Short review
Note: 3 is average
Value for money: 3/5 – Fairly reasonable based on facilities available in and around the hotel
Services: 4.5/5 – Staff were friendly, helpful, and accommodating
Bedroom: 4/5 – Useful kitchenette; the hotel provided a microwave for us
Bathroom: 3/5 – On the small side; water from the shower area tended to leak to the dry area
Breakfast: N/A – No breakfast available
Facilities and amenities: 4/5 – Located near the Box Hill Station; many restaurants around the hotel; swimming pool; gym
Pros
- Restaurants and a train station within a short walking distance
- Friendly and helpful staff
Cons
- The hotel did not offer breakfast
- Hotel facilities are shared with apartment users
Long review
My family and I arrived at the hotel by car. We first accessed a car park where we could park for a short time while I completed the check-in. The lobby was bright and modern. The high ceiling made the space feel roomy. As reflected by its name, the hotel was decorated by the artwork of Australian artist, Zhong Chen. The check-in staff was friendly and welcoming. She offered a microwave to be placed in the room, which I gladly accepted given that we would be there for 9 nights. She also offered a generous discount for car parking.
After checking in, I went back to the car park and moved our car to another car park in the basement next door. The majority of the car park spaces were allocated for the apartments, although there were some designated parking spaces for hotel guests. The number of the parking spaces for hotel guests seemed rather limited though. Having said so, we always found a place to park throughout our stay, although in one instance I literally parked in the last spot available. We went straight to our room after parking our car. The hotel corridors were again decorated by Chen’s paintings.
Our room was Chen Twin with 2 queen beds. The room size was reasonable, adequate for our need. Chen’s artworks were again apparent once entering the room. A book about Zhong Chen was placed on one of the beds. Even the TV showed a story of Chen every time I turned it on. The beds were comfortable, and the room was quiet, so we had a good rest at night during our stay.
The welcome gifts were generous, consisting of 2 bags of snacks, an oat slice, a box of muesli bars, and 2 small bottles of wine (one wine and one red).
The kitchenette was useful, especially once the microwave was added, although the space was rather small.
Nothing much to describe when it comes to the view from the window. I only could see buildings and a train line.
The bathroom was on the small side, but clean and functional. My only complaint was that the water from the shower area sometimes seeped out to the dry area, making the floor mat wet, which was annoying.
The hotel had an outdoor swimming pool on the roof on level 24. The size of the pool was decent, but the water was too cold for me. It was sometimes rather windy too. I think all outdoor pools in Melbourne should be adequately heated. The gym was in the basement, which was rather awkward to reach. I needed to walk across the car park because it was located on the other side of the car park. There was a guest laundry too, which was handy given that we stayed there for 9 nights. Unfortunately, the hotel did not serve breakfast, which was unexpected. I was rather disappointed at first, when the staff told me this. I kind of understood why they offered a microwave to be placed in the room.
Fortunately, the location of the hotel is quite strategic, which into a certain extent compensated for the lack of breakfast in the hotel. There are many restaurants and supermarkets nearby. For breakfast, we simply bought some bread from a good number of bakeries around the hotel. Even though it is not near the CBD of Melbourne, the Box Hill train station is next to the hotel, so it is straightforward to commute to the city if needed.
Overall, it was a decent experience. The staff were great. The location is good. The lack of breakfast was an issue because usually for me breakfast would have been included in the hotel cost. Would I book this hotel again? It depends. If there is another hotel within the same price range, I may choose the other hotel. The short video below provides more perspectives about the hotel.
