Alto Hotel on Bourke

Excellent location, right next to the tram where you are able to take for free within the free zone and near the southern cross station. The room is spacious for a couple, clean and quiet. The staff are also very helpful and friendly. Highly recommend this place and I will be back to stay here again if I am back in Melbourne.

I would not recommend the Alton on Bourke. It is a grubby hotel with poor service and worn amenities. The staff are nice enough but may lack the training or support needed to meet the standards of service expected in a four-star hotel. A few of the issues we faced while staying there. 1. The room door was very difficult to open. I estimate that around 25 kgs of force is needed to open/close the door securely. 2. The carpets were stained. 3. The white dining seats were brown. 4. The sofa was stained. 5. The bathroom fittings were poorly secured; one shelf had a very sharp edge. 6. The power outlet in the bathroom did not work. 7. The stove top was stained beyond belief. 8. The complimentary tea/coffee was 9. The power outlets seemed underpowered; some simple devices did not work. 10. There are two washers and dryers, but only one works. They could put a sign on the broken ones. 11. The whole hotel smells of curry. (We stayed on the fourth floor). 12. There are no terrestrial channels available on the TV in the lounge/breakfast area. The staff seem to choose YouTube news channels that have little connection to Melbourne or Australia. Beware of booking rooms with upstairs bedrooms as it can be difficult lugging suitcases up the stairs. In summary, the Alto Hotel on Bourke hit all the wrong notes, failing to strike a chord with its grubby conditions and off-key service. From a room door that required a forte effort to open, to stained carpets and furniture that were anything but in tune, the amenities were far from a full bar of quality. The bathroom fittings were sharp and poorly secured, while underpowered outlets and a curry-scented atmosphere left guests feeling flat. The broken washer, lack of terrestrial TV channels, and a stove top in a crescendo of stains only added to the dissonance. Despite the staff’s nice enough melody, their lack of training couldn’t harmonize with four-star expectations. For those considering a stay, especially in rooms with upstairs bedrooms, this hotel’s performance is a staccato of disappointment that won’t leave you singing its praises.

If I could give a minus score, I would. I was booked to stay in this hotel on 14 June 2025 with my partner. I booked it on Booking. Com. I actually did not read the bad reviews this hotel already had.||Anyway, unfortunately on the 12 June 2025, my partner tested positive for Covid. I called the hotel and was told that I had to contact Booking.com. I asked if they could provide me with a phone number as I tried finding the number on Google. They said that they did not have a contact number. ||Anyway, I found a number on the Chat and contacted Booking. Com. Booking. Com was super helpful. They said that they had to send an email to the hotel to approve the cancellation. Booking. Com was happy to waive the commission. Booking.Com did and even called them. However, the manager refused to approve the cancellation. ||In this economic climate, I have had to pay the hotel $157 for nothing. I would have been agreeable if they allowed me to have a voucher for a stay at some other time. ||The staff of Booking. Com was themselves surprised at the rudeness of the Manager. The manager said that I could claim it on travel insurance. I live in Victoria and was travelling to Melbourne for a day. I did not buy travel insurance. Should I have? ||I have spent so much time and effort trying to be logical and get a cancellation done and not pay for something that I did not and could not use. Maybe I should have gone and stayed in the hotel and contaminated the room with the Covid virus???||Anyway, there is always karma.

Some of the rooms are a little tired however the friendly staff really make the experience very welcoming. The location is convenient right next to Southern Cross and Marvel Stadium. A big thank you for storing our bags for the day and allowing us to use the guest lounge area.

Lovely little boutique hotel in the CBD. Plenty of public transport options to get around (trains, trams, Sky Bus) plus various dining/supplies in/around the property. We got a one-bedroom suite with seperate sitting area, kitchenette (including stove/dishwasher/microwave/utensils etc), large bathroom (with spa bath and excellent shower pressure). The bed was very comfortable and well set-up so both sides had easy access to power-points and lights; bonus points for the wall-mounted TV being on a swivel which allows clear viewing. Really lovely staff, will definitely be returning. Perfect for our mid-week get-away in the city!

Was an average stay for our family with 2 children. The room cleanliness was not the best several areas still dirty and quite outdated inside, there is also a strange smell throughout the building. The staffing were hard to get ahold of as no one was at the desk at times and did not answer phones. Would be ok for a nights stay but unsure if we will return. We were also charged 3 nights for hotel parking and did not even use their parking, still awaiting refund for this. Great location and beds were comfortable.

The room smelled musty but was clean (we did kill one cockroach walking up the wall but saw no more). Shower was great, with easy access, enough space, and great water pressure. Nice little fridge, microwave, and corkscrew, plates & utensils included. Nobody cleaned our room until we asked for it. Our window faced a brick wall. If we stay here again, and we may because of the ideal location, we’ll specify a front or back room, which will mean more light and a much better view. Also the TV would not allow our access to our Netflix, but apparently some rooms did; I would also specify that as a requirement in any future booking.

The hotel is in a great location, close to trams and Southern Cross Station.||It didn’t feel like a 4 star hotel. The rooms are tired and felt like they needed a refresh. The room we stayed in had beautiful windows, however they were so dirty it was hard to see out of them. The cleaning in the room wasn’t great with dirty walls near the bin and side tables with crumbs and spilt food on it. ||The lift had a horrendous smell, thankfully only 4 floors. ||The staff were friendly however there with signs everywhere with rules on them. It didn’t feel very welcoming. ||Fine for a night for a place near the station.

Check the illegal contract as attached I would stay clear of this hotel it is used as a safe place meaning they put a lot of people in there that are victims of violence and a majority of them are using drugs on the premises. On many occasions I was made to clean rooms that had needles in them. Due my course of working there I was made to do work like - Getting on my hands and knees cleaning the corners of each steps from ground all the way up to the fourth floor for 7 hours Then on the second day made to clean once again on my hands and knees all corridors to that then because of doing these things for long periods at a time I became injured and couldn't work for five days in which I wasn't compensated for. I was separated in the last few weeks from other cleaners and made to do rooms by myself after I complained about the supervisors telling me to leave sheets that had blood on them after a customer wanted a serving clean. ( she said it wasn't on the list ?) I told her it doesn't matter if it's on the list or not you can't leave dirty sheets thinking it's okay that customers have to sleep on them. Another occasion telling me not to clean the oven even though it had food all over it. I was constantly made to do jobs that no other cleaner was asked to do then I was constantly threatened to sign a illegal letter in order to keep my job So I was badly mistreated not only by the management but also by the cleaners I was aggressively abused by another cleaner and nothing was done .? the only one that was brought into the office was me .? and told by the manager David that she wouldn't do that ? When it is on the video and quite obvious if you zoom in to the footage. I was told on the last day that two weeks prior that the new boss didn't want to keep me on ? I find it quite strange that even though they didn't want to keep me on they were still harassing me to sign the illegal contract? It's because they knew they were mistreating me I was made fun of by the way I look and every one laughed I felt humiliated. I would avoid this place at all costs they only employ international students no Australian citizens! that have never been taught how to clean and the only cleaner that was fired was me a professional cleaner in which is Australian it took two students to clean one room in the same time I by myself to do a room and still they didn't clean the rooms properly Something here is not quite right

This hotel in the CBD fills a need. It is a green hotel, where a room card activates the lighting, insuring that lights are off when you vacate the room. We arrived Saturday night, and our rate was more reasonable than hotels in livelier areas. There wasn't much doing in the immediate neighborhood, but a short pleasant walk brought us to a busy area. The room was small, quiet, and comfortable. The mattress was a little firm, so I added memory foam beneath me. Water flow in the shower was adequate. There is a convenient lounge with complimentary tea, coffee, and small snacks. I think of this hotel as a good value, providing comfort at a reasonable cost.

We stayed at this hotel for two night after arriving in Melbourne. We arrived at 7 am. The hotel let us into our room since it wasn't rented the night prior, which was appreciated! The hotel is green, which resulted in lights not being on without the key in a slot by the door and no bars of soap/individual bottles of shampoo. Instead there are dispensers on the wall. The room had a small kitchen (which we did not use). Our room faced an alley and we intermittent heard street and transportation noise, but it didn't affect our sleep. The hotel is clean and updated. We didn't eat breakfast there but used the coffee and candy bar. There is also a cozy corner in the lobby/restaurant area if you want to escape your room. The location is good - very close to the station where the skybus arrives from the airport and within walking distance to the market, shopping and river. We were there on a weekend and the only problem was a number of restaurants were closed or had limited hours on the weekend since it is in the business district. I'd recommend this hotel or stay again if in Melbourne.

The only thing you need to know about this hotel is it's right next to Southern Cross Station. This is super convenient, as you're connected to the airport though Skybus. It was so nice to arrive in Australia after a 16 hour flight and not have to deal with the logistics of getting to the hotel. The rooms are nothing memorable, but you shouldn't be spending your time in a hotel room while in this amazing city anyway.

Good location. Small room with no view. Easy check-in. Conveniently located to Southern Cross and adjacent cafes.

Really nice hotel in the CBD of Melbourne a few minutes walk from Southern Cross Station and if the idea of a "green", sustainable hotel is important to you, then the 100% wind-powered Alto Hotel is for you. Our room was spacious, clean, and quiet and included a fantastic breakfast in the small hotel lounge every morning. We had our choice of cereals, toasts, yogurt, fresh and dried fruit, juices, and some of the best coffee I've tasted (which is complimentary and available all day). You can also choose from a menu that includes things like eggs and bacon, breakfast bruschetta, French toast, pancakes, eggs Benedict, and more for no additional charge, or even upgrade to a gourmet breakfast for just a few dollars more. The hotel also includes a complimentary mediation room with a couple of massaging chairs and complimentary access to a local gym. If you are visiting Melbourne I highly recommend this hotel.