Quest Ballarat Station

I stay in all kinds of hotels around the world for work, and Quest Ballarat is a top-tier property. It's clean, new, spacious, and in the best location, with anywhere in town walkable and Ballarat station only two minutes away. The staff are courteous and greet you with a smile. Secure undercover parking is another plus. Thanks to Amber and his team for making our trip memorable. I'll come back to explore more of Ballarat soon.

The TV setup was so frustrating that I probably won't stay here again. It used to be nice to come because the rooms had good air conditioning and all the Foxtel channels, but that's changed. The LG TV is a nightmare to navigate, I could hardly find any free-to-air channels, and logging into Foxtel was impossible because the previous guest's details were still locked in. Edit to the owners' reply: I've stayed at least half a dozen times and always had all Foxtel channels complimentary, along with free-to-air TV. On this visit, the channels weren't available unless I logged in, and the last guest's account details were still locked in, impossible to remove. So the claim that guest details are cleared after checkout doesn't match my experience. The website also says all Foxtel channels are available. It would be handy if the onsite vending machine were fully stocked, too. Most disappointing.

Several days after checkout, I was contacted and accused of tampering with the smoke or fire safety equipment. I didn't do it. When I asked for proof, I was sent a photo of a hair net over a sprinkler. It had no timestamp to show it was taken on my checkout day, and nothing identifying it as being from the room I stayed in. I understand why safety procedures matter, but being accused and charged or penalised $250 without clear, verifiable evidence was extremely distressing. I'm sharing this so others are aware and cautious. I'd strongly recommend taking photos of the room, especially the safety fixtures, before checking out to avoid a similar situation.

The location was ideal, and we could walk everywhere. Staff recommendations for meals were a big help, and they even managed to get us a booking at the local Thai restaurant. My family was visiting from overseas, and we made a last-minute New Year's trip to Ballarat. We booked directly and asked for adjoining rooms on the same floor. The owner called and made all our requests possible. Amazing property! After Quest Ballarat station, the Quest is the best. We'll be back!