Apartments Melbourne Domain - New Quay Docklands

We stayed for a week in February while I was working, in a two-bedroom apartment in the newly built New Quay area of the Docklands. It was reasonably priced and a good place to stay, though there aren't any big thrills. There are lots of restaurants nearby, and many apartments look out over the bay. Inside, the apartment was spacious and had a large balcony, but the bedrooms were very small with little room for sunlight or air circulation. The bed and bathroom were good, and there was a good TV and a large sofa bed in the living room. There was also a balcony looking onto the garden, plus a gym and swimming pool. A good option in Docklands, though not the best.

The room was comfortable and clean, and the view was great, but the kitchen supplies were nowhere near enough for our group. We booked a three-bedroom apartment for three nights on Friday afternoon for four adults and two children. When we checked the cupboards, we found just one teaspoon, one knife, three forks and two dessert spoons. Another cupboard had only two bread-and-butter plates, two dinner plates, one saucepan and four cups. We had to share at breakfast and ended up eating out all the time, which wasn't satisfactory. Reception brought some more cutlery on Sunday at 5 pm, a bit late by then. We probably won't stay again.

The location was a real plus, close to Harbourside shopping, Melbourne Star and the free city tram stop. The room was spacious, clean and had all the facilities I needed, so I'll stay again because of the comfortable room and location. It could use some maintenance: several lamps and lights didn't work. I also couldn't get the oven to work, though maybe I just couldn't figure it out. There were no instructions for using the appliances.

The front desk gentleman was really helpful. He suggested places to visit in Melbourne and let us leave our luggage while we went sightseeing before heading out of town. We also found the first of our two apartments amazing, with three bedrooms, a huge open living and dining area overlooking the docks, city and Ethihad Stadium just two minutes away. Cafes and restaurants were a short stroll away, and the tram stop was a minute's walk. We needed to extend our three-night stay at the last minute, so spent time in a second, two-bedroom apartment. It had great water views and several balconies looking towards the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel, but it wasn't as clean as the first. There were lots of burn marks in the carpet, food scraps and tissues between the couch cushions, and crumbs under the coffee table. That was disappointing after the first place. I'd recommend staying, but I'll check the room's cleanliness next time.