the night due to not providing 24 hours' notice, despite the extenuating circumstances.

I requested to speak with the manager and he was not available until later in the day. When I finally spoke with the manager, Gabriel, I explained the situation and mentioned my concerns about Garima's lack of empathy. Gabriel's response was dismissive, stating, "It's got nothing to do with empathy." He then informed me that we would not be charged, which I appreciated and thanked him. He then gave me two options; cancel the booking completely, because he said, if we do not arrive tomorrow, we will be charged. However, when I inquired about maintaining the original rate, he stated that rates change daily and refused to honor the previous quote. I had also mentioned that I've been on your website and couldn't find anything about 24hours notice to be given for a cancellation, he replied, it's when you make the booking online. However, my mum made the booking over the phone.

I found Gabriel's demeanor to be harsh, dismissive, and unprofessional, especially considering the circumstances. It was disheartening to be treated as though we were the problem rather than receiving understanding and support.

In conclusion, while Natalie exemplified exceptional customer service, my interactions with Garima and Gabriel left much to be desired. Their lack of empathy and professionalism overshadowed the positive experience we had with Natalie. I hope this feedback is taken constructively to improve the service for...