Ramada Encore Hotel Dandenong

Once past a few shortcomings, this is a quaint, pleasant place with lots of charm, and I'd stay here if in the area. The staff are wonderful and friendly, a real credit to the business. The buffet breakfast is fantastic, especially the amazing waffles. It's not a five-star hotel, though. The toilet paper is one-ply, the sheets are polyester with a 180 thread count, most gym equipment is broken, and the hallways are dark and poorly lit. Management, please ask the cleaners to be quieter. The “I'm relaxing” sign on the door doesn't help when doors keep slamming and cleaners talk loudly for hours.

I was here for two weeks for work and would recommend the place for company staff stays. The room was serviced every day, which was a bonus, the bed was comfortable, and the air conditioning was a treat in the January heat. Breakfast from the buffet was consistently fresh, with plenty of variety and no one rationing the portions.

For the price, this was good value and comfortable compared with other local options. The room was a decent size, bright with natural light, spotless, and had a modern bathroom. The room-controlled ducted heating and cooling kept me wonderfully warm overnight. One disappointment: people smoking outside near what must be the building's air intake caused the smell to come into the room.

The staff were brilliant, friendly and ready to help with whatever I needed. The hotel looks presentable, and housekeeping was great. But the rooms have no windows, so I felt trapped, and the rooms are average for the high prices. I'd say it's fine for a short stay, two or three days at most.