Alston Apartments Hotel - Carlton, Victoria

peamac

We booked a 2 bedroom/full kitchen apartment for 3 adults at a very good price. Everything was as expected- the bedrooms were large,and the beds comfortable. It was very hot so the air con came in very handy. The bathroom could do with a little improvement and cleaning, but it was okay, and had everything required. The kitchen had a small fridge, stove and pots and pans etc. table and chairs and some seats to watch tv. ||The location is very good - short walk to Lygon St and the tram stop, which can take you into the city in 15 mins. ||We had no problems with our arrival or departure, and our 5 day stay was great. Would definetely stay here again.

Hao J.

Arrived at 5:00 pm on the day, the receptionist was very welcoming with a big smile. Easy check into the room, found the room clean and had everything I needed for a short-term stay. Good thing I love there is that no receptionist after 5:30 pm, however, hotline always available 7/24. I have travelled to a lot of service apartment, I would rate this one probably top or if not, second top on the list. Nothing extraordinary outstanding, but cover all the basics and very hard for me to say anything bad though. Would recommend to anyone comes to Melbourne especially if you love cooking.

Aidan C.

You get what you pay for. Good location close to trams, pubs and restaurants with the very good Campos Café downstairs BUT mould in and around the shower which could be easily wiped away, dirty, greasy arms of lounge chairs, dirty stove top and tired worn carpeting make this not a place to recommend as it stands. We slept alright but the overall hygiene was a bit disturbing. With a little effort this could be turned into a nice place but without that work I cannot recommend it. Reception staff were pleasant and cheerful (when they were there) and we were a bit peeved to find that after paying $15 a day for parking round the corner we could have got parking for $8 at a nearby parking station.

Mira A.

I recently had a dreadful experience staying in your Alston apartments in Elgin Street. I stayed there last November and thoroughly enjoyed the stay, location and friendliness of staff. I have since recommended you to friends in London which is where I live.

I arrived at 1am to find a disgustingly dirty room. Please see the photos below. I asked the receptionist the next morning to move rooms however they were fully booked. I asked her to get housekeeping to thoroughly clean the room and in particular the sink as it was very dirty from previous guests.
I arrived back in the afternoon and the sink was still dirty. I cleaned it myself.

Other issues raised.
The tea cups were stained.
There is rotting timber in both the bathroom and living area.
There is food, (possibly vomit) on the wall opposite the kitchen.
The mould in the shower was the worst I have ever seen, even in travels through 3rd world countries.
The toilet brush was disgusting and the bathroom floor covered in filthy fluff and hair.

I asked to speak to the manager, Victor, first thing in the morning and again in the afternoon. He finally called me at 4pm. He was not interested in what I had to say in regards to the cleanliness of the room and offered me a free nights accommodation and said “that was being very generous”. I asked him to call me back as I was busy with my son at the time but he never called. I sent him photos of the room and a text message. I called home several times, asked the receptionist to call him as I was checking out and he didn’t bother to call me back at all.
I have been in touch with Consumer affairs and they recommended a full refund as I have paid for a service and not received it.
This experience has been most unpleasant to say the very least and severely impacted my stay in Melbourne and time with my son.

On your website you are rated as 4*, however after contacting the star ratings they have told me you are not rated. Are you able to explain this misleading information?

T W.

Good location, close to city, has some parking available which is handy. Was neat and clean, kitchen/dining a bit small in our apartment but beds were fantastic and comfy. Would recommend this place if you want to be close to lygon st and city 😁

Julia H.

A little bit of preparation will go a long way at this hotel. Be sure to call ahead if you're not checking in during business hours, so that they can arrange your arrival. Also, book car parking ahead of time if you need it. I didn't and so had to negotiate some tricky street parking restrictions.||Otherwise, it was completely fine and the staff were lovely.

Roy P.

Unwell/frail guest in need of 4 weeks accommodation close to hospital for treatment as outpatient. The apartment is roomy, sufficient for our needs, lovely beds, adequate food prep facilities, etc. Our only complaint is that at the times when we have needed to use the lift over the past 3 days it hasn’t been working. The stairs are OK for well and fit guests but climbing 2 flights of stairs is quite a struggle for someone who is frail and unwell. Smiles and reassurances from staff saying that “the technician has been called” and “it will be fixed as soon as possible” are all well and good, but a facility that is part of what you pay for should not continue to be unavailable for use over a prolonged period of time.

Tahlia C.

My friend and I booked an apartment about 10 days in advance, we arrived to find out the room we booked had been given to someone else staying but they’re still expecting us to pay the amount for the room we wanted. about $70 difference. When I questioned how that happens, I was told they don’t know and it was a “technically difficulty”, I then asked to speak to the manager and was told “I can give you my managers number but they probably won’t answer”. They texted my friend the difference of the rooms was only $16, when clearly there’s a major difference in quality of the rooms and also what we were after. We came from over an hour away to be here for Labour Day weekend, we booked a room with a balcony for fresh air and some more space. Was told and recommended it was a good area to book in, we walked into a mediocre apartment and the complete opposite of what was booked. If you want to stay in a glorified shoebox with disorganised staff, would’ve to book a hostel. Not at all happy with what we received for the of money paid and the way the staff dealt with the situation.