Brady Apartment Hotel Hardware Lane

We spent five nights there, but housekeeping came only once, and the room still didn’t seem much different afterward. As a group of four adults, we had to go to reception several times for toilet roll and clean towels. They did top up the tea and coffee. The place looked worn too, with marks on doors and walls. The main problem was the overall lack of cleanliness, although we couldn’t fault the staff. They moved us straight away when we reported the upgraded room: one bed was pushed against the window, the floor was messy, a lamp had been thrown, and it smelled horrible. The original two-bedroom apartment seemed fine at first. The location was the saving grace, about a two-minute walk from melbourne central and right by hardware lane, which is great for food. I’m unsure whether I’d recommend it. If location matters most and you won’t spend much time in the hotel, it could be okay.

The room was in awful shape: mould spots, dirty walls, strong smells from the dishwasher and freezer, and I found the oven completely broken on our last day. Towels and toiletries seemed rationed, so I had to ask the front desk for basic supplies every day. There was also loud construction across the whole of Level 10 around the elevator, and nobody told us before or during check-in that it would continue throughout our stay. We checked in at noon, but they had put a pending charge on the day before and processed the full payment before we arrived, with no transparency. The hotel is right opposite a nightclub, and poor soundproofing meant very noisy nights. After I made a formal complaint, upper management never replied. Dishonest, badly maintained, and irresponsible. I strongly recommend avoiding this hotel.

This was our second time staying here, and we’ll book again. The manager was great at suggesting restaurants and places to go, and it’s been one of our best Melbourne accommodation experiences. The location is great. The air con and curtains needed a little attention, but I’m sure that can be sorted.

The apartment was fresh, very clean, and looked brand new. It was well maintained, and I’d happily stay again. Hardware Lane’s funky restaurant area is nearby, and other places are an easy 15-20 minute walk through the city or a tram ride away.