The way that Medina Apartment Hotels combines luxury and frustration is unparalleled in the world…read moreof travel. It is absolutely mind boggling how the folks running this hotel apartment throw away the opportunity for what should be an absolutely perfect rating with a few basic things that could be summarily changed to the benefit of all. I will start with the positives.
The two bedroom apartment we rented (apartment number one) is outstanding. It is roughly thirty one feet by twenty five feet and has all the amenities you could possibly want. It is truly like being at home. The living room is spacious and has a desk, flat-screen television, coffee table, couch, two chairs, an air conditioner, two phones and nice artwork. The recessed lighting, floor and ceiling trimmings, and high ceilings give the place a richness about it that is noticed immediately upon entry. When we entered the apartment was immaculate and we said out loud "this is nice!"
The housekeeper, named Azie, did yeoman's work in getting our room clean and helping us into the parking lot. He also helped us dial the front desk and provided the "help line" telephone number. Thank you Azie! Without your help I would have been even more frustrated at the beginning of my stay!
The bathroom was beautiful and comes with a whirlpool bathtub, shower, rich looking toiletries and plenty of quality towels. We loved the heat lamp and huge mirror and the fact that the bathroom had a window.
The kitchen was just like home. You have all that you need to make a romantic meal right in your apartment. There is a nice window onto the street, a four burner stove, a full refrigerator and freezer, a dishwasher, dishes, cutlery, wine glasses, Champaign flutes, knives, coffee and tea. You are provided coffee cream, a microwave, toaster, hot water dispenser and the hotel does not skimp on the tea, coffee and sugar! You also get a nice long countertop.
There is a nice dining room with views to the outside patio and a seating for four. They provide an ironing board and iron and I liked the finished concrete kitchen floor that led to the carpeting that covered the rest of the apartment.
There are two bedrooms. The master had a window, flat-screen, dresser, closet and first class bedding on a very comfortable bed. I slept like a baby and woke up to chirping birds and just a little traffic. The second bedroom is smaller and has two single beds. It was perfect to use as a closet and refuge from snoring.
Finally, the apartments are well-maintained and located in a really nice up scaled safe area of the city. You can drive to Bondi beach in ten minutes, walk to the shopping center or metro station and there are many nice shops, boutiques, and a nice assortment of eateries all within four blocks.
Look, this is an outstanding apartment to rent and I suggest requesting apartment number one because when the window blinds are rolled up you feel that you are "kicking back" in a home in a nice upper middle class neighborhood. The place is spacious and a real bargain. I hate mentioning anything negative but honesty dictates that I do.
I will finish with negatives that are minor but really, really, really frustrating and soil what should have been a perfect experience. My intention is to provide real suggestions that are easily correctable. First, as many reviewers have pointed out, the check-in process is dreadful. I was met by a person having the a first name that begins with "E." This person is in the hospitality business and needs to be more attentive. I kept hearing, "it is one o'clock and check in time is not until two" but I was not attempting to check in early and never requested this. Rather than focus on the time that we arrived it would have been smarter to try to determine what we were requesting which was simple; we wanted to know how we could have a drink near our quarters while we waited so that we could arrive promptly at two o'clock and immediately explore Sydney. When we finally got through to "E" we were told that we could meet Azie at the property and would be given keys so that we could return at two o'clock. This immediately begs the question: if we were inevitably going to get keys at the apartment why in the hell (that is not the word I want to use) did we have to go to 100 Bayswater Road in the first place. Also, "E" asked housekeeping about the availability of three different rooms, none of which were ready at one o'clock just an hour prior to check-in. This made me wonder about the amount of housekeeping staffing.
Here are my heartfelt suggestions: First, you need to prepare a binder that tells guests some of the basic things necessary for their quiet enjoyment like, the phone number for assistance and how to dial help personnel. You might let folks know how to initiate the internet and the proximity of the shopping center, supermarket and metro train stop. For example, it is far easier to walk to the shopping center because the turn onto the sho
