Hotel Sophia

good location, fine room, terrible...

Liked: The room was decent for the cost. Comfortable bed, clean bathroom, and small desk/refrigerator.
Disliked: The check-in process was the worst we have ever experienced. While the booking doesn’t specify, you must have your credit card used to book the room with you in person. I didn’t bring that card, leading to a whole back and forth with the poor young woman running the desk and the old grumpy man who apparently is the manager. He not only storming in and out of some sketchy back room in a dirty jumper and sweat pants, but he belittled both me and two other guests standing near me waiting for assistance. instead of helping the woman working the desk with the many guests waiting for help, he made matters worse by snapping at guests and left.

Superb

Bad

Liked: Nothing
Disliked: The worst hotel experience of my life.I booked this hotel for two nights through Booking.com. On their website, it’s advertised as a 4-star hotel with 24-hour service, but the reality was completely different.When I checked in and put my luggage in the room, I noticed several issues right away: the toilet flush wasn’t working, the room smelled bad, the ironing board was broken, there were big stains on the wall, and there was no window for ventilation.The worst part happened at night. When we returned, our key card didn’t work. There was no one at reception or in the lobby. I tried calling the hotel several times and even used the doorbell outside—no answer. I also contacted Booking.com 3–4 times but received no help. My partner and I were forced to spend the entire night in the small lobby with no toilet and no proper blanket.At around 6:30 AM, the owner arrived and claimed he had checked the cameras and didn’t see anyone outside. That was a lie—we were there the whole night. Instead of apologizing, he rudely asked me, “Do you want me to open your room or not?” There was no apology, no empathy, and no refund.This hotel doesn’t deserve even 1 star. If you’re thinking of booking here, I strongly advise against it. A terrible, regretful experience.

Absolutely not recommended – even...

Liked: The location was very good close to public transport, supermarkets and restaurants.
Disliked: We had a terrible experience during our stay. From the moment we arrived, the older owner (father) made us feel unwelcome. Despite accepting our booking with a child, he immediately told us to “keep the child quiet,” even though our child hadn’t made a sound. Ironically, the rooms are so poorly insulated that we could hear every noise from the street — clearly, the real issue isn’t children but the building itself.We were there for work and asked if they could notify us about a couple of deliveries. They rudely refused, saying they “don’t deal with deliveries,” which is surprising for a hotel with a reception desk. One morning, the father even shouted at my partner in the breakfast area over this — completely unprofessional and unacceptable behavior.To make things worse, when I asked for some warm milk for our child who had a cough, the older owner refused, saying, “We don’t do warm milk,” and then added I should be grateful for the free breakfast they were giving us. For the record, the breakfast was included in our Genius Booking — not some gift from the owners — and it was honestly one of the saddest breakfasts I’ve ever seen. Everything was cold, minimal, and uninviting. If I had paid for it, I would’ve sent it right back.During our week-long stay, we also had repeated issues with access cards that expired every 24 hours, forcing us to go back and reactivate them daily. One day I was even locked out of the building for over 20 minutes with no staff in sight.We were always polite and respectful, but these hosts simply shouldn’t be in hospitality. There are plenty of better places in Melbourne — avoid this one at all costs.

Would definitely stay there again.

Liked: Location was good.Easy walking distance to Buses and trams. Close to Southern Cross Railway Station and supermarkets. The room was clean and the bed comfortable
Disliked: Nothing

Superb

Pleasant

Look at other alternatives and...

Liked: Unfortunately, nothing! The staff were extremely rude and the hotel is far from a 4 star, closer to a 1-2 star. I left and ended up booking another hotel after being abused by the staff regarding safety and cleanliness.
Disliked: The hotel has a list of problems - bathroom doors do not close, carpets are extremely dirty, strong odour, very noisy, staff are rude and the list goes on. Avoid at all costs, book elsewhere.

Superb