I had a wine tasting to attend so a night drive home from Hobart did not appeal. Solution: Take a look at wotif.com and see what was looking affordable.
One of the best-looking deals was the RACV/RACT Hobart Apartment Hotel for $120 a night for club members. This was designed to be a Grand Mercure or somesuch until the financial crisis hit hard, and it eventually opened under this guise after a couple of stutters.
I don't really know what I was expecting; but I was still disappointed.
It was as if someone had said: "Let's create the most boring hotel room ever - and save ourselves some money along the way."
All the basics are in place; a decent. comfortable bed, air-conditioning, flat-screen TV, alarm clock. No iPod dock, nowhere to listen to music, two RACT/RACV magazines but no other reading material, and a minibar that was...empty.
There was a list of minibar goodies that you could order from downstairs if you required - which rather defeats the purpose. Then there was the "free wi-fi". II couldn't get it to work but as I was only staying one night it didn't concern me too much. There was no bowl of fruit - not even some biscuits to go with you tea or coffee.
But I do like a nice hot shower in the morning. This one was hot, but had minimal pressure, making it more like a trickle than a shower.
And no glass in the bathroom? That's taking minimalism to the extreme.
As I was only paying $120 I didn't worry too much - but if I had paid the rack rate of $160 for non-members, or $310 as claimed by Wotif, then I would have been most unhappy.
That said, the hotel's location is good; directly behind the far better and more atmospheric Hadley's; and it has its own restaurant Charcoal, of which I have heard good reports. There's a gym on-site and some accommodation special deals that might be worth looking at.
If all you want is a bed then this place is fine. Just don't expect any soul, or hospitality (like someone to carry your bags or the offer of a morning newspaper). It's your "apartment" - although there were no cooking facilities or anything apartment-like about my room. It's a blank canvas. Make of it what you will.
 |
| A modern but soulless place to stay |
One of the best-looking deals was the RACV/RACT Hobart Apartment Hotel for $120 a night for club members. This was designed to be a Grand Mercure or somesuch until the financial crisis hit hard, and it eventually opened under this guise after a couple of stutters.
I don't really know what I was expecting; but I was still disappointed.
It was as if someone had said: "Let's create the most boring hotel room ever - and save ourselves some money along the way."
All the basics are in place; a decent. comfortable bed, air-conditioning, flat-screen TV, alarm clock. No iPod dock, nowhere to listen to music, two RACT/RACV magazines but no other reading material, and a minibar that was...empty.
There was a list of minibar goodies that you could order from downstairs if you required - which rather defeats the purpose. Then there was the "free wi-fi". II couldn't get it to work but as I was only staying one night it didn't concern me too much. There was no bowl of fruit - not even some biscuits to go with you tea or coffee.
 |
| Your room doesn't come with wine or a platter |
But I do like a nice hot shower in the morning. This one was hot, but had minimal pressure, making it more like a trickle than a shower.
And no glass in the bathroom? That's taking minimalism to the extreme.
As I was only paying $120 I didn't worry too much - but if I had paid the rack rate of $160 for non-members, or $310 as claimed by Wotif, then I would have been most unhappy.
That said, the hotel's location is good; directly behind the far better and more atmospheric Hadley's; and it has its own restaurant Charcoal, of which I have heard good reports. There's a gym on-site and some accommodation special deals that might be worth looking at.
If all you want is a bed then this place is fine. Just don't expect any soul, or hospitality (like someone to carry your bags or the offer of a morning newspaper). It's your "apartment" - although there were no cooking facilities or anything apartment-like about my room. It's a blank canvas. Make of it what you will.
No comments:
Post a Comment