Catani 3 - StayCentral

The beach was about a 10-minute walk away, past cafés, shops, trams and a park. The pool was under maintenance, so my grandchildren couldn’t use it. Across the road there’s a church too, in case you’re after divine intervention. We were a group of 9, including children, spread across different rooms on 3 floors. My one-bedroom room felt like a self-contained flat, with the essentials, a washing machine and dryer, iron and ironing board. The hot water cylinder was tucked under the wash basin cabinet, handy for daily use. Most of us put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door, meaning staff wouldn’t enter during our stay. For help, we could use the room intercom or go to reception. I had a small issue, and Ceisa? at reception was very patient helping me sort it out. One room had a faulty access card, but it was resolved soon. We were also short of towels and tea towels over the weekend. Those are a few minor things to be aware of. My family and I enjoyed our stay and will likely return.

Jay was on after-hours reception on two evenings and made us feel safe, welcome and comfortable. He was polite, friendly and knew his stuff, and honestly went above and beyond. He’s an asset.

The location is great, but the service was terrible. At check-in they took a $300 deposit from my credit card. We then found the elevator was broken, so we had to carry our bags, pram and other things through the emergency exit, with no staff offering help. In the room there was a strong fishy smell, as if seafood had been cooked there, and half-eaten bread and leftover food in the cupboard above the fridge. We told reception right away. They offered another room, but we had a tight schedule and left for the day. That evening, while I was hosting dinner, a receptionist called saying I hadn’t paid and accusing me of using an illegal credit card. I asked for a manager, but was told there wasn’t one on site because it was Sunday. She kept asking for my card details over the phone, which I refused to give. She called several more times during dinner, insisting we return and warning we’d be locked out if we weren’t back by 9 p.m. I explained our clothes and my asthma medication were inside and we needed access. We got back just before 9 p.m., and things escalated. I calmly asked why the room charge hadn’t been processed at check-in when the $300 deposit was authorized. The receptionist couldn’t answer and became defensive. The manager arrived after being called, immediately accused me of being rude, pointed fingers and raised her voice. I was upset for a valid reason, and wondered where she’d been when I first asked to speak to her. Security was called and there was a scene before the manager realized the hotel had made a serious mistake and apologized, but only after there was no other choice. The whole thing was extremely stressful and unprofessional. A good location can’t make up for the lack of customer service, respect and accountability.

The booking was for a family member who needed to go to The Alfred the following day, which was stressful enough. I had booked a week ahead and called to check everything was in order. They said the booking was confirmed and that a confirmation would be sent. Two days later, nothing had arrived, so I called again and was told there was no booking and they were now fully booked. There was no real apology, just the standard “sorry about that.” I’ve stayed with this hotel brand as a Business Rep, but after being treated so carelessly, I won’t be a guest again.