Festival Space at Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Southbank
Price on request
35-47 City Road, Southbank Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Contact Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Southbank
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Please note, that pricing and inclusions may be subject to change without notice. We recommend confirming with the venue prior to booking to ensure you have the most up-to-date information.
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Reviews for Holiday Inn Express Melbourne Southbank
H Liong
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and found the rooms to be of the standard layout and design you’d expect, functional and consistent. However, our overall experience was let down by a series of inconveniences and poor communication. Upon arrival, we were assigned a room with a door that was extremely difficult to open. When we asked reception for assistance, we were told to “just push harder.” Since this wasn’t a practical solution, we were moved to a second room. The second room was missing the block-out blinds so were then moved a third time. The third room is where we eventually settled. Unfortunately, the new room had a few indicators that showed a lack of attention to detail in the housekeeping as well. There were noticeable scuff marks on the walls, chipped door hanger and one of the pillowcases was ripped. Additionally, the pillows labeled “soft” and “firm” didn’t match their actual firmness. These were all small things and after a long day we didn’t bother to return back to the desk. As compensation, we were offered a higher-floor room. My husband was given a voucher stating that 500 IHG points would be added to our membership. However, when he showed me the voucher, I questioned whether our membership had actually been linked to the booking. We returned to reception, where the staff confirmed it hadn’t been added. Instead, we were given two drink vouchers for the bar. The following day, we got stuck in the lift with five people inside. None of our keycards worked to access our floor. At reception, the staff member immediately knew which lift we were referring to but didn’t offer an apology, she only explained that we needed to “hold the key to the reader longer.” She then reset our cards. Later that day, while in a different lift with a small family, their child remarked, “This is the slow lift,” which honestly summed up the experience quite well. While the hotel’s location is convenient and the facilities are consistent with the Holiday Inn Express brand, the multiple room changes, oversights in detail, and dismissive service made this a disappointing stay.
Andrew Cowell
Not quite central, but literally just a few minutes from Southbank and all that has to offer. The rooms are slightly smaller than some, but this is reflected in the price. All the usual amenities are available in the rooms and this place includes a fitness centre and laundry (which was a pleasant surprise!). Buffet breakfast is included in the room, but don't be late, as 9.30am, means 9.30am! However, there is a wide variety on offer. All in all, for a budget friendly place to stay, you can't go wrong. Oh, and one final thing: every member of staff had a smile on their face. Dunno if it's company policy, or whether there was a particularly funny joke going round, but it was nice to see.
Alice Dowling
Location is good and easily accessible for shops, restaurants and bars on the Southbank. Unusual reception location which is on the 7th floor. We stayed for a week, and although the room was clean, it was very small. Housekeeping was shocking, to the extent that even toilet paper and tissues were not replenished when empty. Our worst experience however was, despite informing front desk staff on the first 4 consecutive days of our stay that our room door was not being shut after 'servicing' they couldn't seem to grasp how totally unacceptable and worrying this was, they even intimated that we might not have closed it when we left it in the morning! Apologies and excuses were given, but no action taken until day 5 when I completely lost my composure through sheer frustration! We might as well not been issued with a room key, as we, or anyone else for that matter, could've just walked straight in after housekeeping had left!! Breakfast was the poorest we've experienced anywhere, cold scrambled eggs and bacon are not appealing and even after requesting a new batch, the eggs remained cold. Very little choice of alternatives, unless you like toast or cakes. We attempted the first 2 mornings, as the cost was added to the price of the room, but ended up going to a little cafe/bistro around the corner which was excellent. An added expense but at least it was edible. I would definitely not recommend this hotel, nor would we return in the future.
Yeow LaiYee
I recently stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Melbourne and had a great experience overall! The staff were incredibly friendly and super helpful, making my stay very comfortable. However, the breakfast quality was a letdown. Compared to another Holiday Inn location I visited last year, which had an excellent breakfast spread, this one fell short. Perhaps it's worth considering an upgrade to the breakfast options to match the high standards of service provided by the staff. Nonetheless, the hotel's hospitality and staff made up for it, and I'd still recommend it to others.
Brooke Johnson
We stayed for one night as we were attending a birthday dinner nearby. The hotel was easy to find, and it was convenient that there was a slip lane for temporary parking during check-in, especially given the limited on-street parking. The staff were welcoming and friendly upon our arrival. Our initial room was lovely—clean, well-presented, and comfortable. Unfortunately, there was no hair dryer, which was a bit inconvenient as I was getting ready for the evening, but reception promptly sent one up when we called. We did encounter a few issues during our stay. The tap in our bathroom wasn’t working, and with the hotel fully booked, they weren’t able to move us to another king room. Instead, we were relocated to a queen room, which felt like a bit of a downgrade. It was a wheelchair-accessible room—spacious, but not quite as modern or comfortable as our original room. It was also an interconnecting room, and unfortunately, we could hear everything from the neighboring guests quite clearly. The bathroom in the second room wasn’t up to the same standard—it had a noticeable musty smell, a stained shower curtain, and felt less clean overall. The bed was also less comfortable, with a noticeable dip that made for a poor night’s sleep. Additionally, the bathroom door was quite heavy and loud, which was a little disruptive. Breakfast was average, with limited options. The bacon was particularly overcooked and tough—many guests around us left theirs untouched. On a positive note, the hotel offers private parking at a reasonable rate, which is a helpful feature. Overall, while the staff were kind and did their best to assist, the room change and maintenance issues detracted from our stay. It would have been appreciated to receive some form of compensation for the downgrade and the inconvenience. We're still waiting on the return of our deposit, which we understand can take a few business days. It was, unfortunately, a very average experience—some nice touches, but not without its frustrations.
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