I booked three rooms at Glen Waverley Ibis as an interstate traveller attending a funeral with extended family. A few key points before going into the actual stay…

I booked through a third party website ( like we all do these days ) and was told at check in that I was not eligible for any Accor club points because I’d used a third party website. I’ve not encountered that before at any Accor property and was quite taken aback. So instead of me just paying for all three rooms at once and getting room keys, we opted that each family member pay their own bill direct, which caused over 20 mins of chaos at the reception desk and I am so sorry to everyone else trying to check in - I had no idea that would end up such a complete dogs breakfast. Reception was just in way over her head and Ibis was still cleaning up that mess the day after, trying to track us down to fix things up.

The location for us was fantastic, but if you are looking to see the sights of Melbourne, it’s not really a tourist area. There is a street behind full of authentic and fantastic Asian food, but if you are looking for funky pubs and the kind of quirky cafes that Melbourne is famous for, it’s a 30 - 40 min drive north up the freeway and I believe it’s even longer on the train. Parking your car in the Ibis garage is currently $20 per night surcharge.

Ibis has a bar, a restaurant that serves dinner Mon - Thurs and breakfast every day. It was a bit of a surprising to arrive from interstate on a Sat evening and not be able to get a meal there, but on the night we did, the meal was hot, fresh and well cooked. The pricing was average for Melbourne at $45 for a steak. Breakfast was not included in our stay, but we also ate there and the hot food was all fresh and hot - no mean feat at a hotel buffet. Although choice was a bit limited, breakfast is something this Ibis did really well - better than some of the premium hotels I’ve stayed at. And a shout out to morning staff member Peter, who is a credit to this hotel with his mix of professionalism and humour. Cheaper meals are available within walking distance at the large shopping centre and the Mountview Hotel (?) down the road, but when you are just knackered or can’t be bothered, the restaurant is a solid choice. When it’s open.

Rooms were a really good size for the price point, although if you are a larger body type you may have difficulty with the showers which are the size of a single wardrobe. The linens were all in fantastic condition and daily housekeeping would put some of the premium hotels to shame with their speed and efficiency. The room was always made up by lunchtime and I cannot fault Ibis on daily housekeeping in anyway. What did bother me were some maintenance issues. The exhaust duct above the shower was packed with dirt and dust ( room 520 if you want to look lol !!!) and of course dust is largely dead human skin cells from every other guest that has stayed in there before, which is a totally revolting thought. The shower also had a couple of patches of black mould growing in the sealant which need treating. The elevators were shaking and groaning in a scary way all week, and I don’t scare easily.

TV is free-to-air only as far as I could see, but at this price point ($102 per night plus tax ), I wouldn’t have expected more. The are just basic tea / coffee making via a jug, and an in- room fridge that you can request at reception to be stocked as a mini-bar if that’s your thing. There are soaps, shampoos and sanitary bags only for toiletries, no biscuits to go with the tea, no slippers or dressing gowns etc, no swimming pool or gym - but it’s an Ibis Hotel designed for a functional stay rather than a holiday and if you want more than the very basics, you’d be better off sucking up a higher price and checking into the Novotel down the road.

Overall, it was a solid stay. I booked this hotel because price was a big consideration to the people I was travelling with, and this hotel is definitely value for money. If I was in the same position, I would stay here again, although I’d be sure to get prior clarity around the Accor points as I choose to stay at Accor properties precisely because of their loyalty program, and if they can’t hold up their end of that bargain, I’ll start looking at what other programs brands like Marriott are offering in future. But that’s just what is important to me - you may feel differently.

I am platinum membership of Accor hotel group. I can say this IBIS hotel is the worst. I asked to give me back reward points because my points were deducted wrongly in the app. The male staff seemed not knowing about the point system and didn’t answer properly. It was only 1 min but he cut off the conversation and walked away while I was explaining. He was rude and not professional at all. I still don’t get my points ＝around $200.
私は、Accorホテルグループのプラチナメンバーなので滞在経験がたくさんありますが、このアイビスホテルは最悪でした。たまにあるのですが、ポイントが間違って引かれたり、付与されるポイントが少なかったりするので、その際はホテルのスタッフに確認して修正してもらいます。しかし、このホテルのスタッフはポイントシステムについて詳しくなかったようで、適当な対応をされたあげく、説明している最中に強制的に打ち切られました。こちらは全く失礼な態度をとっておらず、わずか1分ほどなのにです。ホテルのスタッフとしてどうなのでしょうか。お金を払って気分が悪くなる体験は割に合わないです。ちなみに2万円分ほどのポイントはまだ返ってきてません。

I had a very shocking & disappointing experience at this Ibis property. I have stayed at various IBIS & Accor properties in different countries, but this was the most underwhelming experience ever. Where do I start -
1. I arrived at 9:30PM on Sun night after a long 15hr flight, I wanted to order food to the room, but I was told - THERE IS NO ROOM SERVICE. So I go downstairs to the restrauant in the lobby only to be told that they are CLOSED, and there are not snacks/sandwiches either!!. Now which hotel of this caliber has NO FOOD ??
2. Day-2 I come down to order for dinner (since there is no room service), and since they are short on staff, I carried my own food back to my room! This same thing followed on other days as well.
3. The dinner plates/trays were not cleared out from my room, no housekeeping done for TWO days.
4. Usually all Ibis properties have a lively full of energy vibe. But this one looked like its soul was sucked away.

But it is not the fault of the staff. They are severely understaffed with the same set of 2-3 people doing everything. So while they tried their best, it was a poor experience for the customers.

So I would give good rating to the poor staff who were doing their best, but I would blame the management for not staffing properly given that travel has picked up strongly after COVID and they are thoroughly underprepared.