Quality Apartments Melbourne Central — Hotel in Melbourne

I stayed in the Studio Loft for 1 night (on a Thursday).||I called ahead saying I would be checking in either very early (8am) or late (9pm), I was told this was fine and that someone would be there in the morning if that's when I checked in - or I'd get a lockbox with instructions if it was after.||||I showed up at 8:10am on the morning of check in, the location was easy to find, but no staff were available. There was an after hours number to call, which I did, their only solution was "wait", which I didn't really have time for, but didn't have any other option as I couldn't take my bags with me.||||While I was waiting, there were several guests trying to check out but couldn't because there was no staff, so several tried passing their room kets under the door to the reception so they could be on their way.||||A staff member arrived around 8:35am and the customer service was minimal, I was told that they were full last night and my room wasn't ready - which wasn't what I was asking anyway. I just wanted to leave my bag, and wanted instructions on how to collect my key later. I was told 'you'll get a text'. I also had to ask when I needed to pay, and was told 'we have the card details'.||||Fast forward to lunch, I didn't get a text, I called the reception and spoke to someone else who sent me an email straight away with the details I would need for getting my key and entering the building after hours.||||I arrived back at the apartments later just before 8pm, I really wanted to get there before the staff left in case there were any issues. When I arrived, there was a sign on the door saying that staff were attending to rooms, and a mobile number to call. When I called, the person that answered seem to know nothing, I explained that I just wanted to collect my key and I saw the sign on the door with the number. The woman on the phone was trying to help me, but as we were getting somewhere, the receptionist came back into the room and I was able to get my key. She was apologetic for being absent from the reception desk.||||My conclusions and observations about the room:||- it looks smaller than in the pictures, not just in space. I am only 5'2 and quite small, but on the top floor of the loft with the bed, I was able to touch the ceiling. The bathroom is also very small, even for my liking. I cannot imagine being a bigger or taller person staying in this room.||||- The room and building in general could do with some maintenance and cleaning, particularly in the bathrooms. I understand it's a heritage building and it has 'charm', but it's charm was covered in grime and dirt. ||||- The loft had a kitchen with a hotplate, microwave, kettle, pots/pans/cutlery/crockery, so if you wanted to cook for yourself, you absolutely could.||||- There is a small dining table downstairs, but no desk/workspace.||||- The windows are at an awkward height that doesn't really let a lot of light into the top floor (bedroom and bathroom)||||||I personally wouldn't stay here again based on the hassle and lack of customer service. However it's fine if you don't mind a crowded space, but the cost...

We were extremely disappointed with our three-week stay at the Quality Apartments Melbourne Central.||We wish we had read the reviews on this property before booking. Like others with similar negative reactions to ours, we thought the location was superb and that was the only reason we decided to stay after seeing our room. ||This property does not meet the Choice/Quality Inn standards we have experienced in the past. Everything in the apartment was old and unkempt from the cracked upholstery on the sofa to the uncleanliness of the bathroom, kitchen and carpet. With the exception of very comfortable beds, the furniture was an awkward hodge-podge that looked like it has been bought second-hand from a budget hotel that was upgrading its rooms.||My wife was bothered by the large cracks in the leather sofa across from the TV and went on our second day to the desk to ask if it could be replaced or if we could move to another room. The receptionist smiled apologetically and said all of their sofas were that way. Like everything else in the room, this was not shown in the photos on the hotel website. ||The elevator not working one afternoon and we had to climb the stairs back and forth to our room for a few hours. Not a hardship, but the staircase was filthy with trash in the corners and cigarette butts on the landings! Not to mention that the signage was not clear and it was confusing finding our way around on the multiple, unconnected stairways to the 4th floor. My wife actually ended up in a back alley since there was no signage pointing her to the lobby. I cannot imagine what it would have been like to escape our room in a fire or other emergency situation. We didn't feel terribly safe after that. ||The staff was always available and friendly, but most did not seem very well trained. They had to be reminded several times that we had requested room service which rarely happened on the days we requested. ||It was a totally frustrating experience. It is a wonderfully located property, but it requires a lot of work, new furniture, a good clean, a thorough safety review and much more attentive management.||After all of this, I guess we shouldn't have been surprised when the review we tried to post on the hotel's website was rejected...

This review is long overdue. My wife and I stayed at the Mantra City Central back in September 2018 while celebrating our one-year wedding anniversary and my birthday. Hands down great hotel and you can’t ask for a better location!

Location

It’s literally right in the MIDDLE of all things Melbourne. If you want to be in the hot spot, close to museums, malls, shops, restaurants, walking tour starting points, grocery stores, restaurants – you name it, they’re all walking distance!

Service & Facilities

We opted for no service to be environmentally (and cost) friendly. Aside from that, the front desk staff including William and his team were very friendly and provided great nearby recommendations.

The hotel has an elevator so if you’re in the higher floors, like we were, helps tremendously with luggage.

This property does not have a gym, however, Mantra has several properties in Australia. They had a nearby property, which allowed access to any Mantra guests to access their pool, jacuzzi and gym. That gym is located up in one of the higher floors, so you get great views while working out. It’s a short 5-10 minute walk from Mantra City Central. Easy and straightforward!

Rooms

Given the occasion, William, the hotel assistant manager was gracious enough to upgrade us to their 2 bedroom rooftop terrace apartment, which was absolutely amazing! The apartment had rooftop access with 360-degree view of Melboune, magnificient. Thank you, William!!

For being located in the heart of Melbourne, the room was very spacious. Our apartment pretty much had everything you could ask for, including a kitchen, which we didn’t really use given the amazing food scene in Melbourne.

The master bedroom had a view facing one of the major streets with plenty of natural lighting. Included blackout curtains for a restful night’s sleep.

The only feedbacks would be to make wifi inclusive/free and to include a TV in the bedrooms.

Value for money

For the location alone, I wouldn’t think twice. Book it – regardeless of whether you’re in Melbourne for a day or a...