Chermside stopover

This was a one night stay before catching a flight out of Brisbane. The room was clean and tidy but small, the only place to open our suitcases was on the bed or on the floor, there was a chair and small table. The room had a small balcony but the door had been bolted shut.

2 bedroom Chermside Apartments stay

We recently stayed at Chermside Apartments for 11 nights in a two-bedroom apartment and overall had a very positive experience. I would happily stay here again without hesitation. The apartment itself was spacious, clean, comfortable and well laid out. Both bedrooms were more than adequate in size, with wardrobes, comfortable beds and good lighting. The bathroom was functional and featured a nice shower, adequate vanity space, and a very handy washing machine and dryer, which was especially useful during a longer stay. The only area that looked a little tired was the bathroom ceiling, which could probably do with a refresh. The kitchen was well equipped with cooking facilities, although we only used the microwave during our stay. It also included a dishwasher, which would be great for guests planning to self-cater. The lounge and dining area provided plenty of space, with a dining table, couch and coffee table. The TV worked fine but was quite dated and would benefit from being upgraded to a Smart TV. One of the highlights was the balcony, which offered a nice view towards the Brisbane CBD. The large sliding doors and windows were well covered by quality curtains, making it easy to control light and privacy. The complimentary coffee supplied in the apartment consisted of International Roast sachets. While not exactly café quality, it was certainly better than having nothing available. Breakfast was included with our stay and was a little different to the usual hotel setup, as it supports a charitable initiative. The offering was quite basic, consisting of cereal, toast, fruit, tea, coffee and Milo. Coffee was prepared using a kettle and sachets rather than an espresso machine. What stood out most, however, was the staff. They were warm, welcoming and genuinely helpful every morning. Seating inside was limited, so we often ate outside. During our stay the mornings were quite cool, so this wasn't always ideal, but it still provided a pleasant way to start the day. Breakfast ran from 7am to 9am. The location is excellent. Directly across the road is the massive Westfield Chermside shopping centre, with an enormous range of shops, supermarkets, restaurants and a fantastic cinema. The food court offered good dinner options, particularly after 5pm when many outlets had discounted meals available. Transport was also extremely convenient. The major bus interchange is located right next to the shopping centre, making it easy to reach Brisbane CBD in around 15-20 minutes for approximately $1. Free onsite parking is available on a first-served basis. We had a car for the duration of our stay and never experienced any issues finding a park. Staff throughout our dealings with the property were friendly and professional, and communication before arrival was excellent. Rates were also very competitive compared to many other Brisbane accommodation options. The biggest downside for us was the Wi-Fi. While it was available, the connection was quite unreliable and frequently dropped out. We ended up using alternative internet options for much of our stay. I have raised this with the hotel and hopefully it is something they can improve moving forward. Overall, Chermside Apartments offers spacious accommodation, a fantastic location, free parking, friendly staff and excellent value for money. With a few minor updates and improved Wi-Fi, it would be even better. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would definitely return. ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5/5)

Would recommend

Accomodation was clean and well presented. Staff very friendly and helpful. Free community breakfast was a bonus. Would book again and recommend to friends. Was in a great location.

3 Bedroom Deluxe Apartment - NOT

We booked a supposed DELUXE 3 bedroom apartment for 4 nights during the NRL Magic Round. In our stay, we did not come across anything deluxe about our apartment or the property. We arrived at 10am a few hours before check in time of 2pm, asked the guy at reception to give us a call if our apartment was ready before 2pm, as we were happy to fill in our time at the nearby shopping center. No call received, so we went back to the property to check in at 2.30pm. Check in there was no issues. On opening the door to our deluxe 3 bedroom apartment, we greeted by an overwhelming terrible smell, something like a wet dog, which I would put down to who ever cleaned the apartment either used an old dirty mop or dirty water or a combination of both. As we were here for 4 nights we bought plug in air fresheners to get rid of the smell. On further entering the apartment to our surprise we met the cleaning lady who was still cleaning the apartment. The apartments are run down, look and feel dirty, We had to give the kitchen a wipe down as it the bench’s felt sticky. The cups, plates and utensils looked dirty. Not to mention our basin in our bathroom had a crack in it all the way across, the tap was difficult to turn on and off, as it looks like it’s going rusty. The dinning table was dirty it hadn’t been wiped down, after who ever stayed there before us. Not sure what they clean in this place, but please get someone who knows how to clean. I originally booked this place based on the price offered, they weren’t the cheapest, but more the most reasonable price offered…..now I know why. Will definitely never stay here again and would suggest to anyone thinking about staying here to think twice.

Dirty, run down and would not return

I stayed in a room for 1 night. Arrived in afternoon and given room 504. It is small, carpeted room with a good size bathroom. I was not sure that the room had been finished cleaning as it was dirty. The mirrors had drip marks, carpet had debris, water marks over broken sink tap (was not secured and had come out of socket) and walls filthy. The wardrobe tracks have not been vacuumed in a very long time and were filthy. The wall behind the toilet has not been cleaned for some time with dried fluids on walls and dust on pipes. I returned to reception and asked if they could confirm if my room had been cleaned and they said it had. A woman came out when she heard me ask and said that they had no water for most of the day. I stated I understood that the staff may have been underpressure. She said housekeeping had gone for the day so the only thing she could do was offer a discount to 'make me feel heard'. I asked if there was another room I could transfer to as didn't want a discount. She said they were fully booked and there was no other room. They then said there had been a late cancellation and offered another room. I accepted room 111. This room felt cleaner as had tiles. Under the bed was thick dust and wrappers and papers. The phone on the wall was broken with wires hanging out and broken handset. There were bugs in the cornicing and mould in the bathroom (fan did not work). The cushions on bed were stained and the whole complex needed a deep clean. Stairs were grubby, bottoms of walls had grime, everything needed a repaint. There was an evacuation with alarms going off. There are no evacuation maps in rooms or seen anywhere else. I couldn't find the stairs and waited at the small lift with other guest to go down, which is not ideal. Other guest stated it was the second evacuation in the 2 days they had been there. Returned to room after fire department came and said safe to return. Light from hallways shine through rooms. Went for breakfast in the morning and adequate continental breakfast. There are signs and flyers stating the staff volunteer their time for the 'community breakfast' and no one should eat alone. Flyers on table encourage people to talk to those on their own. Understand that may be something some people want but not what I am looking for when going to breakfast as a woman traveling alone. Concerned staff are volunteering to work the breakfast room as it isn't a community service but sold as such. There is a sports car in reception that is dusty. The place looks tired and not well cared for. Not sure how other people have given such great reviews as the place was very dirty and grimy. Pictures online did not match the reality. Wish I had taken pictures in room 504 and the shared amenities. I have attached some pics from room 111, which was a vast improvement on room 504.

Disappointed

The location is very close to the big shopping centre which is great. When we arrived, we were somewhat greeted and the atmosphere felt coldish. However, then we met up with the young man from we assume front desk in another part of the building. He was kind and happy to assist. The room was really really really tiny and not clean. The bed mattress had stains and the sheets also. The fridge was very old. No microwave in the room. The room needed a good clean. The toilet set was falling off !! The carpet had worn nearly through to be holes in it ( large ones). The tv was positioned so high and was actually stopping the blinds from going up or down. The patio was dusty and very unwelcoming to sit or be on. We felt like we were at some kind of "budget" hotel and we had been given the worst room in the building...The air conditioning we hoped was working but unsure, it made a loud noise all night but didn't get up to the temperature we set it on. The noise of the street was loud but did quieten down after 11pm (started again about 5 am). The parking was good but not enough of it. One evening had to park on the street and had to move car by 8am. More parking is required for a building of this size. The pool looked okay but also again appeared that the glass pool fencing and amenities (showers etc) around the pool looked tired and unkept. The breakfast room was beautifully presented and the female who opened the door was awesome. She was friendly and kind. I think her name was Donna. Donna needs a raise and promoted to guest support contact person as she is so helpful. The breakfast was the saving grace of the whole experience of the hotel. The lovely reception female when we handed back our key swip card was great too. It's a shame the place needs a lot of maintenance and a good clean etc. Would we stay again probably not. The Quest is across the road and we will probably stay there if there is a next time. Shame as 90% of the staff are wonderful and helpful. It was the room size, maintenance problems and the cleanliness issues etc that will stop us from considering these apartments again.

Staff extremely unprofessional

I had to cancel my reservation due illness. I rang and spoke to Samuel who verbally gave me a refund and for Traveloka to call him to start the refund precess. When they did, he denied that he had said I could get a refund. This is extremely unprofessional and shows the calibre of the organisation. I will never stay, nor recommend this place to anyone regardless of how cheap it is. Regards, Paul

Minimal, basic and scruffy property.

We appreciated early check in due to my sudden onset of illness on our journey to Brisbane. However begrudging the young man at reception was after we had arranged this by phone earlier. A female staff member was in the background and on the 2 occasions we spoke with her she was very kind and compassionate. Location was excellent for our needs. The bathroom was spacious and the best part of the stay. Parking great, if you were quick over the weekend. Noise level wasn't great, first the rainy night where there was water pouring off and then steadily dripping around our area of the building, clearly roof drainage was not working properly. Location wise, its right near Gympie Rd so traffic noise and sirens were constant and unavoidable. Clearly I didnt read the ( extensive) fine print as our room was a poorly maintained shoe box type set up Im afraid. Supposedly a King room but with one chair and tiny area for one person to eat if necessary. Very very small. Upon looking for a pair of sunglasses under the bed we found a key card packet from a guest almost exactly a year ago. Plus a lot of dust. There was cutlery ( 1 fork for 2 ppl), a microwave and a small, rusty fridge that had a container under the ice section overflowing with water. We had to wash dishes in the vanity with hand soap and clean any spills with our makeup wipes. No cloth, detergent or teatowel, and with no room servicing ( extra charge for that) we only got clean towels because we found some on an unattended trolley in the hallway. The sliding door runners in front of the microwave area were filthy as were the ones to the little balcony outside. Bed was reasonable. No extra blanket or pillows. Our tiny balcony had a very old dusty dead plant , and a dirty rusty table and poured with water next door which ensured our balcony was not sheltered from rain. We were very relieved when our three night stay was over. I would not have paid what we did had I seen the property first.

Everything was good, except parking is a problem

Clean room, great location, apartment very spacious