Short review
Note: 3 is average
Value for money: 5/5 (Excellent value for money given the facilities and location)
Services: 3.5/5 (Generally good and accommodating, but there were several issues along the way)
Bedroom: 4/5 (Clean, decent size)
Sleep quality: 5/5 (Quiet room, comfortable beds)
Bathroom: 4/5 (Bathroom was a bit small, but the bathtub was an added plus)
Facilities and amenities: 5/5 (Given a microwave, which was handy during our stay)
Pros
- Excellent value for money
- Very good facilities and amenities
Cons
- Services were slow and inconsistent at times
- Access card to the pool and gym often didn’t work properly
Long review
This is the third time my family and I stayed at Novotel Melbourne Glen Waverley, and again we stayed for rather a long time. One day before we arrived, I received a phone call from a hotel staff, telling me that they were expecting my arrival. The staff also said that they would provide a microwave, a coffee machine, and a designated parking space for us. That sounded great.
I stopped our car in front of the lobby and went in for check-in. The check-in staff was welcoming and again said that she had requested for a microwave and a coffee machine to be provided in our room. After grabbing my key cards, I drove the car to the car park in the basement. As promised, a designated parking space was ready for our arrival. This was great so we did not need to worry about not being able to find parking since sometimes the car park could be quite packed.
We went to our room on level 4. This was a standard room with 2 double beds. The bedroom was clean and had a decent size. Nothing much to say about the interior; it was standard and functional. On the table, we found a welcome card, a tray of fruit, gingerbread man biscuits, a box of chocolate truffles, and two bottles of mineral water. Quite an elaborate welcome gift package.
The microwave was missing though, so I called the front desk enquiring about it. They immediately sent one to the room. We, of course, appreciated the microwave, but this was a starting sign of the service inconsistency. I was already informed twice that a microwave would be provided, but this did not happen until I requested it.
How about the view from the room window? Nothing exciting. Only some buildings and a car park.
The bathroom was on a small side, but they were again clean. Having a bathtub was certainly welcomed. Other bathroom amenities were as expected.
The hotel had a gym, an indoor swimming pool, and a sauna room next to the pool. We used the gym and the pool frequently during our stay. The gym had a good range of equipment. The pool was rather small, but it was heated (and indoor), so it can be used all year round regardless of the weather. The problem was the access card to this pool and gym. Sometimes it did not work, so I had to go up to the lobby to get another card, or the hotel staff should come down with me to open the door manually.
Now let’s head to breakfast. They had a menu for kids and an a la carte menu.
Kids breakfast
- Eggs on toast – Choice of two eggs cooked your way on grilled sourdough
- Pancake stack, melted butter, maple syrup, berry compote
- Fruit salad and yoghurt
- Coco Pops with milk and berries
A la carte menu
- Eggs on toast – Two eggs cooked to your liking on grilled sourdough. Add any of the following:
- Smoked salmon
- Smashed avocado
- Chicken chipolata sausages, thyme and garlic mushrooms
- Double smoked bacon, hash browns, baked beans
- Grilled tomato
- Breakfast burrito – Scrambled egg, salsa fresca, jalapeno, black beans, avocado, sour cream
- Bahn mi with chilli scrambled egg – Toasted baguette, scrambled eggs, house-made chilli sauce, pickled crunchy veg. lettuce, crispy shallots
- Bacon and egg roll – Fried egg, bacon, tomato relish, lettuce, toasted milk bun
- Eggs benedict – Grilled English muffin, double smoked ham, hash browns, confit cherry tomatoes, hollandaise, chives
- Smashed avo – Poached eggs, grilled sourdough, tomato relish
- Chocolate brioche French toast – Crème Chantilly, berries, nut praline
We tried all the items in the menus, except for Coco Pops and breakfast burrito. All of them were reasonable. Bacon and egg roll was the best. I did not fond of the bahn mi, but my wife was fine with it.
Now some more service inconsistency. Sometimes it is very difficult for us to contact the front desk. They simply did not pick up the phone because they were too busy, indicating that their manpower was inadequate. In another instance, our car park space was occupied by someone else. I complained to the hotel staff and, the next day, instead of resolving my complaint, our allocated space was gone. I had to make another complaint before it was reinstated.
In terms of location, it was one of the best features of the hotel. A train station, a cinema, a large shopping mall, a library, and a great range of restaurants surrounded the hotel, and all were within walking distance from the hotel. Looking forward to return to this hotel again in the future.
