Duxton Hotel Perth

I rang the staff directly on the morning of my stay to arrange an immediate check-in, and they had a room ready straight away. The process was quick and hassle-free, and the staff were lovely. The room was surprisingly spacious and well maintained for such a low price. The whole hotel feels brand new, almost as if it’s been underused, given how immaculate it is. In-room dining was surprisingly good too. Lovely place, I’ll stay again.

The room was nice, and Foxtel was a pleasant touch. But I came away feeling the hotel doesn’t put much love into the business or try to go above and beyond. We were there for my wife’s birthday, which they knew about, yet there was no birthday wish, card in the room, or anything else. A little effort would have been nice, and I’d have been more than willing to pay for it, but nobody offered. Having stayed at places like Hilton, Intercontinental, and Kempinski, I found this pretty lacklustre.

The cocktails we ordered by the pool were beautifully made and professionally delivered, probably the only highlight. The cheese platter we ordered was overpriced, dull, and underwhelming. We asked for interconnecting rooms because we were travelling with two kids, but when we checked in, the connecting door was locked. The phone in the main room didn’t work, so we waited for staff to open it. They had no doorstop to keep the shared door open. I left it in room 2, and the door slammed shut and locked me inside room 2, so I had to wait again. The night before checkout, I told the concierge we had an early flight and asked to have the car ready. It wasn’t ready when we got downstairs, so we waited again. The additional charges for their services are steep, yet we’re expected to overlook regular discrepancies on our end. Staff need to improve their manner too. I noticed no one greeting guests coming into or leaving the hotel. Five-star prices with two-star service.

The staff were friendly, professional and helpful every time we spoke with them, and the breakfast buffet was really good, though very expensive. The rooms were clean, with a modern, roomy bathroom, and the filtered water tap was a great touch that we used a lot. The pool was useful on a hot day, but could have been bigger. My one room complaint was the pillows. Every one was awful, and I would have preferred a pile of clothes. There is a pillow menu, but when I called at 11 pm, no one answered, so I couldn't request another.