Rydges Canberra - Forrest, Australian Capital Territory

Denis K.

The location is not close to the main shops and restaurants in Canberra, but if you prefer a quieter environment or are attending an event at the stadium, cathedral, or Parliament House, it’s a great choice.

We were lucky enough to experience their emergency system that night. The sirens and alarms were incredibly effective—they could wake even the deepest sleeper. A little later, staff handed out towels to use as blankets in the chilly night at the assembly area. They also arranged toilet access once the front part of the building was deemed safe, even while the fire brigade was still investigating. These measures were helpful in keeping guests comfortable during the two-hour disruption. Three fire trucks, a hazmat team, and the police were in attendance. There was no roll call—perhaps it’s no longer required these days?

In the end, they offered a complimentary breakfast to all guests as compensation for the inconvenience. (I’m not sure if they provided a refund or any other gesture for those who had already purchased breakfast.)

The rooms and interior were excellent—neat, tidy, and with a great atmosphere.

Unfortunately, the breakfast was very minimal and quite basic. On that particular morning, the bacon and hash browns were excessively salty, though the pastries were great.

I wouldn’t mind coming back here when visiting Canberra.

Jessica S.

We often stay here every year for New Years, but are second guessing it now. While most of the service was amazing, there were a few shortcomings of the trip. To begin with, when arriving in our room, the sofa bed wasn't made, and the room had only 2 towels (4 of us were staying in the room). This wouldn't have been a problem, except room service kept taking all the towels each day, and only leaving 2 in return.
Fire Alarm went off twice during our stay. One was around 8/9pm and then the other was just after 7am on new years day. I understand these are safety issues, but for it to happen twice within 24hrs there has to be an ongoing issue. Also, we heard someone speaking over the speaker, but you couldn't understand what they were saying from inside the room.
The door lock on our balcony door (room 284) wouldn't lock either as it was broken, which could be a safety hazard for someone with smaller children. The hallway kept omitting some sort of odour, which wasn't that fantastic. The spa bath bubbles were brown, which had me immediately get out due to uncleanliness. To top things off though, my husband asked one of the bar staff if he could just grab a cup of ice, as he needed some for his drink due to a stomach issue. Her response was "sorry the bar is closed" meanwhile, she was standing right next to the ice. The lovely man at reception, though, immediately ratified the situation. Overall, I'm a little let down. Usually we love our little stay in Canberra, but this time was definitely a let down.

Nick E.

Rooms are very basic and a little rundown: the phone and lamp in my room didn't work and a "Superior Twin" room didn't even have a bathtub. The window for our room opened out onto a seating area for the bar, so we had to keep the curtains closed our entire stay for privacy sake.

The lobby is nice-ish but as always the quality of the room can make or break your holiday and on this occasion the room quite simply wasn't up to scratch.

Mandeep J.

My recent stay at Rydges Canberra was unfortunately marred by a number of issues that detracted from the overall experience.
Firstly, the check-in process was far from smooth. I was initially assigned the wrong room, which caused unnecessary delays and frustration. Upon finally reaching the correct room, I was met with outdated decor and fiddly air conditioning controls that seemed to belong in another era.
More concerning was the pervasive foul smell that lingered in both the corridors and the bedroom. This unpleasant odor seemed to emanate from the carpets, suggesting a lack of thorough cleaning. While the breakfast was decent, it was overshadowed by the unwelcome experience of a staff member knocking on each door at 9 am to inquire about our departure time. This felt intrusive and unnecessary, especially given the standard checkout time is later in the morning.
Adding to the inconvenience, there was no microwave available in the room, and the staff were unwilling to heat up my child's bottle or food in their own microwave. This lack of flexibility and assistance was disappointing, particularly for a hotel that caters to families.
While the location of Rydges Canberra is undoubtedly convenient, the numerous shortcomings I encountered significantly impacted my stay. The hotel seems to be in need of refurbishment and a renewed focus on cleanliness and customer service. Until these issues are addressed, I would hesitate to recommend Rydges Canberra, especially to families with young children.

Andrew N.

Rydges Canberra (although its actually in Kingston, on the south side of Lake Burley Griffin) provided very acceptable accomodation for an overnight stay. The location is fine and the cost of my room was not too bad considering facilities etc. I had no issues checking in and the concierge at that time was pleasant. My room was comfortable, clean and included a well appointed bathroom and a very comfortable bed. The decor is a little tired but I wasn't that concerned about that. After I returned from my dinner in town I grabbed a Negroni and some hot chips at the bar; it wasn't cheap but to be honest I'd probably pay similar in Sydney. The spa and pool are fine, and when I went there in the morning before I departed the hotel I was the only one using the facilities. I couldn't see the sauna that was supposedly part of the facilities. The buffet breakfast was average, and at $34 a bit pricey. But hey, you only live once. Oh, there is parking on nearby streets so if you time it and don't have much luggage don't park in the hotel.

Graham G.

One of the best A MUST TO STAY if you are in Canberra.
Great bed fantastic staff.
Had a meal that night there it was just fish and chips 8/10 for that.
Breakfast next morning there that was 10/10.
Keep up the great work will be staying there again next time we are in Canberra.
Thank you 👍 😊

J T.

The hotel had a few ups and downs. The room was hot, and the air conditioning stopped working on the second night, which made it uncomfortable. On the plus side, the breakfast was good with a nice variety of options, and there was plenty of parking available. While the breakfast and parking were great, the room temperature issue was a definite downside.

Mich C.

I recently stayed at Rydges Canberra and had a great experience overall. The location is perfect, making it easy to explore the city. The service was excellent—staff were attentive and helpful throughout my stay. While the rooms are a bit outdated, they were very clean and well-maintained. I also appreciated the complimentary room upgrade, which added a nice touch to the visit. All in all, a pleasant stay and good value for the location!