Adara Franklin Hotel

The room is basic, with comfortable beds, and the air conditioning was quiet and worked well. It has a large balcony, though it badly needed cleaning. The bathroom is a decent size with a shower and bath, but the bath tap didn't work, so I had to use the shower tap to fill it. The building needs an upgrade, and the dusty-smelling hall carpet should be replaced. Reception closes at night, so you use the key provided to get in after hours. The lifts are a decent size, but there's no disabled access to the building. Most nearby eateries are Asian, so the choice isn't great. The tram is fairly close, and the place is in the free tram zone.

Cockroaches in the bathroom were the last straw. The Nova Stargate wasn't worth staying at, and there are much better options around Melbourne CBD for a similar price. I won't return or recommend it, even to my worst enemy. Check-in was supposed to be at 2pm, but when we arrived at 2:15pm with a booking made the night before, we were told the room wasn't ready and that they usually run behind. Not a great start. The beds were properly made and the linen was clean, but the furniture was badly worn and needed serious care and updating. There was an old, dusty magazine on the floor between the kitchenette bench and fridge, just one drinking glass for three people, and lots of cutlery and crockery missing. My fellow guests and I decided it was only somewhere to sleep and we'd spend as little time in the room as possible.

The shower was great, with hot water and good pressure. The room, though, was so humid that water dripped down the inside of the windows and the sheets felt damp. There was a vent in the bathroom but no fan, perhaps it was broken, so the room got even more humid after showering. It's a budget stay, and you need staff to unlock the entrance. We waited a bit because nobody was there. The location was handy for trams and restaurants. At $77 a night, I guess there's only so much you can complain about. Probably better in a drier season.

A decent room in a pretty good city location, and about a 20-minute walk from the free tram zone. Housekeeping could have been better. Also, you need to wash the dishes you use or they'll charge a cleaning fee. A nice budget find for staying in the city.