ValueSuites Green Square

Friendly, helpful receptionist, and the breakfast lounge had a good coffee machine plus a range of breakfast snacks. The room itself was nice, with a basic kitchenette, a comfortable bed and a good shower.

The room itself was fine, but after this booking mess I wouldn’t consider staying here again. Their management has been no help, and the manager keeps sending us to Agoda for a refund, while Agoda sends us back to the hotel. It’s just circles, with no resolution nearly a year later. We booked one room for three people in a social room for four nights, but the hotel’s system apparently had us down for three rooms. They didn’t tell us until after the stay. Then staff said they remembered us authorising and checking into all three, and insisted we had to pay full price for each. That makes no sense to us, and we only got one key for the room we actually used, despite management saying we’d checked into the two unused rooms. We’ve been disputing the charges with the payment processors, the booking site and the booking portal for months. The hotel eventually said it would refund just one of the two extra rooms, but eight months after the trip we still haven’t received even that refund. They charged us nearly AUD1.2k extra. Management feels deceptive and seems to prey on people when they’re in a bind.

Green Square Station is very close, and McDonald’s and Woolworths are handy. That’s about the only upside for us. Don’t expect much from this place. Parking caught us out. The hotel doesn’t provide guest parking, and the website didn’t make that clear to us before arrival. The six spaces on-site are for staff. If you need a spot, it costs an extra $35 per night and has to be booked when you reserve the room. Otherwise they suggest street parking about an 8-minute walk away. At weekends you might avoid a fine, but on weekdays you’re left hoping the rangers aren’t working. Our room wasn’t very clean, with mould in the shower and crumbs in the kitchen cabinets. The advertised “queen” bed felt smaller than we expected, and the blanket was two thin sheets over a light quilt. We had only two towels and one bath mat. The water took ages to heat and still never got properly hot, and the closet was too small for a suitcase. This doesn’t feel like a 4-star hotel, 3-star at best. The glowing Google reviews don’t feel genuine to us, and the location is the one real positive.

The cleaning staff were really friendly, and overall it’s a sweet, nice hotel. I’m still trying to think positively and waiting for my deposit to come back, because it’d be a shame for the hotel’s name to suffer over $200. I stayed four nights and had paid for the room when I booked. At check-in they asked for a $200 deposit, which I gave on my debit card. They didn’t ask for my account number. When I checked out, I asked about getting it back and was told it would be sent automatically within a maximum of seven working days. I still haven’t received it.