Hamilton on Beaumont

If you need proper rest, this wasn’t the place for me. I’d been in hospital overnight for medical reasons and wanted a quiet night before a long drive home. Instead, I heard voices, the foyer door opening and closing, keypad beeps and noise from the stacked carpark. On Thursday night the pub next door had music, and Hamilton is a lively area full of characters. You can open the balcony doors for fresh air, but then the noise makes it hard to rest. The bedroom had no other opening window, and the cool-toned overhead lights felt like an office. I left a note asking them to change those lights or at least add lamps for someone else who might be overstimulated and looking for a calmer space. There were good points: the flat was clean and tidy, spacious, and had hotel-style linen, cute mini toiletries and a useful kitchen. The location is fab, in a bustling, eclectic part of town with lots of fun shops. Check-in is automated, though I should have taken “executive” to mean robot. When someone parked in my allocated space, it took four calls to reach anyone because there was no hold option, just an automated message to keep calling. The person who answered was lovely and moved me to another space easily, but it took 15 minutes to get through. It felt like a big company remotely managing lots of accommodation. It might suit plenty of people, and around 200 bucks a night may be good value these days for a bedroom and kitchen. If budget matters and you don’t mind a sterile feel, little fresh air and bumps and conversations at night, it could work. They’ve probably done what they’re willing to spend for what people will pay, but I won’t choose it again.