Mercure Ballarat Hotel and Convention Centre

"Mercure Ballarat"

20th May 2012, lmcl38, Melbourne, Australia

Average quality motel with good service but lacked a little in maintenance of room air conditioners.We had to change rooms three times before we were satisfied with a working air conditioner.

"Peace and Tranquility"

17th May 2012

Fabulous hotel with feeling of open country setting. We loved our stay and will definitely be back. Cheap taxi fare into heart of Ballarat.

"Conference stay"

5th May 2012, Stayrelaxed, Melbourne, Australia

Great location to city and Sovereign Hill tourist attractions. Set in beautiful gardens, peaceful and quite, although could do with some attention to the grounds and the rooms - all a little tired. The staff were excellent - pleasant and helpful, which during a conference can be a bit testing.

"dirty spa bath!!!!"

24th April 2012, QPRJAMES0, london, uk

i counted about 12 hairs in my spa bath which ruined the whole experience. i asked front desk nicely to send someone to clean it, which they did, but front desk really didnt seem to care and didnt even apologise. the rooms were dark but we spent most of the day at soverign hill so that wasn't an issue. rooms were very quiet and the bed was comfy.the cooked breakfast was good but the continental breakfast options were very poor.

Management responseDear Traveller,Thankyou for taking the time to write your post on Trip Advisor. Your experience with room cleanliness was certainly not acceptable and I am sorry this was your lasting impression. I have flagged this with our Housekeeping team for urgent action and followup. Again I am sorry and would welcome to opportunity to discuss further if required.Regards Steve
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"Disappointing stay"

31st March 2012, Melbourne, Australia

I travel a lot to country victoria and usually stay in motels. I have been highly impressed by the standard of various motels around victoria. But this time around I signed up for the 3-nights-for-price-of-2 deal with Mercure Hotel Ballarat. And i was very disappointed with the hotel. It was definitely one of the worst. The room was incredibly small, sheets didn't seem very clean, it didn't have a proper table for meals and only provided 2 teaspoons (i.e. no other cutleries or plates/bowls). The furniture was also terribly old and unsightly and the TV was placed at an unusual position. Sound proofing was also non existent. The price was not too bad considering I got the special deal but definitely a rip-off if you buy it at full price. Also don't bother about the swimming pool, it was full of leaves and icy cold.

Management responseDear Traveller,Thankyou for taking the time to write your post on trip Advisor. Although great to read about your value for money feedback on the stay 3 pay 2 special offer the remainder of your post was dissapointing to read. In terms of additional cutlery and crockery we certainly do not stock these items in rooms as we do offer full In Room Dining facilities in the hotel but as with other guest requests we are only too happy to send over and cutlery or crockery to your room at any time of the day. The furniture in rooms was designed to be in keeping with the historical feel of Ballarat and as such real timber and leather are used, I can appreciate they are not "modern" by city standards but this was not the theme we where attempting to re-create. I have certainly passed on your feedback regarding sheets to our ececutive Housekeeper for followup and to ensure all bedding presents in a neat and fresh manner.Thanks again for your post.Regards Steve
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"The night the power went off"

22nd March 2012, Wonderwoman82, Melbourne, Australia

Stayed at the Mercure on a Friday and Saturday night. Had a dinner function at Mercure on the Friday night. Power off to the entire centre at 11pm. Emergency lights in the function room were good and more than adequate but no lighting anywhere else. Outdoor palthway and rooms were black. No support from staff with torches. Lucky we had the light of the mobile phone in the room.Outside bungalow style rooms were nice but small. Bit dusty inside. Could have been much cleaner and better maintained. Air conditioner but not reverse cycle and no sign of a heater in the room.Nice breakfast provided. We got compensated because they forgot to service our room on the Saturday.There are probably better places to stay in Ballarat.

Management responseDear Traveller,Thankyou so much for writing your post on Trip Advisor. The power going out certainly was an unfortunate incident, some 3000 homes in our local area where effected with a major sub station issue. I can assure you however that we did infact have staff with tourches walking the grounds and also assisting guests from our reception area to their rooms. I personally was one of those staff. I can also assure you that all of our split systems are infact reverse cycle, i addition our beds also have electric blankets to keep guest toasty and warm.Thanks again for your post.Regards Steve
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"Mixed Feelings"

14th March 2012, Koo Wee Rup

We were looking forward to a special weekend, celebrating 40 years of marriage. Our focus was on enjoying a premium quality dinner on Friday night, expecting A-La-Carte dining.As it turned out, Friday night was buffet night, but we went ahead anyway, since this was our only opportunity to take advantage of the $50 beverage & food credit. The big disappointment was the cost of the buffet... with the $50 credit, the charge for the restaurant was $67, which would put the price of the buffet well over $50 per head, and the food, although 'nice', wasn't up to that sort of standard.Other than this part of the experience, everything was excellent... even when I queried the restaurant bill, and whether the credit had been applied, the staff handled my query professionally and pleasantly.This is a good place to stay... just avoid the buffet dinners.

Management responseDear Traveller,Thanks for your post on Trip Advisor. I am so sorry that we dissapointed you by not having a-la-carte during your stay. I can appreciate buffets are not for all and I too enjoy the setting of an a-la-carte environment. I was very pleased to read about your comment regarding our staff, I will be sure to pass this feedback onto them.Thanks again.Regards Steve
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"Great location"

12th March 2012, Gjm1312, Melbourne Au

This hotel is opp. Sovereign and close to town. The bushland setting is very quiet and relaxing and the restaurants are excellent for both food and service. The down side is although its only 11 years old, it is looking very tired. Maintenance doesn't appear to be very high on their list. I was upgraded to the deluxe spa room with my Platinum membership, however the taps for the spa bath were badly damaged and the shower taps also were in desperate need of new washers. The bathroom had been partially re tiled, however the tiles around the spa bath missed out on the reno, with broken tiles and missing grout. The worst part though was the mattress. You could see and feel every spring through the cover. It appeared the springs had totally worn through the foam padding. It was the worst mattress I have ever seen or slept on. As a result we had very little sleep over our 2 night stay. This would be an excellent hotel if maintenance and cleaning were given a much higher priority, and of course, a comfy mattress please.

"What we thought"

8th March 2012, Melbourne, Australia

Rooms were very dark and cleaning was not really up to standard although overall, the room was acceptable.Restaurant was superb both for dinner and the buffet breakfast.The venue is beautifully located in garden setting with a large lake and buildings that reflect Ballarat's history.

"Overnight stay"

7th March 2012, Adelaide, Australia

Good facilities. Friendly service. Rooms need an upgrade, furniture/furnishings looking tired. I was expecting better for what I paid.Buffet was high standard, and represented good value. Conference facilities were ok

"Review"

18th February 2012, Melbourne

We rang prior to our stay about where to eat & were told not to book. On arrival we were told dinner was booked out. We then turned up dinner & were still able to be squeezed in.Better communication around this would have ideal but overall stay was okay

"Quick Getaway"

15th February 2012, Melbourne, Australia

Mercure Ballarat was recommended to us by family who had recently stayed whilston family business. Even though Ballarat is only 45 minutes from our home, it was a great opportunity to enjoy a quick getaway and definately did not disappoint. We will be back.

"Average"

7th February 2012, Sydney, Australia

The room was comfortable. Would have preferred a larger frig (very small bar frig was in the room) - as we were there for a week attending a sporting function and would have liked to be able to store fruit or salad for each day's lunch. There were 3 or 4 maintenance items needing attention which we reported at the end of our stay. Was disappointed that we were there for 7 nights but still had to pay a huge increase in tariff for the Saturday night even tho the hotel was not full.

Management responseDear Traveller,Thankyou for taking the time to write your post on Trip Advisor. Unfortunately most hotel bar fridges are small in size but in future we would be more than pleased to remove the mini bar stock from the fridge to give you more room or we could store any items in our kitchen coolrooms for you. I appreciate your feedback regarding saturday nights and as you can understand this is the busiest night of the week unfortunately reflecting in the increase tarrif. I do hope you enjoyed your 7 day stay in Ballarat.Regards Steve
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"Very Peaceful"

6th February 2012, Queanbeyan, Australia

A relaxing place to stay with comfortable rooms, only thing there is we had to boil the jug on the floor, no power on shelves or close enough for the chord anyway. Really nice location for the room next to the garden, gardens in general are interesting and provide a relaxing and peaceful environment.Staff were very helpful and approachable.

"For those who love nature"

5th February 2012, Melbourne, Australia

Our room is surrounded by bush and flower garden, it is very nature friendly. Feels like you stay in the middle of the forrest. But unfortunately my child does not consider this as good, since there is limited activity in the hotel for the kids, as far as we know. So this hotel might suit for those who look for nature atmosphere and tranquility, but kids might found it boring.

Management responseDear Traveller,Thankyou so much for your feedback left on Trip Advisor. Indeed our native bushland setting does appeal to lovers of the bush. Our gardner spends hours in the gardens particularly around our rose gardens. For the kiddies we offer complementary mountain bikes, games room with ping pong tables and billiards, walking paths around the hotel and also our swimming pool. In addition the Ballarat wildlife park is only moments away, mini golf close by and Sovereign hill only across the road.Thanks again.Regards Steve
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"overnight stay"

4th February 2012, Ballarat, Australia

Arrived late, reception area very pleasant, nice quiet room and excellent breakfast. Good value for money and would stay again. Everything was as expected Thankyou ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

"Excellent value for money"

4th February 2012, Adelaide, Australia

The appearance of the outside of the rooms could do with an uplift, we were looking forward to using the pool but unfortunately it was uninviting, could do with a clean and maintenance. Otherwise rooms, service staff, food were all excellent and could not be faulted. Would recommend this to anyone as excellent value for money

"Not what I expected"

3rd February 2012, Caloundra, Australia

Lovely layout and typical old Ballarat styling was a nice change.However, spa in ensuite was tiny and tucked away behind a shower?!Had NO Austar of FoxtelMy booking wasn't confirmed (And I used the Accor website!)I am a 'GOLD' member and no drink or anthing was in my room (As stated on Accor website)I personally don't think it would be value for money based on the room I had. (I used my complimentry night BUT paid $40 for upgrade and was not worth it based on tiny spa and confined space of its location...felt like I was staying at a best western!)With a price for a deluxe room around $150 a night...it needs to go up another level to justify that price. (NO CABLE TV?!)This opinion is based on my past experiences with a variety of Mecure hotels and this place missed the mark ever so slighty.Again, well presented, staff on check out were great, nice victorian style room, good location, lovely overgrown gardens, good parking.

Management responseDear Traveller,Thanks for taking the time to write your post on Trip Advisor. I have followed up with our central reservations to try and get a resolution to your confirmation issue, this was of concern to me as a confirmation is a basic part of the booking process. Our hotel certainly has a different fell to your typical CBD style hotel. The leather furniture, lush gardens and country hospitality is generally well received. I am pleased you found our facilities such as parking adequate not to mention the fact its free.Thanks again.Regards Steve
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"Disappointed"

2nd February 2012, Mt Eliza, Australia

I have previously stayed at Mercure Ballarat however this time I was disappointed with the cleanliness of the bathroom. When I entered the room I could smell the toilet and the flush button was hard to press. Also there were guests sitting on a seat outside my room and talking loudly and smoking at 11pm. I could then smell smoke in my room.

Management responseDear Traveller,Thanks for your response on Trip Advisor. It is always nice to welcome back repeat guests but it was unfortunate we seemed to miss the mark on your recent stay. I have passed on the feedback to our Chief Engineer regarding the toilet and we have added this to our weekly detail checklist to ensure all are working correctly. Again I am sorry for the smokers outside your room, next time please feel free to contact reception and we will be only to happy to ask the other guests to move away from your door way.Thanks again.Regards Steve
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"improvement to be needed, while the location having so much potential"

30th January 2012, Sydney, Australia

Air con was working fine and quietly. The staffs were friendly. Hair was found in the food. My husband had to rush to a bathroom straight after breakfast due to stomachache. Lots of spiders and mosquitoes were inside the room. We had to stick newspaper on the window above the bathroom door, as the light in bathroom room directly into the kid's eyes while lying on the single bed. The room indeed needs some renovation, just too old. The fan was covered in dust, same with the walls. We had stayed in other Novotel hotels (HongKong airport, Melbourne, Brisbane). But this time the experience in Ballarat was not what i had been expecting.

Management responseDear Traveller,Thankyou for taking the time to write your post on trip Advisor. I am pleased that you encountered our friendly staff, we certainly like to think our warm country hospitality as one of our strong points. Your other feedback pertaining to cleanliness has been past directly onto the housekeeping team for action. It seems a detailed focus was lacking during the time of your stay and for this I am sorry. Our rooms certainly are not modern but we feel the old world charm fits in with the History lives theme in Ballarat and the surrounding attractions.Thanks again.Regards Steve
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"Not bad... Rooms in need of an update though."

26th January 2012, Sezzy78, Melbourne

For $200 AU per night in Ballarat, I have to say I was expecting a slightly more modern room. Whilst our room was clean, the decor looked like it had remained unchanged since the late 70's. Bed was very comfortable & breakfast next morning was quite nice. Although it didn't tick all of the boxes, from hotels we saw around us, I suspect this may be the best of a rather average lot.

Management responseDear Traveller,Thanks for your post on Trip Advisor. I was very pleased to read that you found our beds comfortable, a good nights sleep is always a great start ion a hotel. I will be sure to pass on your feedback regarding the clean rooms to our housekeeping team as they do work very hard to try and achieve this.Thanks again.Regards Steve
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"Great food"

19th January 2012, Lara

On first impression when entered our room it was very clean tidy and has everything you need. We found that the room was small, there is a spa but small and shower unusual shape to accommodate the spa. There was no where to sit outside your room to enjoy the day. When sitting in your room if someone walked past they could see in. We closed the drapes but it felt like the middle of the night. BUT the food in the all you can eat seafood smorgasbord was EXCELLENT. Fresh and tasty and lots of it. Breakfast was a very nice as well. Staff were fantastic! We did have a nice getaway Thank you

"Stay at Accor Ballarat"

18th January 2012, Albury, Australia

The bed was very uncomfortable. Accommodation, cleanliness average. Staff were pleasant, the hotel was well positioned and very quiet. We did not try the restaurant , should anyone wish to try restaurants nearby there were plenty and the accommodation was situated close to Soveign Hill.

"Fantastic location!!"

16th January 2012, Mount Gambier

Fantastic location - beautiful hotel, excellent service, lovely grounds, good facilities, but rooms could do with a bit of modernization. Restaurant was the biggest let down of our stay, very disappointed with our meal, was overcooked and menu was very plain. Enjoyed our stay and would stay again, but would not eat at the restaurant.

Management responseDear Traveller,Thankyou so much for your post on Trip Advisor. It was great to read that you enjoyed our hotel, its facilities and above all its great staff. I was however dissapointed to read about your poor dining experience. We like to think that out restaurants both buffet and a la carte are our signatures and i am sorry we have fallen short during your stay. I have certainly passed your feedback onto our Kitchen brigade for follow up and action. Again thankyou for your feedback.Regards Steve
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