IBIS CENTRAL in Melbourne - Hotel Review with Photos

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Updated: January 5, 2022

Essentials
• Location: Little Lonsdale Street, 2 blocks west of Melbourne Central Mall.
• Hotel website: all.accor.com
• Hotel phone: +61 (0)3 9929 8888
• Check prices Ibis Central

The affordable and sleek Ibis Central offers compact but comfortable rooms in a convenient downtown location close to Chinatown and Queen Victoria Market.

Ibis Central – No-frills and great-value in a quiet and central location.

This hotel is ideal for those who simply want an inexpensive room in a quieter part of the city center and don’t really need a pool or gym. Rooms are unapologetically compact, ideal for single travelers, and offer splashes of color not often seen in rivals. One surprising bonus is a tablet in each room to get information and order room service. As well as affordability within overpriced downtown, the overwhelming selling point is the position: a short stroll from Chinatown and Queen Victoria Market, surrounded by hip cafés along narrow lanes Melbourne is renowned for, and just meters from the free inner-city tram service.

Ibis Central – The Location

Novotel Melbourne Central Hotel

Area: Convenient to so many shops, bistros, and bars, as well as transport options. The street is built-up, with plenty of construction in the vicinity, but it’s still remarkably quiet inside the hotel and there’s very little traffic outside.
Address: 399 Little Lonsdale Street, between Lonsdale and La Trobe streets in the northern part of the city center.
Nearest Transport: Bus – Little Lonsdale St, Lonsdale St, & Hardware St (150m), Tram – Queen St/La Trobe St & Melbourne Central Station (150m), Metro – Melbourne Central Station (250m).
How to Get There: Taxis to/from the airport (22 km) cost at least A$70. For about A$20, SkyBus (approximately every 10 minutes, 24/7) takes passengers to the Southern Cross train station (1 km), but ask SkyBus about a free transfer from the station to the hotel. Otherwise, Starbus shuttles (5 am-10 pm daily) travel directly between the airport and hotel (about A$30).
Handy to: Chinatown. Queen Victoria Market.

Ibis Central – The Basics

Guests: Mainly budget-conscious travelers who care about location and value.
Pets: Not permitted.
Views: Some rooms look onto the wall of another building, while others face the quiet-ish street. Very few hotels in this heavily built-up area offer any worthwhile views.
Private Pools/Jacuzzis: Not expected (or provided) at this sort of inner-city budget-priced hotel.
Parking: Valet parking available for a reasonable cost. Otherwise, use the public car parks nearby.
How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
Phone: +61 (0)3 9929 8888
Email: [email protected]
Website: all.accor.com

Ibis Central – Amenities

Pool & Spa: No pool or spa at this budget-priced hotel.
Fitness Center: There is one in the Novotel section of the building. Available to guests of the Ibis hotel for a small daily charge.
For Families: Baby-sitting.
Other Facilities: Dry-cleaning. Business center. Money exchange.

Ibis Central – Food and Drink

Restaurant: Pretty Boy Italian Steakhouse – With a sort of gangster-themed décor, the setting is sophisticated and the range of steaks and pasta is mouth-watering. Dinner only and children’s menu available.
Bar: Floyd’s Aperitivo Bar – Extensive selection of cocktails, fizzy drinks, imported beers, and local wines. Can order food from Pretty Boy, which is virtually attached.
Breakfast: Not normally included; depends on the type of room and how it was booked.
Room Service: 24 hours but limited menu overnight.

Ibis Central – Rooms

Room Types: Compact Rooms (1 Double Bed/1 Queen Bed) • Superior Rooms (with 1 Queen Bed/2 Zip (single) Beds/2 Double Beds/1 Queen Bed and Sofa) • List of all Rooms
Smoking Rooms: Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the premises.
Best Room: The Superior Rooms are more appealing and slightly larger.
For Families: Nothing set up for families and the rooms are too small for extra single beds. Some have connecting doors, though there are better options at the Novotel hotel which shares the same building.

Ibis Central – Local Transport

Public Transport: Every few minutes, trams shuttle along La Trobe and Lonsdale streets (both a block away from the hotel) and to suburban areas like South Yarra, Docklands, and St Kilda Beach. All trams within the city center and to Docklands are free.
Taxis & Ride-shares: Arrange a taxi through reception or find one along the streets. Uber and Ola operate all over Melbourne.

Ibis Central – What’s Nearby?

Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars

Gypsy & Pig – Just steps from the hotel, it’s famous for Japanese-inspired cuisine and pork dishes. Sleek and unique pig-themed décor. (25m).

Hardware Street Café & Bar – Casual, well-priced, and popular hangout for waffles and happy hours. (75m).
Amigos – Funky, multi-level bar/bistro for tequila and tapas and everything Mexican in between. (200m).
Grill Steak and Seafood – The most sophisticated option along the lane. Attractive outdoor tables and silver service. No prizes for guessing the main items on the extra-long menu. (200m).

Nearby Shops & Attractions

Melbourne Central – A block east of the hotel is this multi-story arcade filled with fabulous places to shop and eat (200m). Attached by an elevated walkway over Lonsdale Street, the Emporium Melbourne mall is more of the same, with the added bonus of a terrific food court (400m). One block further east from the Emporium is Chinatown (1 km).
Queen Victoria Market – Three blocks north of the hotel is a massive area selling fresh produce as well as clothes, souvenirs, and food. Open 6 am-2 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 am-5 pm Fridays, 6 am-3 pm Saturdays, and 9 am-4 pm Sundays. Vibrant night market on Wednesday evenings for street food. (700m).

Ibis Central – The Hotel

The hotel is located in the city center.

The Ibis Central is pleasantly positioned within a central and convenient part of the city center.

The hotel is along a quiet street and surrounded by the sort of lanes for which Melbourne is famous.

The hotel shares the property with Novotel.

The Ibis shares the same building and amenities as the Novotel Central Melbourne Hotel, but has a separate reception area.

The Ibis is budget-priced, so it doesn’t offer a pool, although guests can use the small fitness center at the Novotel hotel for an extra daily fee.

On a higher floor within the hotel building, the Pretty Boy Italian Steakhouse is very appealing.

The restaurant offers an extensive buffet.

The Pretty Boy restaurant provides an extensive buffet for guests (and the public) for an extra charge.

Floyd’s Aperitivo Bar has a wide selection of drinks.

Virtually attached to the hotel restaurant, the chic Floyd’s Aperitivo Bar sells an extensive range of cocktails and aperitifs.

The truthfully-named Compact Rooms are ideal for single travelers.

With splashes of color surprisingly rare in similar hotels, rates at the Ibis are far cheaper than most in downtown.

On a lower floor within a built-up area, views are unremarkable, but it’s all about the great location and low rates.

Gypsy & Pig next door offers Japanese-inspired dishes.

Within this corner building virtually next to the hotel is the unique Japanese-inspired restaurant, Gypsy & Pig.

Hardware Street/Lane has several delightful cafes.

Just around the corner from the hotel, Hardware Street/Lane is one of many alleys around this part of Melbourne packed with delightful cafes.

Amigos is a great Mexican bar and restaurant.

A tempting eatery along the attractively tiled southern section of Hardware Street/Lane is the Mexican bar and restaurant, Amigos.

Grill Steak and Seafood restaurant is very classy.

The classiest place along Hardware Street/Lane is the Grill Steak and Seafood restaurant.

Melbourne Central arcade has fantastic boutiques and bistros.

Just a few blocks east of the hotel is Melbourne Central, a multi-level arcade teeming with fantastic boutiques and bistros.

Emporium Melbourne is a nice mall nearby.

Accessible from the Melbourne Central shopping center via an elevated walkway over Lonsdale Street is another mall, Emporium Melbourne.

Emporium Melbourne has an excellent food court.

Another reason to visit Emporium Melbourne is the excellent food court.

About 10 minutes’ walk east of the Ibis is Chinatown. Not as extensive as the one in Sydney or some other cities, but still worth a look.

Bourke Street Mall is a pedestrian shopping area.

The streets around the city center are jam-packed with shops and department stores, especially along Bourke Street, just 3 blocks south from the hotel.