Stay Report: Travelodge Hotel Southbank (Melbourne, Australia - April 2012)

Stay Report: Travelodge Hotel Melbourne Southbank
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photo courtesy of tripadvisor.com.au

I was planning my trip to Melbourne and the hotel prices there were very expensive, no matter what type of hotel you were looking for.  The prices were so high that I decided to save myself some money – we were going to arrive into Melbourne in the evening, so instead of paying for that first night at the Holiday Inn (which was more expensive) I decided to stay one night at Travelodge Southbank.  This property was located across the bridge from the Holiday Inn so it provided easy access to the hotel I wanted to stay at, and it was less expensive so I would save some funds. 

This property was located across the bridge from the Holiday Inn so it provided easy access to the hotel I wanted to stay at, and it was less expensive so I would save some funds.  The Travelodge is a budget hotel and you get a budget experience.  The rooms are nice and decent, but the bed is not as comfortable, nor spacious, as a standard hotel.  The property is located in what looks like an office park so there are not many services around it, except for convenience stores.  As you enter into the building, straight ahead is the check-in desks and to the left are the elevators to the guest rooms.  To the right are chairs for sitting and relaxing, the business center, as well as a restaurant.  The restaurant was mainly open for breakfast only, and had vending machines if items were needed at other times.

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor

Check-in was efficient and I took my key and went to my room.  The room was basic but provided all the standard details of a hotel room.   Some of the Travelodge rooms had been updated, but this room had not been updated and look a bit dated – both the furniture and the look.  As you enter the room, on the left was the bathroom.  The bathroom was standard and provided basic amenities and was of decent size.  On the right was a closet, storage area, as well as a kitchen area.  The kitchen area included a sink, a fridge on the bottom and a microwave on top.  This was very convenient and added to the economical value of the room.  Next to the kitchen area was a TV with storage underneath and a desk next to it.  Across from the TV were the beds.  This is where the hotel felt very economical, as the beds were not that comfortable and the blanket and comforter on the bed were equally as uncomfortable.  A plus point of the room were the windows which stretched across the wall, and these provided light into the room and also provided a nice view of the town.

photo courtesy of Travelodge Hotel

As it is a budget hotel, the were no additional amenities except for the business center and the restaurant.  The business center had computers available, but when I went there was a charge to access the computers.  The hotel did provide free, basic wifi and this was good enough for me.  

Overall, the positives of the hotel were the lower price (as compared to other hotels), the free wifi, the ‘kitchen area’ in the room, and the location near downtown.    The negatives included the outdated room and uncomfortable bed.   It was a good sleep for one night, but not sure I would do a longer stay.