Good location

We booked this hotel via the Internet and after the flight from the UK

were loking forward to staying in Melbourne. The room was ready when we

arrived at 11:00am, they are basic and small but clean. The location

couldn't be better, central in the shopping district. The staff are

friendly and helpful. We had the bufet breakfast one morning and found it to

be good value. Overall average budget hotel, not bad.

Worst experience ever

My fiancee and I have just had the worst hotel experience in our lives. We booked a short stay holiday package through Qantas Holidays to shop for our wedding outfits in Melbourne. The Mecure Welcome was recommended to us on the basis that it was central for shopping, good value, and of a good standard with recent refurbishments.

Unfortunately our room was a tiny, cramped and filthy.

An upgrade was requested and arranged (with a fee) but took 5 hours and a reminder to become available. We then discovered our room was just as filthy and had been configured to twin instead of double. It took another 4 hours and a reminder to be re-arranged. The breakfast buffet experience was about the same standard. All this from a hotel that boasts it is the official accomodation supplier for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games....

Great Location

The Mercure Welcome on Little Bourke Street was in a great location for my purpose, which was a shopping trip with my daughter. Although the room was very small it was clean and adequate. The hotel was well positioned for trams to Chappel Street (a shoppers paradise) and St Kilda. Close to the markets and a huge variety of shops. However there were some minor irritations. The plumbing was extremely noisy (i agree with all the other reviews). At times it sounded like a watefall in the room (when other people flushed toilets or showered). I did get used to this but it was definitely noticable in the dead of night. I suppose this is all due to the age of the building. Also the noise from other people entering the nearby rooms was very loud. The other problem was I requested two single beds when booking and I ended up with a queen. The reception, tour desk and porters were all helpful. For the location and price I would consider staying there again.

Basic, budget hotel in central location

First of all I'd like to say that I've stayed in this hotel twice, both times on cheap weekenders from NZ where the acommodation was included in the deal price.

Fantastic location, right next to two of the major department stores. Chinatown across the road for meals, and something specific to this hotel - it is the closest to the departure point for tour buses that take you right out of Melbourne - so if you are planning on getting out of the city then this is the place for you (buses depart across the road and up about 50 meters, there is an office there for booking tickets).

Housekeeping was done everyday, but the hotel has seen better days (I recall the toilet had a crack in it, and the bathroom was generally tired and a little shabby).

Staff were generally attentive but I use this hotel as a base for getting out round Melbourne, so did not have high expectations anyway :) I didn't have a problem sleeping as some people did, but normally end up in rooms higher up in the hotel - maybe that helps?

Great hotel to explore city centre from

Great Hotel to explore the city from, was there for the weekend and was able to walk to all areas of the CBD.. Great for shopping (Myers right next door!), great area to start sightseeing from (major sightseeing tours started from across the road/swanston street) Hotel rooms + bathrooms are v. small, but was only in the room to sleep so not a huge deal, but probably would be if stayed longer than 4 or 5 nights and was looking at taking it easy (r&r instead of sightseeing non stop!). Customer Service at hotel is not Great... but okay...got a good rate/price so okay... Other reviews correct about noise from pipes when people flush toilet/have shower... can be noisy...

Tour desk at hotel/reception level very helpful. Would stay again if price was right..and was looking at staying in CBD/city area...

Good Location But Poor Room Housekeeping Service

First of all, I will like to say that Mercure Hotel Welcome has a very good, centralised location. Near to Bourke Street Mall, it can be say to be a gateway to paradise for the shopping fanatics. It is also located near to the major attractions like the Federation Square and Parliament House. The room is quite small, with only 1 chair and 1 arm-chair to sit. So we had to resort to sitting on the bed most of the time. The bathroom is very basic equiped, with a bath & shower and toilet. If you just want a place to sleep at night, this hotel will provide you with the necessary. But you do have to endure the noises at night, especially when somebody flushed the toilet in the room above, or when your neighbouring rooms open and close their doors.

However the housekeeping is very bad. The time we spent there, they only changed the bedsheet once and the bath towels twice. Moreover they even forget to clear the dirty linen away, leaving them at the corner of the room. I am terribly shocked by this.

More like a 2 star

Stayed overnight and found the rooms to be small and very basic, probably closer to a 2-star standard. The location is quite good, close to the centre of the CBD.

Overall a clean hotel in a reasonably good location.

Would not recommend Mercure Welcome

Mercure Welcome Hotel standard rooms were very small, the first room we got was next to the elevator, (you could hear them running, and wind whistling through the elevator doors from the room), you could hear water running in pipes inside the walls when someone above you took a shower or flushed a toilet. To their credit the rooms were clean, and they got us a different room the next night, but it too had problems, VERY small, could still hear water running, there were several trash cans in the alley outside of the window where a pub dumped lots of glass seemed like consistantly.

The first night we arrived (a Thursday) we walked out of the front door to the corner of Little Bourke street and before we reached the corner, had been approached by two pan-handlers asking for money.

The China town area is a good place to avoid when locating a hotel! The Mercure Grand on Swanston which is attached to the Welcome looks like a decent place if not for the location.

I would give the Mercure Welcome Melbourne a 2 star rating. (For comparison, I would give a U.S. Motel 6 a ranking of 3 stars.)

Value for money

For value for money, the Mecure Hotel Welcome is a great choice to stay in Melbourne. Situated right in the middle of the city allows you to explore every corner of the CBD. Transport is also conviniently located near the hotel. Although rooms are small and don't have as many facilities as some hotels, they are clean and cozy.