I stayed at Ovolo during Grand Final weekend. (Look, I've only just returned to Melbs & didn't realise what weekend it was, give me a break.) The price was reasonable given the weekend. The fact I could get a room at all was amazing.
This is the epitome of hipster hotel. Tucked down a laneway, includes ALL THE THINGS in the nightly rate, friendly staff to greet you, clever interior design & functionality. Ticks a lot of boxes. Very cool & well thought out inclusions are those that have been mentioned before, free mini- bar, Loot Bag on welcome, free happy hour, free grab-n-go breakfast, free wifi. And AppleTV, free wi-fi.
Now, because I booked at the last minute, I was limited in options of rooms. As such, my room was tiny - just 18sqm. The bed not really comfortable, you could feel the springs through the mattress. Also, for being new-ish, I found parts of the room to be quite worn (the sink in the tiny, functional bathroom; some of the tiles; the interior of the room door itself). Also, I had to request maintenance to come to the room to secure the toilet seat back on. (This was handled to the best of their ability without issue.) Also, I thought for such a hipster, trendy hotel it was a bit disappointing to discover their Apple docking stations only cater for pre-5 series iPhones. Given we are now onto the 6, the older, pre-5 technology is really quite dated.
You may wonder why I worry about a tiny details or wear & tear on a room. Well, I guess it's because I enjoy a quality hotel experience and I look at things like that. I want to be impressed by my lodging, even if just for a night.
I would stay here again if I could get a larger room. read more