Bendigo Guesthouse — Hotel in Northern Victoria Region

I'm not quite sure about this B & B. It seems to currently be a combination of a wanabee B & B and an old fashioned guesthouse with long term guests.||||First impressions from the street are not exciting. It's in a city still oozing opulance from its gold mining past...and now seemingly from its rapidly expanding and very successful Bendigo Bank. The front needs tarting up, with a better garden and the driveways swept - more in keeping with the front of other nearby houses. This should be the owner's first priority now.||||Inside is a rambling house with a number of bedrooms and a kitchen area and a sitting room on 3 levels. Our room, the Marwood Room, was at the back - so away from traffic noise - and had a double bed (comfortable enough), one chair!, and an adequate ensuite. It was centrally heated (overheated to our liking). But comfortable enough for the one night stay. And at the cheaper end of what was on offer on lastminute.com.au. ||||The house has high ceilings and polished wood floors, and seems to be in the midst (end throes?) of a DIY renovation. Unfinished grouting in the bathroom, towel rail attached with only one screw, unfinished painting of trim in the bathroom - that sort of thing. With just a little more work it could be magnificent.||||Breakfast was a combination of cereal and milk in the bedroom, and toast from the kitchen. But don't look in the kitchen cupboards, which seem to be the storage areas for longer-term residents and are certainly an uninviting sight for the overnight B & B guest!! I think a decision needs to be made soon whether to run this as a B & B or a guesthouse.||||The pub food across the road was good. ||||It's situated a (longish) walk to town, which is most certainly worth exploring - although I felt the talking tram was overpriced (especially as it couldn't go into the depot or to the full length of one track whilst we were there - which meant just sitting until the timetable caught up with the tram...but did result in some extra commentary from the driver and the conductor, which was a bit more down to earth and entertaining than the official recorded...

I got a little lost on my way in Bendigo, but was well looked-after by the owner - he came along himself and very helpfully directed me around the street, showed me around the B&B, before leaving me to my own means. ||||The B&B itself appears nothing audacious from the front - I could have been in anyone's front garden, but I liked this, and it is part of why I prefer a B&B to a hotel. Inside is a lovely surprise - old-world charm meets a more modern simplicity. ||||Comfy antique furniture and common sitting areas give a homely feel, yet the high standard of cleanliness and the shiny new feel of the ensuite reminds you that you are in guest accomodation. ||||I found the location fantastic - no street-noise, and only a fifteen minute walk to the event I was officiating at the showgrounds. ||||Cereal, toast, condiments, tea, coffee, milk and juice are pleasantly provided for you to help yourself in the morning, both in the sunny kitchen and/or the privacy of your room.||||The only negative I personally found was my room was very overheated...but I worked out very quickly how to adjust the heating vent to suit my comfort.||||Being able to come and go as I please - no hotel lock-out time - and the abundance of local magazines and tourist information also made my stay easy and enjoyable. ||||The owner's gentlemanly yet professional manner was very much appreciated by this 20-something y.o. introverted female traveller - there was not the patronising, impersonal service of a hotel admin! ||||The generous size of the room and the reasonable price of my stay were also certainly points which will have me...

I was very pleased to find the Bendigo Guesthouse. It is an old house located near the hospital and the velodrome. It has been renovated and reconfigured into several individual rooms that can be rented in different configurations, so you can rent a single room, several, or the whole house. ||||We had a single room towards the back of the house. We found the room relatively spacious, and appreciated the small fridge, toaster, kettle, and dishes, which made breakfast, lunch, and snacks easy.||||The room was clean and the beds were comfortable, though the sheets were rough. The owners have recently replaced the door locks with electronic locks, and we were sent a code on our check in day. We found the code easy to remember and it was great not worrying about a key...