Holiday Inn Express Hotels in Melbourne

My husband and have stayed at The Stamford Plaza times many times over the years and have always loved it, but this was the first time bringing the kids, as we wanted to treat them to a special night out in the school holidays. PROS - The pool and spa were the highlight of our trip. After reading some previous reviews about the water being too cold we were a little concerned, but they were both absolutely wonderful. The pool area was clean and the pool was lovely and warm. The spa was perfect and HOT - just the way we love it. My children LOVED the glass elevator, this was a real thrill for them and they are already asking when we can go back to go in it again. We did meet some lovely staff during our stay, and check in and check out was fast and easy. The room was nice and clean. There is absolutely no view of the city lights (we were looking out onto a wall) but this is just due to the location and can't be helped. The central location is fantastic. CONS - No valet - I'm sure this was a service that used to be offered in the past? Our bags took nearly 2 hours to be delivered to our room, and this was time wasted that we were planning on heading out to explore the city. They only arrived after several follow up calls asking how much longer they would be. We only had 2 towels (and no robes) in our bathroom, even though our booking was for a family of 4. When our bags arrived, we asked the gentleman to please provide 2 more towels for the kids but they never came. We ended up needing to take 2 extra towels from the pool area back to our room. Our 'Indulgence Package' included a bottle of wine which we were told would be brought up to the room. This also never came and I needed to ask for it upon checking out. The real let down though was the buffer breakfast, which was included in our package. We have stayed at many 4 and 5 star hotels and this was possibly the worst breakfast we have come across - I wouldn't even rate it a 2. The coffee machine was broken, and there was no service asking if we would like a fresh tea or coffee. My son had the pancakes (pre-made sitting out with the bread) and he said they tasted stale and crumbled in his mouth. The hot food (eggs, bacon, tomato, hash brown) were all stone COLD - not even luke warm. I considered asking if they could pop my plate into the microwave to heat them up but lost my appetite wondering how long it had been just sitting out there. And the fresh fruit was dry and looked like it had been sitting out a long time. I wish we hadn't taken take package with breakfast included, as we could have had a hot breakfast for much less $$ from the McDonalds just around the corner. Our package also included late check out to 12 noon however our keys did not allow us entry back in after 11am. OVERALL - We would stay at the Stamford again however I think they need to advertise it for what it truly is - a 4 star hotel. We have stayed at many 5 star hotels in Melbourne such as Crown Towers, the Langam and the H

The room is quite nice and the location is good. It’s self checkin so I had to wait downstairs for a while as there was no staff and I wasn’t aware of this. There was a really a noisy alarm in the building across the street from my room and I asked to change room around midnight. The staff aren’t very accommodating and I couldn’t change room. Luckily the noise stopped after a while. The hotel is okay but I had actually just come from the Brady Hotel at Central Melbourne where the price and location is similar but with much better customer service. I’d suggest skipping the Ibis.

I must say the location is 10/10 as its just a block away from southern cross station. We took the airport skybus and took a short walk w our 2 toddlers to hotel to and fro with our 4 check in baggages with ease. Coles” also across the street with tons of food options nearby. Its also within free tram zone so another great plus for us! Our rooms came with Continental breakfast. Selection during breakfast wasn’t great, but kids and us weren’t fussy. Our room smell a little stale when we check in initially but most times we were out and about and after a while, not as noticeable. Generally a fuss free hotel with great value. Certainly hope to be back soon!

Service was very good but overall experience I would rate it as mediocre. The location is very convenient. The room looks quite dated. When we entered the room, i killed 2 bugs and was very worried if they were bed bugs, so called room service and they came down to attend to us right away. However, the hotel facilities were not functioning very well. For instance, the touch screen lift was not working well. Many time we scanned our room cards, it doesn't detect our floors so we ended up missing our floor and went up or down with other guests. The bath tub with spa function was so loud when turned on, you could hear them by the bed outside the toilet. All the furnishing in the room and surrounding seems very outdated. The chairs on the breakfast tables were not looking very new and quite dirty with stains and dirts.

The hotel is conveniently located right in the heart of Melbourne near the Spanish Quarter, Bourke Street Mall, and other shopping precincts. The staff are friendly and efficient at check-in. The rooms are good in size with modern amenities and comfortable beds. There is a kettle and small fridge. The bathroom has a bath with a shower, so if you have mobility issues, it's not for you. There is no rail to hold onto when getting in or out, which makes it dangerous, especially as it gets slippery. There is a pool and gyn which were modern and accessible. The room we had faced into the mezzanine of the hotel so you dont get any light from outside, which was strange. The room was very quiet and had a good air conditioner. Overall, we would stay here again, although the lack of being able to see outside wasn't ideal, and if you stayed for more than one night, it could be an issue.

Good location. Room was quite small. No hotel toiletries provided was informed the same will be provided only upon request. Reception staff not very hands on the hotel policies. The sparkling/spring bottle of water & cookies were given during checkin. We were informed that the water is refillable. Later when we requested for the same the night shift receptionist said that it will cost AUD5.00 per bottle. For breakfast same food were served during our 4 days stay. Ms. Nos was very efficient, helpful and cheerful.

Generally, the hotel room was clean except the cups were not washed and kept. The location was great as it is very near to Melbourne Central Station and walking distance to Queen Victoria Market and State Library. The staff was friendly and helpful.

I stay in hotels A LOT! But except for one other occasion, I've never bothered to leave reviews. But this place is one of the more questionable hotels I've stayed at for several reasons. The hotel: - they charged my credit card the full fee a day BEFORE I checked in. They have a 24 hr cancellation period with minimal one night charge yet they still took it upon themselves to charge me before I actually checked in - very unethical - they want a photo of government issued ID. Weird, with all the crazy data breaches occurring, it's recommended private entities DO NOT store this unnecessary data, yet they still expected a copy. I didn't provide it, just let them sight it upon check in - the pics used to promote the apartments are stretched out and misleading. The actual apartment is small, very small if you consider the costs incurred - photos online make it look like there is a bathtub, (and when I called the hotel to check, the person I spoke to told me there was a bathtub) but there actually isn't any which is VERY inconvenient when travelling with a companion who can only use a tub (for accessibility reasons) - they don't do housekeeping every day. You can ask for fresh towels but goodluck getting a vacuum or dirty bin emptied. The actual apartment - there is no ducted air conditioning. On a hot day (was 35° when I checked in) I needed to blast the AC at 18° (we froze in the living area) just so cool air can seep into the bedroom and cool it down so we can sleep - the actual apartment was very dirty. Tiles had previous occupants hair on the floor, carpet is stained in multiple locations, glass doors and outside balcony railing dirty with hand prints and smudges - minimal crockery and cutlery provided. Only one drinking glass provided - no tea towel provided - phone in room not set up. Had to call reception from my mobile to report issues - oddly there are very few electrical ports in the living area. Difficult to charge devices - there is no shelving in the wardrobe, and it's difficult to tidy anything up or pack things away. Only one storage shelf and you need a ladder to access it - the railing for the wardrobe is so high, one needs to be over 7 foot to use it - to access the bathroom, one needs to go through the bedroom so it's really hard to have one person stay up while another sleeps - the bathroom doesn't have a drain so any access water needs to be mopped with the towels to avoid a slip hazard (problematic as they only give you 2 towels and don't do daily room service) - there are NO clothes hooks in the bathroom The positives: Overall the staff were pleasant and friendly. Every staff member I spoke to in person was hospitable, helpful and very kind. The blockout blinds were good and the sound proofing was great. They also accommodated late check out. I felt very disappointed as I travel to Melbourne monthly and was very disappointed to pay premium costs for accommodation but get what I consider inadequate facilities. I'd only recommend s