6 DECEMBER 2019

All I ask from my hotel rooms are that it’s clean, quiet and comfortable.

And since I’ve always had good experiences staying at Ibis hotels, I went searching for one when I was planning for my holiday in Melbourne.

The Ibis hotels I had stayed in Seoul and Malacca was basic but clean and well-appointed. The one in Melbourne, I’m glad to discover, lived up to its budget-but-value-for-money reputation.

There were several Ibis outlets in Melbourne’s CBD, but I chose Kingsgate for one simple reason – it was close to the Southern Cross train station as I used the Skybus link to get to and from the Tullamarine and Avalon airports. The Skybus depot was just next to the train station.

Location

As said, the hotel’s location is ideal for those who need a quick and easy access to the Southern Cross station – the hotel is just a few 100ms from the train hub of Melbourne.

There are also food outlets everywhere, even if it’s not located at the fancier eats in town. There is a Woolies and Coles around the corner from the hotel too.

Also, it’s a short walk to tram stops and located within the free tram zone*, so getting around the ciy would be a breeze.

* You can take any tram in the the free tram zone free of charge. Look out for the green sign at the tram stop to ensure it’s in the zone.

Facilities

At first I was a little concerned about my room because it was located on the ground floor. I thought it’ll be too near the reception area and will be noisy. Also, the grey, tattered carpets and dingy basement-like interior of the corridor did not inspire confidence.

However, it was a totally different story when I got inside the room.

I adored my room. It has a modern, sleek decor and comes with a small vanity/desk, a Smart TV with Netflix and Youtube (lovely!), a refrigerator, safe, electric kettle and even an ironing board!

My room was warm – even if it was winter! I didn’t even have to turn on the heater. This is most probably due to the fact that my room had only a window and was facing an enclosed space where they are renovating (yea, I didn’t have much of a view), but it suited my purposes fine as I was out most of the day exploring Melbourne.

I was lucky enough to pay only RM280 per night for the room via the Agoda app. For the price I paid this is truly value for money!

As a “home base” when you’re touring Melbourne, this place is ideal, especially if you’re on a budget.