Econo Lodge City Square

The photos on the listing didn’t match what we walked into. The room smelled of cigarette smoke, the carpet looked covered in bodily fluids, and there was a huge stain on the couch. There was no heating, and the window was open when we arrived. The shower was grotty, and a used sponge-like thing in a drawer was filled with some sort of fluid. Apart from what looked like a sheet change, nothing seemed to have been cleaned in a long time. It felt like a crime scene. We promptly booked somewhere else and left, and have been trying unsuccessfully to get our money back. I don’t know whether some rooms have been renovated and others haven’t, but you’re taking a gamble on whether you get a good room or one as filthy as ours. Check-in was odd too: there was no one at reception, just a number to call. They texted instructions for a safe with a stack of envelopes, and you had to find the one with your name to get the key. For an extra $30, we stayed at a beautiful clean hotel around the corner. I don’t recommend this hotel at all. I’ve travelled the world and stayed in the cheapest places in the poorest countries, and I’ve never had accommodation this filthy and unhygienic.

The clean sheets and comfortable bed were about the only good things. The location was handy, near Flinders Street station and places further afield, and it wasn’t too noisy given where it is. The entrance was dirty, and the matted corridor carpets had holes in the walls beside them. In the room, the TV didn’t work and there was what looked like dangerous wiring sticking out of the wall. The air conditioner was covered in suspicious masking tape. The bathroom had a new toilet, tiles, and basin, but the old bath behind the shower curtain was so grotty I wouldn’t put my feet in it for fear of tinea. Sorry, Melbournians, I stank after 12 hours. The dark green paint job was rough, like they’d have thrown you off "The block" for it. The curtain had suspicious black marks all over it, and there was a centimetre of dust on the skirting boards, plus a suspicious hair. I opened a drawer looking for a working TV remote and found no remote, just grime, dirt, and another mystery-coloured remnant. There was rubbish and dust bunnies under the beds too. I thought we’d found a used ding dong, but thankfully it was just my silly wasteful mind playing tricks. We didn’t make a cuppa or use the fridge or microwave because we were worried about how they’d been used or cleaned before us. I told my children the night before that we’d be out by 9:15 at the latest. We got dressed and left at 8:20, twenty minutes after waking. It’s cheap as chips, but truly the worst accommodation I’ve stayed in my entire life. Read reviews before booking. I won’t return or recommend it to friends or foes.

The room was dingy, dreary, and dirty. We found dust and litter, along with strange black stains on the curtain. We think the walls may have been recently painted to cover mould. The TV, microwave, and AC didn’t work, and there were stains in the shower. It may be cheap, but don’t let that fool you like it fooled us. The photos lie. My sister said, "Maybe we should keep the curtain open so that we know people still exist." Listen to all the other one-star, or zero-star, reviews.

The location is great, and I was given clean sheets and towels. I only stayed one night, but the smell throughout the property was pretty bad, and the filthy carpet looked like it hadn’t been vacuumed or cleaned in years. I was honestly afraid to take my shoes off. The entrance looked dodgy and unclean, worse than a backpackers hostel, and check-in meant handing over my ID and card details, which they entered straight into the computer. The place might be decent if it were maintained properly, especially the cleanliness. The photos online seem old and misleading compared with the current state. I was also surprised to see a rate of more than $200 a night listed, because it’s simply not worth that much, even though I paid less. They charge $10 if you want to leave your bag after checkout. I won’t spend money here again or come back. Very disappointing and unhygienic. In my opinion, in its current condition, it shouldn’t be listed as a Melbourne CBD hotel or motel.