Baden Powell

The Baden Powell Hotel is in Collingwood, its an established hotel, well known in Melbourne's inner city. The exterior looks a bit scaly, but that is part of its character. The accommodation is acceptable, without being luxurious. The pub serves craft beer on tap, at bargain prices. The Baden Powell is well known for its cuisine, in particular its Sunday roasts. The parmas are very big and finishing them is a challenge.

The Baden Powell Hotel, an old-timer which has been a Collingwood landmark for many years, is no more. It's abandoned and covered with graffiti. I walked past there today; it was totally closed. Sad, but true, all good things come to an end.

We booked this place because it was well located and really cheap. We booked using another site that presented positive views - very misleading. Was it good value? No. The pub is closed and has been for months, although it’s up for auction soon and probably will be redeveloped into apartments. We arrived at “check-in” time to find there was no one on site - we had to ring a number posted on a side door to get the PIN code to enter the premises and our room. It sounds like codes are never changed so I wouldn’t get too excited about security... Our room was hilarious - the tiny entry lobby also was the bathroom, with the toilet located behind the open door. There was a low dividing wall - about a metre short of the ceiling - between the bathroom and bedroom. The bedroom was a reasonable size, with a comfortable bed, clean bedding and towels, a small fridge and pretty much nothing else. The bedside lamp wasn’t plugged in as the plug was bent, presumably because the power point was defective. The shower was clean and offered a moderate stream of lukewarm water - no need to use the cold tap. The room was reasonably clean but there were less visible areas that were a bit grubby. Be aware that your room will not be serviced at all during your stay. On the second and last night of our stay, there was a lot of loud banging on the front door of the pub that went on for quite some time, very exciting! Seriously, this is a dodgy old pub that had its rooms modernised cheaply some decades ago, and allowed to run down as it declined over the years. Don’t stay here unless you’re desperate for somewhere cheap to stay near Smith St. And if you do stay, don’t leave anything of value in your room.