I decided to stay at The Olsen during the winter of 2011. I was excited as the photos and reviews seemed great. When we arrived I was slightly disapointed as the pool claimed to be heated but was freezing and the room size was very small which was dissapointing. It really fustrates me the more you pay for a hotel room, the less facilities become avaliable free of charge for example wifi internet access. It was very lovely, the staff were great but paying $18 for a pay per view movie in your room is slightly excessive. There is also the issue of lack of privacy. If you didnt want to be seen by every room on the perpendicular side of the building, you would almost always have to have the curtains closed therefore live in darkness.

The hotel is in a good location, very nice decor and the rooms are immaculate. Needless to say it was a good experience but I would not stay here again. I would stay somewhere which has much better value for money.

The Olsen, well what can i say... from the minute you arrive at the property you are taken back with its contemporary, light welcoming reception. The artwork is amazing in the foyer, the staff at reception are friendly and helpful.

The rooms, i would definately pay the extra for the deluxe studio suite, or better still the deluxe studio suite with balcony just for extra space as much bigger thatn the studio room (lead in room type). The bedding is amazing.. it is by far the most comfortable mattress i have ever slept on, and the linen is so inviting - better still it is their signature bedding that you can purchase - yep mattress, duvet covers and the soft feather and down pillows!!!

The artwork is placed all around the hotel to admire.

The location of the Olsen is brilliant, you are literally a minute walk (if that) to Chappel St (the good end) and also that is where the tram leaves from. The train station is only about 300mtrs walk away, and the MCG in Richmond is 1 train stop away.. so yes perfect. I work as a travel agent (have done for 12 years) and i would definatly say this is up there with the best hotels i have stayed at...

Oh one more thing.. go to the Italian restaurant they recoomend Caffe e Cucina - it is amazing, the best Gnocchi ever..

Enjoy

Lovely hotel with great facilities and very helpful staff. Would definitely stay here again.

The Olsen is perfectly located on the top end of Chapel Street in SOuth Yarra, which is one of the best locations to be in in Melbourne. Chapel Street is full of great shops, restaurants and cafes, and it is very easy to travel to the CBD and other parts of the city from there. Based on location, I would give The Olsen 5 stars.
The rooms are also pretty great. I requested a Deluxe Twin Studio and was very pleased to see that we were given a one Bedroom Suite, so my mum (who i was travelling with) and I could have our own space. The rooms are all bright and with colourful paintings by John Olsen. The kitchenettes are also very handy, especially if you are staying for longer than just a couple of days, or if you are travelling with babies or young children. The only thing that wasn't ideal was the room cleaning service.
We did not eat at either of the hotel's restaurants (except for breakfast, which was very so-so), as unfortunately they were just not very appealing. Never busy, and with a very expensive menu (especially at Steer). The decor in Bluebottle was not very inviting either unfortunately.
My main gripe with the Olsen is the fact that their website very clearly states that WIFI is free from their hotel restaurants. Only when I asked to get on line while having breakfast, i was told that i should logon as I would in my room where the charge is AUS$3 per hour (ridiculous in itself). I explained to the reception staff that it clearly states on their website that it says free internet from hotel restaurants, but they insisted that this was not the case and had never been the case! So i had no choice but to pay to logon. When i got back home i checked the website again and yes, it still says that internet is free in the restaurants and so I explained the situation to the GM in a questionnaire that was sent to me. Haven't heard back yet - let's see what they say, if they bother getting back to me! I personallybelieve that it should be standard to offer hotel guests free wifi in these top hotels. Is such a rip off to charge - and for $3 an hour, it is almost so insignificant that it is pointless anyway.
Apart from that incdent our stay went well, and we did have some very helpful members of staff at concierge and reception who helped us arrange restaurants and day trips. I would recommend this hotel for location and quality of rooms, but not if you need to get online often!