My experience of the Ibis Budget Melb CBD was very disappointing. The environment was grim. Dirty carpets, unpainted repairs to the walls, broken light switches in my room, dirty windows, a general feel of neglect. It was quite confronting. I thought when booking the room that being part of the Accor chain meant certain minimum standards of cleanliness and maintenance. I've stayed at backpackers that are far superior. And I paid $NZ250 for this! The only bright spot of my stay was the reception staff, who were friendly and professional. Would I stay at the Ibis Budget again? Heck no.

Dear ibis Melbourne CBD Management, I am writing to formally express my dissatisfaction with the unacceptable conditions I experienced during my stay and to make a final request for a full refund of four nights' accommodation. These repeated disturbances severely disrupted my sleep and left me feeling unsafe and anxious about remaining in the hotel. After being awakened three times in one night by the alarm system, I had lost confidence that I could sleep peacefully without further interruptions. This was particularly serious because I was scheduled to deliver an important professional presentation at the SAP ALM Summit in Melbourne on Monday, 12 October 2026. The lack of sleep significantly affected my ability to concentrate, prepare and perform at my expected professional standard. The resulting exhaustion also negatively affected much of my following working week. I reported the situation to hotel reception, explained my concerns, requested a refund and advised that I intended to relocate to another hotel. Despite the circumstances, my request for a refund was refused.Evidence of the Impact and My Decision to Relocate I wish to emphasise that my decision to leave ibis was not a matter of personal preference or convenience. Following three separate smoke alarm activations during a single night, I genuinely felt uncomfortable and apprehensive about sleeping at the hotel again. I could no longer trust that I would be able to obtain the uninterrupted rest necessary for my professional commitments. As a result, I arranged and paid for alternative hotel accommodation. I have documentary evidence, including proof of payment, confirming that I incurred the expense of staying at another hotel. This evidence demonstrates that my concerns were genuine and serious enough for me to leave accommodation I had already paid for and incur additional costs elsewhere. I want to make one point absolutely clear: I am not seeking double compensation or reimbursement for the replacement hotel. I am requesting only the refund of the four nights paid to ibis. I believe this is a fair, reasonable and proportionate request given the circumstances. Australian Consumer Law Under the Australian Consumer Law, accommodation providers are required to comply with statutory consumer guarantees, including the requirements to provide services with due care and skill and to ensure services are reasonably fit for their intended purpose. I fully appreciate that smoke alarms are essential safety systems. However, three separate activations during one night, the resulting inability to obtain adequate sleep, and the hotel's refusal to offer an appropriate resolution raise legitimate concerns about the quality of the accommodation services provided. I consider that my decision to relocate was a reasonable response to the circumstances, particularly given my important professional obligations the following morning. Final Opportunity to Resolve the Matter I am formally requesting a full refund of the four nights' accommodation paid to ibis, without seeking reimbursement of my replacement hotel expenses or any additional compensation. I am giving ibis a final opportunity to resolve this matter amicably and without the need for external intervention. Unless I receive written confirmation of the refund within seven calendar days of receiving this correspondence, I intend to escalate the matter through: 1. Consumer Affairs Victoria, as the relevant state consumer protection authority. 2. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), for its consideration of any relevant consumer protection concerns. 3. The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), if necessary, to pursue an appropriate remedy under Australian Consumer Law. I believe my request is entirely reasonable. I paid for accommodation that would allow me to rest before an important professional engagement. Instead, I experienced repeated overnight disturbances, lost confidence in my ability to sleep safely and peacefully at the property, and was compelled to pay for alternative accommodation. I am asking only for the return of the money paid to ibis for the four nights, not for any additional financial benefit. I trust that ibis will recognise the fairness of this request and resolve the matter promptly, rather than requiring a customer to pursue formal consumer protection proceedings. I look forward to receiving your written confirmation within seven calendar days. Kind regards, Adi M.

Everything I could hope for from a three star hotel. There were areas where it really showed, such as the water pump playing up when the toilet was flushed, or the small lights above the bed being non-functional, and my shower door appeared broken and had a curtain in it's place. However, there wasn't anything disqualifying for me. - The room was acceptably clean, there was no unpleasent smells, mold, etc. - Every staff member that I encountered was polite and helpful. - There was a good number of options for breakfast. - The hotel exits onto Elizabeth street, making it very easy to get around. While I might choose a fancier hotel if I'm looking to treat myself, this is my go-to if I'm staying for more than one or two nights and am not looking to spend a lot.

On the first day, I found a bloody towel in the drawer of my dresser. I brought it up with reception, who asked me to put it on the floor and that they would get housekeeping to clean it (and the room) asap. Housekeeping seemingly did not come by my room once, as the towel was still there by the time I checked out four nights later despite bringing it up with reception again. Completely unacceptable.

It was a very comfortable stay, everything I needed in a neat little room, I only ask for more milk and coffee.

I love the standard.

Worst experience ever

Enjoyed our stay here. The room served all that we needed. The addition of a toaster and a hair-dryer would have been great.

perfect for our one night stay in melbourne to attend a show

Great location, but the room was poorly maintained. Only two uncomfortable pillows for two people, a broken light switch and a missing shower screen. We planned to stay a second night but moved to another hotel that cost slightly more. The difference was huge. Definitely needs better maintenance.

Very tiny room , could not really find anywhere to leave our suitcase, bed was comfortable and location was great.

Breakfast included - excellent price

pros - central CBD location, courteous front desk staff cons - no USB charging outlet in room / curtain for privacy for sink & shower stall area but no shower curtain so need to use bath towel as bath rug to soak up water splashing outside shower stall / no towel rack to hang & dry super wet bath rug after shower / breakfast only offers coffee or tea, toast, cereal, canned fruits & juices only, better off spend your A$15 breakfast charge at numerous restaurants & food stalls nearby, pancake machine was not working on both mornings and coffee machine was down on and off both days as well and took staff member 15-20 minutes to reboot the coffee machine / A$100 payment (called a Bond on the invoice) was collected at time of check-in, very odd policy since there is no mini-bar in room, no laundry service, etc like a full service hotel, but adds extra 5-10 minutes at check out as need to interact with a staff to process the refund vs simply drop off the key card

We found the location fantastic and overall kept clean but it’s definitely a no frills hotel, you don’t even get a shower screen 😮 poky little room very tiny. looking over the back of buildings and motors. No streaming services. Unfortunately for us we had 3 fire alarms go off in one night at 3am 😉

Great place to spend a night or two when travelling. Rooms are compact, bed comfortable, and a shower without a bathroom, which works surprisingly well.

The lights in the room were broken, only one light functioned as expected, the shower had no door, so the floor would become wet after each shower. The toilet was faulty and continuous filling which made a loud noise. I had to manually turn the water off in order to sleep. The curtains did not cover the window fully so the room could never be made dark. The cleaners never restocked the items, such as milk

The hotel is centrally located and easy to access. The staff are friendly and the breakfast basic but filling. However, it needs to be tidied up: too many scuffed walls, threadbare carpets and defective light switches.

Value for money and locator was perfect

Location was great. Beds felt great. Front desk and room service staff very courteous and efficient. Air conditioner in room 514 not cooling very well. It will struggle to work effectively in summer. Two fire alarm evacuations while we were there a bit excessive. Online forums also note this about your Ibis. I noticed there is not much suction from the roof vents in the room or bathroom and so this is probably why you are getting numerous fire alarms from hot shower steam. Shower screen was incomplete. Only one of 3 panels present making bathroom floor very wet after a shower.