YTI Garden Hotel

Location is pretty handy in Melbourne CBD. Decor is tired but has all the basics I needed for a 2 night stay in Melbourne. Comfortable bed.

This motel is so INCREDIBLY OUTDATED it actually shocked me. The photos online do not show how old and tired the rooms really are. To be fair, the bed was comfy, the linen was clean and the bathroom in my room seemed a bit newer, so that was a positive. But everything else… honestly, it needs a serious makeover. The furniture is extremely old and just feels dirty. The floors were horrible, the blind was broken and had gone that yellow colour from age (pretty gross), and the chairs were so grubby I didn’t even want to sit on them. I would hate to shine an LED or UV light in this room. The whole place just felt like it hasn’t been updated in 30+ years. Location-wise, it’s good. You’re right in the city and only about an 8-minute walk to Bourke Street Mall, which is handy if you’re here for shopping or exploring. But because it’s in the city, it’s very noisy. Street noise is expected, but on our first night a truck was unloading next door at 12am for about an hour and it was incredibly loud. You also hear the occasional loud people outside at night. Zero view from the room too. Reception staff were friendly enough, and housekeeping did come daily with fresh towels and emptied bins, which I appreciated. The motel itself was quiet inside and I didn’t hear other guests at all, which was surprising. But the elevator is tiny and old, the lobby is basically just a storage room, and there’s no microwave, which I found really odd. The rooms get freezing cold even in spring, although there is heating and cooling. The cutlery was extremely old and honestly didn’t look very clean. Also, the WiFi was completely useless. Look, you get what you pay for. If you just need something cheap in the CBD for one or two nights, it’s fine. But it’s definitely not a comfortable or pleasant stay, and they could do SO much to improve this place. Even the TVs are ancient. It has potential, but right now it’s just extremely outdated and below average.

Location is everything with this hotel. For the price the location is incredible, right in the heart of the city you can walk to shoes, shops and restaurants. The bed was clean and the water pressure good. Staff were friendly and I checked in early without issue. As you'd expect for a cheap hotel it's not a 5 star hotel. My room did have a broken window and could have used a deep clean of the blinds and bathroom. Overall though I'm happy with my stay