We were not expecting much from this hotel after the negative reviews on this site but we only wanted somewhere to sleep and have a shower so thought we would give it a try !
We paid A $140 per night with breakfast
Pros
Position - perfect - Chinatown right on your doorstep :)
Comfy room which had recently been refurbished - apparently the suites have yet to be updated
The ultra fabulous "Dream Bed" - voted the most comfortable bed of our 2 week trip !
Very quiet - we thought this could be an issue so asked for a room on a high floor and it was fine
Sensibly priced parking underneath hotel $20 per night of $30 with unlimited exits - a bargain :)
Friendly staff
Cons
Breakfast a bit ordinary and caotic :(
Bar closed at 11 pm on a Sataday night
We will be back for sure if we can get a good deal
Tip - join Rydges Club for free to get good deals and discounts

As rooms go, 2210 is typical of a city hotel. It was on the top floor and not too close to the lift. Although smallish, it was well appointed and had everything we need, although the soundproofing to the corridor is terrible. The room had no view to speak of but had an excellent location with a less than five minute walk to popular restaurants and the tram.
The breakfast room was a nice large room with lots of quiet corners. We had two mornings here, one morning we headed down later and it was packed. This could be a problem if you wanted eggs with your breakfast as they cook them to order. Alas this makes for quite a queue. The second morning we went down earlier and the room was quiet but the hot breakfast wasn't quite so hot. Nevertheless there was plenty on offer and hard to fault the quality.
Front desk was helpful and courteous and happy to store your bags if you arrive early and your room is not yet ready. Our room was available at 2.00 pm as advised on the website.

The location and price are ok but the hotel is old and the staff not very well trained.

To start with they misplaced my bag even though it was left with them for safe storage. Then the room we got had no furniture (it had been removed for repair) so we were shifted. As a Rydges member you are supposed to get a welcome back drink but this didnt happen for either booking I had (I booked 2 rooms for different stays). 2 out of the 5 nights we were there they didnt service our room and every day there was something wrong or forgotten.

We stayed in a king room and the bed was nice but thats all. The air con is not central and the in room units are very very noisy! The bathrooms are really really small to the point where you have to sit sideways on the toilet and the shower is not directly on you - it comes from the corner. The lighting is bad and there is no safe!

The hotel does not have wireless and the bar is very basic - we even had a begger try to get money off us whilst in the bar!

The staff whilst friendly just dont have enough experience and dont follow up on things. When I complained about a few things they just didnt care!

We stayed at Rydges Melbourne Hotel in February 2012 due to interstate friends visiting Melbourne for the weekend and to attend a performance at Her Majesty's Theatre (just across the road). So we were in the perfect position really to enjoy the culinary delights of Melbourne too. Chinatown, the "fine dining" of Bourke Street and just a few blocks to walk for the girls to hit the shops.

Check in was a breeze - the staff were friendly, efficient and very welcoming. Also, we were able to check in a bit earlier than planned and rooms were ready - a big plus for us as we were all keen to make the most of our first day together. Our rooms were spacious and comfortable. Bed was comfortable, good sized work desk and a view out over Exhibition Street. The bathroom was well equipped with toiletries, lovely soft towels, a hairdrier and conveniently placed power points. Our bathroom had the shower over the bath, which didn't bother us but could be difficult for some with hip or knee issues.

We enjoyed our stay and thoroughly recommend Rydges Melbourne Hotel.