Stamford Plaza Adelaide

The leaking toilet and very slow lifts added to a frustrating stay. We were charged $90 for parking at $30 a day, with no warning or signs, and there were no lifts from the parking area. My husband has had three knee operations, so reaching the car meant going to level 1 and then walking up two and a half flights. That doesn't seem fair. I emailed our concerns and got a reply saying staff are always trying to ensure guests' comfort. Parking costs should be posted at the front desk. After reading other reviews and responses, I also have some advice from more than 30 years in hospitality: Ujen, make sure those meetings with the relevant managers lead to an action plan for the recurring complaints. Customer service training might help with the negative feedback guests keep leaving. Maybe tell the team to stop watching Fawlty Towers reruns. Stamford international must be so proud of its Adelaide site.

The breakfast selection was fantastic, but it wasn't enough to make this stay worthwhile. We booked the spa suite, which was large but quite dated and in poor condition. We had paid for parking as part of the room, yet were redirected to an outside parking provider and had to walk there with all our luggage. The lifts were awful, missing the floors they were meant to stop at, going all the way up, then stopping at every level on the way down. Our booking also included a $50 food and drink credit. When I asked to use it, the manager acted as though I was unreasonable because I'd already had breakfast, even though breakfast was a separate inclusion. At checkout, the parking attendant tried to make me wait behind all the check-in customers despite having no one at his counter. He eventually let me through after I insisted I only needed parking validated. I've never had to push so hard to get the inclusions I'd paid extra for. The whole thing felt tedious, not relaxing.

The location was excellent, and the room, though a bit dated, was clean and spacious with a very comfortable bed. Staff were friendly and really helpful, so we had a lovely stay at the Stamford Plaza. They told us at check-in about the ongoing lift works, and signs at reception explained the work and possible waits. In the mornings we waited up to 10-15 minutes going down to breakfast, but had no other long delays.

The staff who cleaned the rooms were especially kind and helpful, and seemed to enjoy their work. Standards felt high throughout. I spent 11 nights here and found it very convenient, across the road from the train station and an easy walk into the city centre. The rooms were great, and I really liked the room service, especially the satay. There's a small pool on the 20th floor beside the gym. In the evenings, hearing the pianist play in the bar was a lovely way to unwind. I highly recommend the place.