ibis Melbourne Hotel and Apartments

We had a two-bedroom apartment that worked perfectly for the family and had everything we needed, except there was no stovetop. The staff were lovely and helpful, and the location is great, two minutes from Queen Victoria Markets and central to the city. The car park was very tight to get out of, so we needed someone’s help every time. There’s also no lift from the car park to reception or the rooms, just three flights of stairs. Breakfast was good, but could be better with fresh fruit instead of only canned fruit, more hot choices, and pastries.

The hallways were in terrible shape, with chipped surfaces, holes, and torn, stained carpet. The room was poorly cleaned and had broken tiles, ripped carpet, and holes in the wall. I worried my children would cut themselves on the holes in the tiles. It felt unsafe and unsanitary, and the bath couldn’t be used. I expect an Ibis to be basic but well kept, and I wouldn’t recommend this hotel to anyone. The price was obscene for the state of the place.

For two people, $500 for five days and four nights in the CBD felt decent value. The hotel is near Queen Victoria Markets, about a 10-minute walk from China Town, and close to popular restaurants, shops, and bars. The rooms were fairly spacious, and the staff were friendly and helpful. The dusty vents above the shower were a serious problem for my allergies. The shower is sealed off from the rest of the bathroom by glass, with no exhaust fan or other vents. When steam built up, chunks of dust fell on me. The WiFi was also frustrating to connect to and kept cutting out.

The location was the only good thing about the stay. The lobby bathroom was disgusting and smelled terrible when I used it on arrival. I mentioned it at reception, and they said they’d check, as someone had been in there who shouldn’t have been, which was concerning. You could hear everything in the hallways, from slamming doors and flushing toilets to people yelling. Cleaning was minimal every other day or so, just making the bed and changing towels. On my last night I found a huge stain on the bedding. The place completely grossed me out, and I’ll never stay again. There are much better places for a fraction of the cost.