Stay Report: Holiday Inn Melbourne on Flinders (Australia - April 2012)

Stay Report: Holiday Inn Melbourne on Flinders
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

photo courtesy of Trivago.com

In my travels to Australia, I was going to split my time between Sydney and Melbourne.  Since I was spending most of my time in Sydney, in looking for a hotel in Melbourne I wanted to find a hotel that was situated in the middle of downtown and had easy access to sites and transportation.  The Holiday Inn Melbourne on Flinders provided a comfortable bed and an updated room in a convenient location in the middle of downtown, with easy access to sights and transportation. 

The hotel is located right in the middle of downtown, and is right next to a streetcar line stop so it provides easy access.  From the outside, the hotel looks very integrated into the downtown landscape, and it looks like an older building that has been renovated into a hotel.  The inside looks modern and updated.  As you enter into the hotel, on the right hand side is the lobby/relaxing area while straight ahead are the check-in desks.  Right next to the check-in desks was a hallway which had a restaurant on the right hand side, meeting rooms straight ahead, a business center on the left hand side, and access to the elevators.  The hotel looked modern and updated, and you felt nice when you stepped inside the hotel.  After a quick and efficient check-in, I received my keys and went to my room.  The modern and updated look continued into the rooms.

The rooms were a bit on the narrow side, not too narrow to make it tight but it definitely was not a

photo courtesy of IHG.com

spacious room.  I had a room with a king size bed and with two people it was getting a bit crowded – I don’t think the room could fit more than 2 people in it.  As you enter the room, on the right was the bathroom while on the left was the closet and storage area.  The bathroom was also a bit narrow and had standard facilities of a bathtub, a toilet, and a sink.  Further into the room, against the right wall was the king size bed with a table on either side.  In front of the bed was the TV with additional storage as well as a desk facing away from the window.   Right in front of the bed was a lounge chair that looked out to the window.  The bed was extremely comfortable and very large – definitely big enough for 2 people and provided a relaxing night sleep.   As you entered into the room, you saw the window on the wall in front of you, and this window allowed for great views of downtown Melbourne.  The views let in nice sunlight, but the hotel also provided thick curtains if you wanted to get a goodnight sleep.

photo courtesy of whereisfatboy.com

There was free wifi in the room, and there was also a business center with computers on the first floor next to the check-in desks.  The business center provided high-speed internet service along with printing facilities.  This was the only hotel service I tried, even though the hotel also offers an outdoor pool as well as a fitness center.  The best amenity, in my opinion, is the location as the hotel is right on the tram stopline, is walking distance to many shops and restaurants, and is about a 5-10 minute tram ride from the main bus station.  

Overall, it was a nice and pleasant stay at the Holiday Inn Melbourne of Flinders.  A comfortable sleep in a modern hotel that has a good location and good customer service.