Mayfair Hotel Adelaide by IHG

I’ve only been here one day and have two more to go, but this stay has been deeply disappointing. The carpets are really filthy, and the cleanliness overall seems poor, with little sign of deep cleaning. I’d be wary of lifting the sheets or bedcover, as what’s underneath may shock you. This doesn’t feel like a five-star hotel, more like two or three stars, and based on this experience I wouldn’t recommend it. On the first evening, the key card reader failed when I returned, and staff couldn’t fix it, so they changed my room. To their credit, they arranged that quickly and were supportive. In the new room I found a lollipop with a lot of hair around it just as I was about to sleep. I told staff, and they promptly replaced the items. I’m glad they responded, but the maintenance and room standards have been very poor so far.

My room had a great view over Rundle Mall, and there were plenty of outlets for charging devices. The mini bar was complimentary, which was nice. In the city centre, the hotel is very well located. The room was spacious and clean, with spotless bathroom, fresh linen, and lots of amenities. Staff were courteous and helped me check in early in late January.

We won’t be returning. There are newer hotels in the CBD that might handle a straightforward request better, such as Marriot, the oval or EOS, in no particular order. We booked one night during a blistering heatwave for our anniversary with our young child, and asked politely for a non-smoking room because I have asthma. Instead we found a pungent smell. At first we thought the overworked air conditioner was causing it, but once we settled in we noticed old, dusty, marked pillow covers and leftover popcorn under the bed, along with wrappers from the previous guests’ cheap special cheesecakes from woolworth. Only after our evening walk past the not-so-iconic mall balls did we see the sign for the smoking precinct on level four. We complained, but the damage was done and our family night was marred. Staff apologised and said they’d move us to a new, non-smoking room. After packing up and trying to get excited again, we ended up right next to the gym. Not sure if that was a hint that my dad bod needed a 9pm personal training session to lose a few inches off my waist. Then the problems kept going. I had an asthma episode and used my puffer like the big bad wolf. Because we changed rooms, they took our deposit twice, and we had to send screenshots of our account to prove it.

There’s a nice restaurant and buffet downstairs, plus a rooftop bar with signature cocktails. The location is handy, with places to eat on Peel St, Gilbert Pl and Leigh St not far away. You can drop off on Hindley Street and enter through a side door. The staff are wonderful, and the rooms are neat and tidy. The minibar is generally included for the first night, so check your booking.