When travelling to Melbourne for business, we normally stay at the Parkview in St Kilda Road. This time, as we were travelling with our 5 year old daughter, we thought we would stay at the Crowne Plaza, as it had a swimming pool, and close proximity to Southbank etc.

It had been several years since we had stayed at the Crowne Plaza, and our return trip was very disappointing.

We booked a room with king bed & rollaway (told we would be charged an additional $50 per night for rollaway, which seemed excessive, but we agreed to), as we were unable to book a single bed with king online.

Arriving at the hotel, checkin was fast and efficient, which was a great start. However, when we arrived in our room, there was no bed for our daughter. We called Reception, and were met with a grumpy response, and advised we never booked this. I advised that we had actually called the hotel to make the booking, and confirmed everything verbally, as we had been unable to book online. Begrudgingly, they advised that a rollaway bed would be sent up to the room, which it was within around 15 minutes, which was great. Reception then called to confirm that the rollaway bed had arrived, which we informed them it had, then they requested additional payment on top of the $242.50 per night we had already paid.

The hotel and rooms seem tired and dated, and looks as though nothing has been updated in the last 10 years that we have been staying there. Carpets were stained, windows dirty, bathrooms grotty with discoloured mould etc. Our beds were rock-hard, and very uncomfortable, and the rooms were quite noisy from street traffic below, so a bad night's sleep was had by all.

Onsite valet parking was $40 per day which we thought quite steep, but there is a 24hr public car park only a couple of hundred metres away, which only charged $13 per day for hotel guests, so we used this.

The swimming pool is also looking very tired, with grout missing and tiles dislodged and falling off, and also not heated to a temperature that would invite people to swim outdoors in Melbourne.

The only saving grace for the hotel was the Clarendon restaurant, which provided lovely breakfasts (special mention to the lovely Ann on the egg station - she provided the warmest service from any of the staff we encountered on our stay), and we also enjoyed a nice dinner there also.

Overall, the hotel is in a good location, close to Southbank, the Casino and public transport, but we felt it to be tired, and overpriced. It was worth a try, but we will be returning to our tried-and-trusted Parkview when we next return to Melbourne.

I stay in this hotel often when I travel for work. It is comfortable, close to Crown Casino and Southern Cross train station. This hotel is good for business people and flight attendant but over priced for family holidays.

This hotel was absolutely perfect. Check in was fast and efficient and our room was ready very early. We were upgraded to a river view room which was lovely. The breakfast we had delivered to our room was delicious and reasonably priced. We had a couple of drinks in the lobby bar at happy hour and this was also good value. $5.50 beer and wine which is very cheap considering it is Melbourne after all! The reception staff are efficient and polite as well as the luggage porter. Fantastic location - close to the tram stop to go into the CBD and walking distance to the exhibition centre and DFO shopping outlet. I will definitely stay there again.

nice room, helpful concierge and front desk but.......we were there for a few business meetings combined with some sightseeing as it was my first time in Australia. The room was standard fare for Crowne Plaza anywhere in the world but the building itself is tired and rather dirty looking from the outside. This grubby impression is enhanced by the empty beer cans and bottles left by the revellers on their way back over the bridge each night which the Hotel really should take ownership of. Other contributors have alluded to the swanky looking reception area but the open plan nature of that and the bar area make the place feel really impersonal. Consequently we did not spend a cent in the bar or the restaurant and i know we were not the only customers who felt and acted this way. Most frustrating was being charged for internet access and the misleading claims about the hotel gym and pool. The pool is little more than a fishpond a genuine token which in 7 days i did not see used once. The gym is small, hot, poorly equipped with one shower and toilet cubicle. There is no sauna spa or any of the other little luxuries which normall make using a hotels facilities a pleasant experience. Overall expectations were set very high by the advertising and failed to deliver on many fronts.