Canterbury International Hotel

We’ve stayed here often, but this birthday weekend will be our last. The new owners have a lot to improve, both in how check-in is handled and in the state of the rooms. We paid $194 per night for three nights, yet the room had masking tape holding the carpet to the tiles and medical tape covering a hole in the skirting board. It wasn’t ready when we arrived: there were dirty sheets in the doorway, even though we were given a key and told it was ready. I spoke with the Manager by phone and was offered half price for the first night, but that discount never came through. The queen bed was two singles pushed together, and the room had a very funky smell. The whole thing dampened my birthday celebration. I wish we hadn’t booked, and we won’t be back.

The furniture and cleanliness in the room were already disappointing. It was extremely dated and worn, the seating sagged, and the glass furniture was chipped, with sharp exposed edges. There were drip marks down a bedroom wall as if something had spilled and never been cleaned, and visible staining behind the base of the toilet. There were also safety and upkeep problems around the pool. I knew when booking that it was out of use, but another guest raised concern that the door from the pool area into the hotel wasn’t securing properly, with an object stopping it from closing and locking. I looked myself and saw a cracked glass door and unsecured access. A sign said the pool was closed due to “recent Victorian storms and power outages,” but the pool held stagnant green water and the area looked neglected. Alcohol bottles, cigarette butts, food containers and other rubbish were left there throughout my stay. Near the end of my stay, a fire woke guests at around 2:00-3:00 am. We couldn’t return to our rooms until roughly 4:00-5:00 am. The next morning, burnt furniture and other items from the fire had been dumped outside where guests could still access them, instead of being properly removed. The property’s condition and its unresolved safety, maintenance and cleanliness issues were well below an acceptable standard. I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

I appreciated how quickly the staff dealt with indoor smoking by neighbouring guests during my second stay. When I told reception, the staff member immediately reminded them smoking wasn’t allowed, and they stopped. Later, when I couldn’t clear the smell from my room, he brought me an air purifier that worked really well. I’ve booked here a couple of times for a quiet stay as a local. My first room was spacious and comfortable. On the second visit I’d booked the same type, but was first given a smaller room because the type I’d had before was occupied. The staff member kindly upgraded me to an even larger executive suite. The second stay wasn’t perfect, but I really valued how helpful and responsive the team was. Thank you so much, Canterbury International Hotel!

The rooms and location were good, but our reception experience was disappointing. The woman at the front desk, who seemed to be the manager, came across as impolite and unwelcoming. A smile or even a reply to “good afternoon” can help guests feel at ease. I hope management knows about this, because those small gestures make a real difference to a stay.