Marion Hotel

We’ve been back before because the food and atmosphere are always great. On Monday, 12 January, our group of 10 spent over $500 there in the afternoon. The chef did a great job, even making meals for us at the last minute, and the food was genuinely very good. The floor service was disappointing, though. Empty glasses and plates piled up on our table while we were eating and drinking. We asked staff 3-4 times to clear it. They said yes, but only took what they could carry and didn’t return to finish. A few times we ended up taking empty glasses to the bar ourselves. It was a quiet Monday afternoon, and friends and family had come from Melbourne, so we’d hoped for a better experience. The venue needs more experienced or better-trained floor staff to match the kitchen and the place.

There were 12 of us at my friend’s birthday dinner last night, and the food looked nice. My friends enjoyed theirs, but my order never arrived when it should have. I waited nearly an hour and asked the staff three times. On the fourth try, I told them to cancel it because I’d lost my appetite. It finally came two hours later, just 10 minutes before we left. Luckily, I’d eaten at home before coming.

Our waiter Benjie was amazing at lunch in the Dining Room on Thursday. Bright, funny and attentive, with a wonderful personality, he clearly enjoys his job and is a real asset to the hotel. The service was fantastic, and the food was delicious too. The salmon was yummy. Go to the Marion for a meal, it’s well worth it.

There were quite a lot of parking spaces, and the rooms were clean with nice bathrooms and beds. The TV had free movies, which was nice. We also ordered breakfast at the hotel. It was fresh, but not the buffet style I’d expected. The Marion hotel was very nice, and we saw fireworks and had a nice New Year. There’s no gym or swimming pool, though.