Home > Melbourne > Ibis Melbourne Central Review
Updated: August 27, 2020
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Ibis Melbourne Central Hotel – 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 Melbourne Central Hotel – The Location
Note: (1) Also known as Ibis Melbourne Little Lonsdale Street, (2) should not be confused with Ibis Melbourne Hotel and others in the chain within the city center, and (3) shares the same building and amenities (but has a separate reception) with the Novotel Melbourne Central Hotel.
- Address: 399 Little Lonsdale Street, between Lonsdale and La Trobe streets in the northern part of the city center.
- 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.
- How to Get There: Taxis to/from the airport (14 miles, 1-hour drive) cost at least A$70. For about A$20, SkyBus (approximately every 10 minutes, 24/7) takes passengers to the Southern Cross train station (0.7 mile, 14-minute walk), 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 Melbourne Central Hotel – 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.
- Wi-Fi: Quick, reliable, and free throughout for all guests.
- 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: accorhotels.com
Ibis Melbourne Central Hotel – 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 Melbourne Central Hotel – Food and Drink
- Restaurants: 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. • Goldie Asian Canteen + Brews – Asian fusion street food with a twist in a likably casual and airy setting. Think croissants and noodles or crepes and dumplings.
- 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 Melbourne Central Hotel – 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)
- 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 Melbourne Central Hotel – 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 Melbourne Central Hotel – What’s 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. 1-minute walk (25m).
Just around the corner from the hotel, Hardware Street/Lane is one of many alleys throughout this part of Melbourne full of quaint and fashionable cafés, bars, and coffee shops, most with outdoor seating along this vehicle-free street. These places are within a couple of minutes from the hotel:
- Hardware Street Café & Bar – Casual, well-priced, and popular hangout for waffles and happy hours. 1-minute walk (75m).
- Amigos – Funky, multi-level bar/bistro for tequila and tapas and everything Mexican in between. 3-minute walk (0.1 mile).
- 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. 3-minute walk (0.1 mile).
Shops & Attractions
- Melbourne Central – A block east of the hotel is this multi-story arcade filled with fabulous places to shop and eat (0.2 mile, 5-minute walk). 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 (0.3 mile, 5-minute walk). One block further east from the Emporium is Chinatown (0.6 mile, 13-minute walk).
- 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. 8-minute walk (0.4 mile).
Ibis Melbourne Central Hotel – The Hotel
The Ibis 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 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 the ground floor, the funky Goldie Asian Canteen + Brews offers an eclectic range of food and drinks.
On a higher floor within the hotel building, the Pretty Boy Italian Steakhouse is very appealing.
The Pretty Boy restaurant provides an extensive buffet for guests (and the public) for an extra charge.
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.
Within this corner building virtually next to the hotel is the unique Japanese-inspired restaurant, Gypsy & Pig.
Just around the corner from the hotel, Hardware Street/Lane is one of many alleys around this part of Melbourne packed with delightful cafes.
A tempting eatery along the attractively tiled southern section of Hardware Street/Lane is the Mexican bar and restaurant, Amigos.
The classiest place along Hardware Street/Lane is the Grill Steak and Seafood restaurant.
Just a few blocks east of the hotel is Melbourne Central, a multi-level arcade teeming with fantastic boutiques and bistros.
Accessible from the Melbourne Central shopping center via an elevated walkway over Lonsdale Street is another mall, Emporium Melbourne.
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.
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.
A few minutes on foot north of the hotel is the extensive Queen Victoria Market (closed Monday and Wednesday).
The part of the city where the hotel is located has a few colonial-era buildings.
Trams hurtle down nearby streets and are free anywhere within the city center.
One way to travel between the airport and Ibis hotel is on the Starbus shuttle service.
Also more affordable than a taxi to/from the airport is the SkyBus Express service.
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