Milano Serviced Apartments

The location is hard to beat: next door to Aldi and IGA, close to the State Library train exit, surrounded by trams and a 10-minute walk to QVM. Service and communication were great. Security staff were especially friendly, reception was great, and the pre-check-in link took five minutes. Overnight parking costs an extra $30, while late check-in until 12pm is $40. You can leave luggage at reception. Staff were happy, friendly and got things done. This is a well-maintained building from the early 2000s, so neither new nor old. The lift is quick. The apartment has a washer-dryer combo, full-sized fridge and kitchen, TV, Wi-Fi and hair dryer, among other things. Practical extras include a clothing rack, pedestal fan and kitchenware. Good for a medium stay. Level 7 has a two-lane pool, sauna, gym and tennis court. BBQs are available on request. Cleanliness was mixed by area: floor 7/10, toilet and shower 8/10, towels 9/10, bedsheet 9/10, walls 7/10. The linens were okay quality, very clean with no reaction, though the beds seemed to be single beds joined together. The pillows were a good height. There was a lingering cooking smell in the room, 6/10, but the toilet was clean, 8/10. Air conditioning is only in the living room, which wasn’t an issue in cooler months. Balcony doors open for ventilation. There wasn’t much noise from neighbours; it isn’t soundproof, but was pleasant. The keys are set up with one fob for amenities and a physical key for the unit, avoiding the glitches of hotel RFID cards. It takes two hands to twist the key and push the handle, and the apartment door closes automatically, so don’t get locked out. It’s lift and pram friendly, but the units aren’t wheelchair friendly because access to showers and bedrooms is narrow. There’s no sustainability setup such as refillable hand soap, soap or shampoo, though there is a large bottle of dishwashing liquid. No cleaning tools were provided except a dustpan. I wish they had a wet wipes mop and non-white towels for cleaning the kitchen. Weekday pricing was good.

We could walk everywhere we wanted to go, which was great. The location is excellent, and the pool and sauna were nice. The spa bath was pretty good too, and the gym looked good though we didn’t use it. There’s a great outdoor rooftop tennis court, and I would have liked to use the BBQs. The front desk staff did their jobs well enough, but weren’t especially friendly or welcoming, so I’d give that part about three stars. The rooms were tidy and clean, though the building uses very cheap materials. It’s very much a budget property with reasonable presentation.

We’ve seen mixed reviews, but we’re currently here for a week for the cricket and would definitely recommend it. The location is excellent, close to most things you’d want to see in Melbourne, and reception staff have been very helpful. I gather the apartments are privately owned, so furnishings can differ. Ours on the 8th floor was clean, comfortable and well appointed. There are a few small blemishes, but nothing to worry about.

We were in Aparmtent 2011, and it reeked of fish the whole time. I think the smell was coming through the vents. I would have mentioned it to reception at checkout, but in our several interactions she was extremely unfriendly and didn’t look at me once. The apartment was very outdated, although clean, and the fridge leaked. There was only free-to-air TV and a really uncomfortable futon with plastic cushions. We paid $120 for the night. You get what you pay for, as they say.