ibis Wellington

The room itself was clean and comfortable, with fresh linen, tea and coffee, milk, a luggage rack, iron, hairdryer, hangers, shampoo and body wash. The double beds were lovely, we slept well without any noise, and the shower had good pressure. The toilet was very low with a small bowl, though, and I struggled to get up from it. I’m not tiny, so larger guests might find it difficult too. Staff were happy to help when we needed to amend our booking, and checkout was straightforward, but I had to ask when the separate $50 damage deposit would be returned. Nobody had explained that charge at check-in or mentioned it at checkout, and it wasn’t in our confirmation. Getting checked in was frustrating. I’d booked underground parking, but the woman on the intercom told me to come to reception after I’d arrived there. When I questioned whether I was meant to find a park first and then come back, she went quiet for five minutes while I tried to get a response. The automatic door eventually opened and she repeated the same instruction. At reception I was told about the $50 charge without an explanation, so I had to ask what it was for. Then the lift wouldn’t move when we pressed level two. After three minutes we panicked and pressed the emergency button, only to find we were still on the ground floor. Staff asked if we’d tapped our room key on the sensor, but nobody had told us to do that. You can’t assume every guest has stayed in a hotel before and knows the routine.

The breakfast buffet was enjoyable, and all the staff were friendly and helpful. Ibis is a decent budget option, with a nice room, but the double bed felt too small for two in summer when we were trying to keep cool. We tried the air conditioning, though even its quietest setting was loud enough to make sleeping difficult.

Right in the city centre, and the breakfast that came with the stay had a nice range of food. We found the hotel good value for a mid-range place. The room was clean and fresh smelling, the bed was really comfortable, and the staff were friendly and helpful. It’s not brand new, but it’s nowhere near run down. I can’t see the problems other reviewers mentioned.

There’s plenty of room, and the bed was very comfortable. We had tea and coffee and a mini fridge, though I’d have liked a small microwave in the room too. My key stopped working once. It happened quite a bit to the other people I was with. Reception staff were accommodating when we got back late and helped us with some facilities that had closed.