I booked the Sofitel on Collins for our stay in Melbourne in large part due to convenience - it was…read moreon what I had read was the main drag through the CBD - and because as it was at the eastern end of Collins (as opposed to, say, the Grand Hyatt), it would be a little less trafficked and a bit more peaceful. That turned out to be the case, making getting to the hotel by public transport quite easy give the tram stop right outside the northern exit of the drop-off point for the hotel. The hotel itself is right next to a relatively large open-air shopping area and food court (although given the looks of it, it's not as glamorous as parts further down west on Collins). You take the escalator up one flight to get to the lobby level, where you are treated to high ceilings and a very nice-looking lobby lounge area where high tea is served in the afternoon. The folks at the front desk were quite nice in getting us in, but I was appalled to hear that there was no complimentary Wi-Fi - not even for a Platinum member like myself (it should not matter that I booked through an OTA - no other hotel cares). $30 per day is an absolute ripoff in this day and age, and on that basis alone, I would not even bother thinking about staying here next time. With 6 elevators, it's easy to transport you up to the top 15 floors of the building, which comprise the sky lobby with a lounge and restaurant (the 35th floor) and the remaining floors above that with hotel rooms. The decor is definitely dated - the shimmery gold finishes that you can see on the interior from 35 on up screams of a 1970s or 1980s finish - and given that the rooms ring this common area, you can hear any noise if it's on the louder side, or if there is live music in the evenings. The gym on the 36th floor has beautiful views, but despite the relatively decent size of the gym, the equipment selection seemed a bit on the smaller side. As for our room - we had a corner king room facing north and west. Although we had many windows - 6 in total - all of them were quite narrow, making for partial views of the city. Additionally, given the layout, the western-facing windows could look into adjacent rooms, which could be a bit awkward. The bed itself was quite comfortable, but outside of that, the finishes matched the interior decor of the hotel - dated and out of style. The switches were small, hidden, and unintuitive; the carpets and doors need maintenance; and the shower was pitiful - a very small nozzle with poor water flow and two separate knobs for the hot and cold water, making it a mix-and-match game to get the right temperature. While I did enjoy the views (even if through slits of glass) and the general location of the hotel, I definitely felt that for a brand like Sofitel that markets itself as being upmarket within hotels, this was clearly a letdown and came nowhere close to matching expectations. It may have had its glory days once, but the worn-down furnishings and policies like charging an arm and a leg for Wi-Fi speak to hotel management that has not been paying any attention. It's not the worst hotel I have stayed at, but there's no question that I would definitely consider staying somewhere else in CBD whenever I make it back to Melbourne in the future.

Went here for afternoon tea. Great food, nice atmosphere and staff a attentive. There was also a…read morelarge birthday party in (for a 90th) and e place was not noisy as there is enough space to absorb noise and large groups. It was a special great to go here and I'd certainly be back for another celebration. Not pretentious, just real attention to details.

If you happen to be a fan of punk then this is certainly a place to check out. I'm not sure if one…read morecan call it a Melbourne Instutiution, but when I mentioned it to a housemate who loved his punk he had nothing but praise for this place. And they certainly crank it out, especially with the live bands, and honestly, live bands are probably the only place you are going to get decent music these days. They also have a good range of beers, but in the end it is the live music that you come here for.

This is undoubtedly Melbourne's premiere rock'n'roll venue. Forced to close last year due to insane…read morelicensing restrictions, the Tote set the ball rolling for a 20,000-strong march to parliament to pressure local government to amend stifling security requirements for venues (see documentary: 'Persecution Blues'). It worked, and through the tears, the dust settled and another party took over the place. Famous for its sticky carpet, the Tote is not a family-friendly (though you do see the odd hardcore kid there for the Saturday arvo shows) gossip den, but a serious rock pub that offers serious rock music every night of the week. They don't do food (outside of the odd barbie in the garden), they don't do cocktails (straight shooters more the flavour of the place) but they do do music and the do do atmosphere and they do both of those things especially well. It's an institution, check it out for the tumble-down hundred-year-old architecture alone.

Honestly, this place is basically another one of those pubs that is little more than a casino that…read morealso happens to be a restaurant. I have been here a couple of times, namely because I used to live nearby, but honestly, I am now scratching my head trying to work out why I would do such a thing. Really, there isn't all that much about this place that merrits me manking any further comments about it.

Lockdown restrictions over, I now get to check out the local and surrounds. Found the Summerhill…read moreHotel on a quest to Marco's, the fabulous supermarket next door. The Summerhill is a Casino-chic, restaurant and bar that caters for a wide variety of people. While I'm not a gambler, I do appreciate the "Vegas" sign up in lights as it reminds me of my time in The States. There is a centralised, massive tv and various mix-sized screens for sports watching. The bar staff are friendly, and have a neighbourly vibe. They are attentive, and act on requests (ie channel changes on the tv to specifics sports - with sound!). Brilliant for watching the game, whether it be footy, NFL, basketball, cricket etc. The bar selection is standard, but could do with more variety in beer (suggestions could be draught from other states, increased international selection from USA, UK and Europe). The kitchen is run by an iron chef that impressively caters for over 40 tables. Had a flat white coffee while here, prepared by Neysa ... and it was superb; easily rivalling boujee coffee shops. Since this is Reservoir, a place desolate for good coffee; I was ecstatic to make this discovery. Like finding an oasis in the desert. Will be back, will become a member!

I stayed at The Cullen Melbourne - Art Series expecting true 5-star standards, but was deeply…read moredisappointed. On my third night, I found cockroaches in my room ,one on the bed and another on the wall. I have related videos as proof. When I reported it, staff acted like nothing had happened and even room service wasn't informed. Their solution was to move me to Room 217, but with no soundproofing, the noise from passing trains made it impossible to sleep. For such unhygienic conditions, the hotel only offered a one-night refund. This is unacceptable and does not reflect the protocols or service expected from a 5-star property.

I've really tried to like this hotel. I've stayed here twice now in the last few months. My first…read morestay was for 10 days. This current stay is only for 4 nights. During my first stay, I ended up booking what was sold as a two bedroom room. It turned out to be a room that was just divided by curtains. It was also a a room facing commercial Rd which also happens to be the home to a thumping night club that went all night for numerous nights. I couldn't sleep! I was told there was nothing they could do for me and they couldn't give me an alternative room. Suck it up buttercup! On this stay I checked in on a Saturday and immediately reported that my TV doesn't work. Nothing was done to fix it. Tonight (Monday) I wanted to watch the final day of the ashes cricket. I got to my room hoping they'd finally fixed my tv. Nope, they couldn't give a sh1t it seems. I had to go down to reception to plead for them to fix it, because the phone system doesn't work either. Rose on reception basically said, Yeah...... I know, other people have complained as well. I said ok, but fix it. Rose said, nah, theirs nothing I can do, not my responsibility. That's it! Nada, who cares, it's done, thanks for staying. This place is just poorly run. Don't stay here! Spend your money somewhere that they care and deserve your hard earned.

Conveniently located hostel in the CBD with a great bar and outdoor area! Rooms were clean-…read morealthough my water pressure was a bit off, but other than that it was a great stay at Nomads.

* Please note that this review relates to the bar and lounge area only…read more Nomads Backpackers is definitely one of the most well hidden, energetic and fantastic spots to grab a drink in the city. The building itself is bright orange and superbly clean and well maintained. There are bright lights and friendly people at the counter when you first walk in. Accommodation is upstairs so to get to the bar area you want to walk in the big front doors and make a sharp left. After passing through another set of glass doors - you're in! There is a long bar running down the right side of the rectangular room and plenty of couches, benches and stools to rest upon. The end of the room opens up into an outdoor area with a couple of tables and large sun umbrellas. On sunny evenings this is a great spot to sit if there are no smokers present, otherwise there are a heap of great spots indoors. The decor is pretty modern and the bartenders mostly foreign. When I went there recently I had to wait about ten minutes to get a Lemon Lime Bitters because the girl serving me had no idea what it was. It was a little annoying but at least I got to teach her something I guess. The atmosphere in here is amazing. There are all sorts of cool and interesting people and if you come when there's a big game on - no matter what the sport- don't ever, EVER walk in front of the projector screen. All hell might just break loose. Amongst all these great people are groovy machines like a video jukebox that plays music videos on screens around the room for just $1. There is also this weird gaming machine that allows you to play scrabble, deal or no deal, cluedo and more. It was totally awesome....except for when I lost about fifteen dollars trying to figure out if it was Colonol Mustard in the library with the wrench. (It wasn't). I'd recommend this place for casual drinks with friends or an after work get-together. It is very chilled and relaxed.

Well this was a surprise - this pub was actually quite a fancy place, though in many ways it felt…read moreas if it was a restaurant, with the 'please wait to be seated' signs and all that (that usually gives a good indication that the place you have wandered into is a restaurant, though it could be a fancy bar that insists on sitting you where they want you to be seated). Well, once again I decided that I would just have a beer, and once again, true to form, they were more than happy to take my money in return for said beer, despite me not actually having anything further to eat. Well, they do happen to have an area with does pretty much look like the 'sit here if you are having a drink' sort of area, so I guess that works out well.

Nice little gem in Footscray. So fancy looking inside and out. The food is absolutely delicious!…read moreThe steak sauces are spectacular, their hand cut chips are also great. The pie of the day on my first visit was steak and onion and it was divine. The eaton mess was definitely memorable. Presentation of these are very pleasing. The food here is not your average pub meal prices, but I guess you could have figured that out as soon as you step in. This place is very popular with families and couples so be prepared for a bit of a wait of you come after 7ish most nights. Service is hit and miss unfortunately. Not very consistent based on the 2 trips I've made here. The first lady was super awesome and explained the specials and what was the pie and fish of the day stuff. The guy we had the second time skipped on all that and was quite hurried in demeanor. Still, I'll come back - maybe when it's either celebratory of I'm feeling like I can splash cash

We stayed here almost a month while inMelbourne. It was a wonderful experience. What made it so…read morespecial with the people. By the end of our day, the breakfast staff knew us my name and greeted us so warmly each morning that it felt like coming downstairs at home for breakfast. Their kindness, friendliness, and genuine hospitality made every day start on a positive note. The location is fantastic. It is right in the heart of Melbourne, CBD and close to everything, yet surprisingly quiet and peaceful. The tram stop directly in front of the hotel and the train station just steps away made it easy to get anywhere in Melbourne. The hotel itself was well maintained and beautifully presented. A month is a long time to stay anywhere so naturally a few hiccups arose within our stay. What stood out was the way the staff handled them. We would absolutely stay here again and highly recommend it to anyone visiting Melbourne.

Stayed here while visiting Melbourne. The staff is nice and the food here is good. Its centrally…read morelocated which is nice for getting around.

I guess the thing that annoyed me about this place is that it wasn't quite open when we were here…read more I say wasn't 'quite' open, namely because the bottle shop was open, and you could actually buy a drink from then, and then take it out the back to the beer garden where you could sit down and drink it. Yeah, that I did think was pretty cool, though it was a shame that I couldn't quite see what it was like inside. However, the beer selection was pretty awesome, and they have a great beer garden as well. Yeah, this place actually wasn't too bad.

A warm welcome, just the beginning?!?…read more On arrival (after 1pm) we were 'enthusiastically' informed that check in was from 3pm without 'prior written arrangement'. Although hilarious, a simple hello and welcome would have been nice. If the room is ready why not let guests check in a little early? When offical check in time did come around, I asked about in house dinner reservations, where we might order some casual drinks, what facilities the hotel offered. Finding out any information was like extracting teeth. No information about what might make the stay more comfortable was offered. The room itself was comfortable but very basic. No bar fridge for that bottle of wine acquired from the Yarra Valley, no built in robes - 2 coat hangers (with a do not remove sign) hung from a shelf. 'Hotel policy - they shouldn't have'.... On checkout, I went to settle the bill for incidentals with the same card that I registered upon checking in. Surprisingly, I was informed the hotel doesn't accept that type card. Very strange considering that the same card was accepted and processed by their colleague just the day before. Apparently a breach of policy. My firm view is that staff at the Healesville could greatly benefit from some basic hospitality training. If you're happy to share a bathroom with the other hotel guests, an acceptable room awaits - certainly not a 4 star hotel and certainly not worth $200 per night.