4-Starhotels in Victoria, Australia

This was my 9th visit to Naarm in the course of over twenty years. Came from Singapore for a Pierce the Veil gig, tattoos, and to skateboard. I was stoked to see that Lyf is now on Elizabeth St. It’s another great area! So close to Queen Vic too! Having read the other reviews before my stay, I can say those reviews did not do the place justice at all. So here’s my take! - Someone mentioned that the room was small. It is not! I have been to many hotels/hostels abroad and this room was huge for its standard/star rating, and price. The bathroom is fairly big too. Whoever thinks this hotel has small rooms, have got to have their eyes checked. - Another review said rooms were not clean. And that the fridge was dirty. I found it good. Sheets and pillows were clean. Towels and bathroom mat was good too. Carpeting was alright. Bathroom sink, mirror and shower did not have marks, or mold. Glasses was clean. Wardrobe too. Fridge was pretty spotless! Could put my dips, cheeses and olives there. Perhaps my only “complaint” was that the AC unit was a bit dusty. And it took me awhile to figure out how to lower it to 18 degrees. - Someone say that there was not enough space to put toiletries in the bathroom. I am not sure if this person has an entire suitcase of toiletries but that was ample space at the sink, and even more space in the shower. You could line ten face wash in there if you wanted to. In addition, the shampoo, shower gel and conditioner smelled good too. And they provided separate ones instead of a 3-in-1. - Someone mentioned that the hotel did not have a kettle or cups in their rooms. And that water (hot or cold) needed to be collected from Level 1. I came prepared and brought a cup and spoon for my instant soups. It was not inconvenient at all, and the lounge area was nice! - One of the reviews mentioned that there were some flies at the sink area of the lounge. I blame this on lazy guests who expected others to clean up after them. Other than the sink, the lounge area was great with ample cutlery, and homeware provided. Size of the area was pretty decent too! - Security. I absolutely love the security of the hotel, that requires a guest to tap their card, even before they enter the building. They also have a card system that works on an app on your phone. Very cool! - Lyf staff were absolutely lovely! - Someone mentioned that they didn’t like how there was no daily housekeeping. As a guest with minimal litter and requiring minimal to no cleaning, I found this absolutely fine. In fact, I was prepared not to have housekeeping at all; I was fine make my own bed, and empty my own trash, if it got too much. So I was surprised to find that my room had been cleaned on the morning of my 6th night there. They even placed my plushie back nicely on the bed. How lovely! To reciprocate, I left the room almost spotless when I checked out. Even folded the loo roll into a triangle. - A review mentioned that the hotel was noisy and that their room didn’t have a good view, as there was construction going on. Having asked for a quiet room, I received one away from the lift. I heard absolutely no construction work going on at all throughout my 7-night stay. The view of my room overlooked the courtyard of the hotel. It was non-claustrophobic and there was ample sunlight, should you wish to draw the curtains. Windows were high and wide. Clearly not small and dark the way others have described. - A couple of reviews mentioned that the rooms were dark and gloomy. Because of them, I was anticipating a very dimmed and dark room, so was pleasantly surprised to find out that I could see! Conclusion: As someone who used to recce hotels for performing artists as part of tour management/logistics, Lyf at Elizabeth St ticks all the boxes of a great stay – accommodating with good facilities, cleanliness, and fun and happy staff. Was such a great stay and my only regret was not doing a two-week trip this time round. Will definitely be back!

The hotel carpet smells, the building is old and needs a total replacement of carpet. When we entered our room. It smells like bleach everywhere. We have to open the window to make it go away. The room is decent size and the toilet and bath are separated where there are no hand basin to use after using the toilet if someone is using the shower or bath tub. The view from our balcony is magnificent, the Melbourne tall buildings skyline. I also love the location because it is near public transport, free tram and shops, even universities. The kitchen are complete with cooking utensils and pans. They got free coffee, tea and milk. The toiletries were given 1 set of tiny bottles but we are 4 people booked in.

The hotel's location is really good. It's super convenient to get to the hotel from the terminal. The room size is good for unpack & repack your stuff for the trip. Since we didn't have breakfast included in the booking. There are 2 choices for the breakfast: 1. Hotel's breakfast for 35AUD/person 2. Deli cafe. We had a sandwich & muffin there. It's quick and easy to get ready in the morning.

Perfect stay. They reached out beforehand to check in with me. Arrived early and they allowed an early check in with a free upgrade. Room was spotless and well equipped. Kitchenette with all the equipment you'd need, small washing machine, free Netflix and impressive little touches like a free bottle of wine if you solve their Rubik's cube and a free packet of popcorn on request. Lounge is well equipped and breakfast was good (eggs, sausages, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, some pastries and yoghurts, a waffle maker, juices, coffee and teas, etc.). Staff were always friendly. An excellent stay overall!

Unfortunately, my experience at Novotel Melbourne Central was quite disappointing, especially considering that I had a very positive experience at Novotel Sydney, where my daughter and I were treated with great kindness and hospitality. I had an issue with the breakfast arrangement that was handled in a very uncomfortable and embarrassing way. At check-in, I specifically asked to add breakfast for the three days of our stay. I explained that I am an ALL – Accor Live Limitless member and that I had received an email stating that ALL members would receive a discount on breakfast. The receptionist confirmed the benefit and also told me that my 11-year-old daughter would not be charged. I was informed that the total cost for breakfast for the three days would be AUD 56. I paid the amount at check-in and, naturally, assumed everything had been correctly arranged. However, the following morning, when we went to breakfast, the staff member told me that breakfast was not included in my reservation. I explained that I had specifically added it during check-in and showed him the payment receipt from my card. Instead of simply checking the situation and resolving what was clearly a possible system or communication error, I was repeatedly questioned: who had checked me in, when I had become an ALL member, and whether I had any proof that breakfast had been added. The whole situation was extremely uncomfortable and embarrassing. I had done exactly what was required at check-in, had paid for the breakfast, and had proof of the payment. Nevertheless, I felt as though my word was being questioned. I explained that I would make a complaint. The staff member then reluctantly took down my room number and directed us to a table next to the service area, despite there being several vacant tables in the main dining area. This made the situation even more unpleasant. I understand that mistakes can happen, particularly if there is an issue with the hotel system or communication between staff members. What I found unacceptable was the way the situation was handled. It gave me the impression that the staff may not have received adequate training on how to deal with guests when an operational error occurs. The appropriate approach would have been to acknowledge the possibility of a mistake, verify the payment and resolve the issue discreetly and courteously, rather than making the guest feel embarrassed or disbelieved. Unfortunately, I also experienced problems with the cleanliness of the room. The bed was poorly made, the toilet and sink were clearly not properly cleaned, and a cup had been placed wet on the tray. These details contributed significantly to my overall negative impression of the hotel. This was particularly disappointing because our experience at Novotel Sydney was excellent. We were welcomed warmly, treated very well and felt genuinely looked after throughout our stay. Unfortunately, our experience in Melbourne was very different. I hope the hotel management will take this feedback seriously, particularly regarding staff training, guest communication and housekeeping standards. The issue could have been handled very differently and would have avoided turning a simple operational mistake into an unpleasant and embarrassing experience.

This is a very nice resort. The interior is very clean and large. Bed is comfortable and toilet is good with jacuzzi. You will see kangaroos and cockatoos outside the cottage in the morning and evening. My kids enjoy the stay very much. However you need to either cook your own meals or drive out to eat. The drive is about 15 mins.

Overall, not a bad stay despite the various pain points. Expected more from a hotel tied to Ascott though. Pros: Located right infront of a free tram zone in the heart of CBD. Easily accessible to variety of places - mostly walkable. Pretty big room - has a separate living room Has a kitchenette as well as cabinet filled with cutleries, cooking pots & pans. Service was rather nice very helpful in various issues and also can receive packages. (However, one staff wasn’t very nice to us but very nice to the Caucasian couples who cut in front of us. Our keycard were locked for some reason and went to her for help - verification wasn’t very thorough like the other staff & when we feedback that our keycard that was left in the room was taken away after housekeeping she was unbothered - could seriously be a safety issue esp for ladies if the housekeeper was shady. Thankfully our check-in staff had deactivated it for room access and made it only usable for electricity) Laundromat was rather cheap - AUD6 Cons: Place is a little hard to spot - doesn’t have a big entrance door that is spottable. Hallways of the rooms looks kind of old - felt shady (but that’s just exterior, inside itself is fine) Housekeeping is only done every 3 days - left our takeaway bags & trash for 3 days and there was cockroach nymph. Not super thorough in cleaning too (we left an iron board infront of the desk that covered the dustbin and it wasn’t emptied, had to use a paper bag to hold our thrash - but again also seem like a pro cause they don’t touch your things?) Although filled with amenities but also doesn’t seem to be filled? - no bowls, no dishwasher & soap (please bring/buy your own to wash) Only rain shower head available, no second detachable shower head. No bidet. Room walls are quite thin - can hear the outside easily but am not easily bothered. (Good for those who cares to take note) On the last day, aircon had issue - kept turning on & off on its own (quite loud that I heard it during my sleep (I’m a light sleeper)) Also, they got no memory foam pillows & beds were rollable. No locks so our beds were constantly moving around. Bring adapters!! - not a big con & should be well prepared but they only have wall outlets

Perfect location and an excellent place to stay. The hotel facilities are practically brand new, and both the reception staff and housekeeping team were friendly and professional throughout my stay. I stayed for more than a week and thoroughly enjoyed my time at this serviced apartment. The rooms were comfortable, well maintained, and had everything I needed. I would happily stay here again and would recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

The hotel's location is super convenient, right in the heart of Box Hill, with a shopping plaza and train station just downstairs. You can even see the trains passing by from the window. The room was very spacious and had a balcony. However, the bed was too soft for my liking and not very comfortable to sleep on.

The facilities are really quite basic, comparable to a decent budget hotel in China. It's very clean though, you can tell it's an older Crown Plaza, so the quality is still there. The Western-style breakfast isn't great, mostly just lots of eggs. However, there aren't any breakfast options nearby, so I'd recommend eating at the hotel – at least you'll have plenty of eggs to choose from. You need to specifically ask the front desk for housekeeping, otherwise, your room won't be cleaned, so remember that. Definitely bring your own slippers if you're not used to going without. Hope you speak English, because even though many staff members look Chinese, unfortunately, they don't speak Mandarin.