Smart hotel in a perfect location to explore the city (Mercure Hotel Melbourne)

Member Name: jenniferjain

Product:	Mercure Hotel Melbourne
Date:	21/12/08 (60 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent location, secure parking available

Disadvantages: Nothing particularly memorable about it, just a chain hotel

My husband and I stayed in the Mercure Melbourne in November 2007 as part of a trip around Australia.

We approached Melbourne in our hire car from Apollo Bay. Finding the hotel would probably have been difficult for us without our sat nav, just as it's always difficult navigating around a new, busy city. We managed without any problems though, and drove straight into the underground car park where we could buzz through to reception and they let us in. This was a good move, because when we arrived at reception we heard someone there being told that there were no more spaces. We left the car here for our stay, as we didn't fancy driving around the city again until we needed to!

We were slightly early but were able to check in without any problems, and were delighted to find sparkling wine waiting for us in an ice bucket! One thing that we learned on this trip was that it always pays to mention a special occasion, like our honeymoon, at the time of booking!

The room was very smart, and what you would expect from this type of hotel. Very clean, tastefully decorated, with television, fridge and in-room safe. We just had a standard room and we were very pleased with it. Perhaps the only trouble with a chain hotel like this is that they are all very much the same, there is little originality in the furnishings and you know that every room in the same price band is going to be identical.

The hotel is very conveniently located, it's an easy walk to the shops, restaurants and other attractions such as Federation Square and the Eureka Skydeck. The area around the hotel felt very safe for strolling in the evening. The city was very lively at night because we were there at the time of the Melbourne Cup, but the hotel was very quiet and we weren't disturbed at all.

We didn't eat in the hotel, but there was a wide selection of dining options available within easy walking distance. The hotel does have a restaurant and bar though.

We paid slightly more for this hotel than for others on our trip, but I think that it was worth it for the excellent location.

http://www.mercuremelbourne.com.au/

Summary: Worth paying a little more for the location