This was my 9th visit to Naarm in the course of over twenty years. Came from Singapore for a Pierce the Veil gig, tattoos, and to skateboard. I was stoked to see that Lyf is now on Elizabeth St. It’s another great area! So close to Queen Vic too!
Having read the other reviews before my stay, I can say those reviews did not do the place justice at all. So here’s my take!
- Someone mentioned that the room was small. It is not! I have been to many hotels/hostels abroad and this room was huge for its standard/star rating, and price. The bathroom is fairly big too. Whoever thinks this hotel has small rooms, have got to have their eyes checked.
- Another review said rooms were not clean. And that the fridge was dirty. I found it good. Sheets and pillows were clean. Towels and bathroom mat was good too. Carpeting was alright. Bathroom sink, mirror and shower did not have marks, or mold. Glasses was clean. Wardrobe too. Fridge was pretty spotless! Could put my dips, cheeses and olives there. Perhaps my only “complaint” was that the AC unit was a bit dusty. And it took me awhile to figure out how to lower it to 18 degrees.
- Someone say that there was not enough space to put toiletries in the bathroom. I am not sure if this person has an entire suitcase of toiletries but that was ample space at the sink, and even more space in the shower. You could line ten face wash in there if you wanted to. In addition, the shampoo, shower gel and conditioner smelled good too. And they provided separate ones instead of a 3-in-1.
- Someone mentioned that the hotel did not have a kettle or cups in their rooms. And that water (hot or cold) needed to be collected from Level 1. I came prepared and brought a cup and spoon for my instant soups. It was not inconvenient at all, and the lounge area was nice!
- One of the reviews mentioned that there were some flies at the sink area of the lounge. I blame this on lazy guests who expected others to clean up after them. Other than the sink, the lounge area was great with ample cutlery, and homeware provided. Size of the area was pretty decent too!
- Security. I absolutely love the security of the hotel, that requires a guest to tap their card, even before they enter the building. They also have a card system that works on an app on your phone. Very cool!
- Lyf staff were absolutely lovely!
- Someone mentioned that they didn’t like how there was no daily housekeeping. As a guest with minimal litter and requiring minimal to no cleaning, I found this absolutely fine. In fact, I was prepared not to have housekeeping at all; I was fine make my own bed, and empty my own trash, if it got too much. So I was surprised to find that my room had been cleaned on the morning of my 6th night there. They even placed my plushie back nicely on the bed. How lovely!
To reciprocate, I left the room almost spotless when I checked out. Even folded the loo roll into a triangle.
- A review mentioned that the hotel was noisy and that their room didn’t have a good view, as there was construction going on. Having asked for a quiet room, I received one away from the lift. I heard absolutely no construction work going on at all throughout my 7-night stay. The view of my room overlooked the courtyard of the hotel. It was non-claustrophobic and there was ample sunlight, should you wish to draw the curtains. Windows were high and wide. Clearly not small and dark the way others have described.
- A couple of reviews mentioned that the rooms were dark and gloomy. Because of them, I was anticipating a very dimmed and dark room, so was pleasantly surprised to find out that I could see!
Conclusion: As someone who used to recce hotels for performing artists as part of tour management/logistics, Lyf at Elizabeth St ticks all the boxes of a great stay – accommodating with good facilities, cleanliness, and fun and happy staff.
Was such a great stay and my only regret was not doing a two-week trip this time round. Will definitely be back!
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