Winston Apartments Docklands

I booked two months ahead, but they cancelled on the actual day of check-in, saying they were fully booked. The message came in the afternoon, and because I was travelling, I didn’t see it until after dinner, when I arrived at the building and realized I had nowhere to stay. Leaving a guest stranded at night like that is completely unacceptable. I don’t know how they have so many good reviews on Agoda after this nightmare. Don’t trust their availability. Avoid at all costs.

We booked months in advance and paid in full, then just one day before our stay they told us through a third party that the place was fully booked. Really? Totally unacceptable, it’s not as if we booked at the last minute. Customer service never even replied. Now we have to scramble to find somewhere for tomorrow. Omg.

The apartment was filthy, poorly maintained and a long way from what I’d expect of a “flagship apartment.” The carpets had stains and marks, walls were chipped, furniture and pictures were broken and patched with tape and staples, and the beds weren’t properly made. Dust covered the TV, its unit, the air conditioner and switches, so it was obvious the place hadn’t had a deep clean in a while. The laundry cupboard door had come off, lampshades showed spills, the microwave wasn’t secured in its nook, and the main bedroom door handle was installed incorrectly. The fire suppression system looked as though it had fallen from the ceiling and been pushed back in. There were spills and food debris in the fridge, cigarette butts, empty bottles and clothing from a previous guest on the balcony, wet or dirty dishes in cupboards, and stains and residue under the sink. We also couldn’t secure the balcony door because it was locked with a key we weren’t given. Check-in started in a cluttered, untidy reception. We were shocked to learn that another $800 would be held for the two room keys, on top of what we were already paying. At check-in we raised the room issues and asked staff to complete a condition report so we wouldn’t be charged for the damage, but nobody followed up or completed it. A clean was offered two days into our stay, but the apartment was no cleaner afterwards. We also asked for a high chair, which the website advertises for an extra cost, and were told it wasn’t possible. We won’t return or recommend Winston Apartments to friends or family. Given the location and price, we expected more and feel disheartened after spending a small fortune. We were deeply disgusted with the experience. I emailed the contact address twice to explain our concerns and never got a response or even an acknowledgement.

The refund took a long time, and they still deducted the $50 cleaning fee even though we didn’t stay there and had photos of the room when we arrived. The apartment was dirty and unhygienic, with visible stains on the floor, and nothing like the website pictures. We’d booked two months ahead, but management said they were fully booked and moved us to a different building that smelled like a hostel. When we tried to explain, the manager told us to leave. They spoiled our holiday and didn’t seem to care that we had two young kids with us. We then had to spend nearly a fortune booking somewhere else. Management refused to take responsibility and kept blaming us. A terrible, misleading experience. Definitely wouldn’t recommend staying here.