Had an interesting stay here for a conference. Arriving in the dark I found the roads leading into the hotel off the Princes Freeway to be very poorly sign posted. On arrival friendly staff quickly checked me in and the room service was nice. 3:00am in the morning the fire alarm went off and just kept screaming; I waited for some sort of announcement through the building PA or from a Fire Warden - nothing. All during this time, you could hear other guests opening doors, wondering what was going on, so I got up and stuck my head out the door only to immediately smell smoke but no obvious fire, so I quickly returned and got dressed in preparation for leaving but during this time someone (believed to be a staff member) rang running and repeatedly screaming down the hallway in a thick Scottish accent "You've gotta get out, You'v gotta get out!!" - hardly a response designed to keep guests calm. Shortly after this I exited my room and selected the closest exit, then descended to the ground floor where I was directed to an assembly area out the front where eventually 100 plus guests stood shivering in the cold waiting for instructions. Despite all this time having elapsed, the fire brigade had still not arrived and it's obviously a bit of a drive (and a slow one at that) from the nearest Hoppers Crossing and Werribee CFA stations. Having been a fire warden in a multi storey building, the response from staff to this potentially major emergency was fragmented and disorganized; there were no staff clearly in charge and no staff wearing any type of uniforms or jackets or helmets to identify themselves as fire wardens. There were also no floor wardens evident, nor any PA announcement ordering an evacuation. I guess we were lucky this night because the automatic systems worked and guests just left themselves; the fire itself was only small and in the adjacent Spa complex, but you get the drift that this could have been a lot worse. Anyhow back to the hotel; nice food, generally good service, comfy beds and a bit of 'atmosphere' for a change, but the ensuites were obviously designed to look good and had no practicalities as water leaks out from under the sexy glass shower recess and all over the floor of the main bathroom. Finally, the English breakfast was about $40 and every item in the minibar apparently gold plated, so beware if meals are not included in the tariff.

Gorgeous hotel for a mini break not far from Melbourne city though so tranquil it feels like your hundreds of km's away. Great indoor pool/spa. Fantastic breakfast. Highly recommend.

We had our national conference here and we had a wonderful time.

Prior to the event, we stayed to trial the facilities as many of our attendees were going to attend stays.

The Spa is excellent, offering a good range or services at a reasonable price. The gym is a little small and under equipped, but the pool is great. Also, with the wonderful grounds to explore, walking wasn't done in the gym but in the walking loop around the hotel.

Some of the rooms might be a little small compared to other hotels in it's class, but when you hear about the history as a monastery, it makes sense. I've stayed in both standard, superior and penthouse rooms and all had their positives. I recommend (if you have the time) taking the historical tour that is available.

The bar was good but closed a little early, however, the wine list was very comprehensive.

Speaking of food - you have to try the wine paired, degustation menu. I'm still raving about the Mushroom Cappuchino. Breakfast is also a lovely affair, offering significantly more than the standard bacon and eggs and toast.

Decided to stay here on New Year's Eve with my girlfriend as I had received a $465 voucher from my company recently for a night's stay and dinner at any of the Lancemore properties (I'm not a huge fan of vouchers, but on this occasion I thought what the heck).

After calling and speaking to more than three people over two days who couldn't locate my voucher I.D in their system, I was told I couldnt use the voucher on NYE, even though there were no terms and conditions listed on the voucher, or on the website. I finally spoke with the manager Emma, who said that her colleagues I'd spoken to were mistaken and that I could use the voucher.

I opted for the NYE package in a superior room, which included a 5 course dinner and complimentary champagne upon arrival. Total cost was $695 but I was happy to pay the balance.

Arrived at 4pm on NYE and checked in. Unfortunately nobody offered to help us with our bags to our room. Common courtesy normally in a so-called 5star hotel.

Upon checking in I was told to enjoy the welcome pack in the room. The welcome pack turned out to be a typed letter telling us when breakfast was being served the next morning. Not really a welcome pack.

Now, the room. What a shocker. Firtsly, it was tiny and there was nothing 'superior' about it, apart from the dinner-plate sized stain on the armchair and the fact that the bathroom floor had white stains all over it. Oh and the rust on the bath tub was a nice touch.

The King Bed was just two single beds pushed together, and the dark wood veneer furniture had chips and water marks all over it.

The climate control system in the room was also non responsive. Was stuck on 23 degrees and wouldn't budge.

Dinner that night was average, expected higher quality food for the price tag. I will say though, that the trainee staff waiting on the tables that night were absolutely lovely and tried so hard to give good service.

I could go on about this tired hotel, but it's pretty obvious from our stay that when the Lancemore group took this property over from the Sofitel, that they had no intention of maintaining a high standard, they just wanted to make money off it without investing in its upkeep.

Won't be staying at this hotel or any Lancemore property ever again.