Okay, well first I would say don't confuse the two hotels...although part of the same resort and you have access to all the amenities on both (connecting hotels) they are different. On the side where the pool and cafe/restaurant is, there is Le Student 8 and Sleep and Go rooms. On the other side where the mini mart, cafe, restaurant is there is Rydges. The staff are the same and alternate between both receptions so in one view they are together but in standard I would say they are different. We stayed at Sleep and go for our first week and a half and as we didn't book the resident rate (5 weeks or more and the longer you stay the less it is) we stayed in a hotel room. When we arrived everything was fine and I was pleasantly surprised with the resort...even after travelling for 24+ hours! We got to our room and the air con wasn't working...it was something like 30 outside so it was humid! We had been warned this was a budget room so was compact (as we had tried to get in at Rydges first for 5 weeks) but honestly, it was great. Huge windows, basic (but we were only paying something like 70 dollars a night) but nice and clean with a nice bed. It was just the matter of the air con. So I went back to reception and they upgraded us for our whole week to a Queen room which was fabulous! Floor to ceiling tinted windows on the 5th floor, two single beds (which I told them to leave as I sleep better this way lol), GORGEOUS bathroom, desk area and small fridge etc. Air con worked like a dream and we had a view of the pool and an incredible view across the surrounding area. The bed...OMG the bed. I don't sleep well but I slept like a baby...amazing bed. One of those with a good matress and another sort of matress topper attached to it (you see them advertised and they are usually really expensive).
A week and a half later and we have moved across to be residents at Rydges as they had a cancellation and again, everything went smoothly thanks to the lady who deals solely with resident stays. This room is even better and as we are staying for 5 weeks we get a great rate in my opinion. We have a big sized room with bed, table and chairs, sofa, kitchenette with large fridge and another lovely bathroom. Everything I ask for at reception is promptly dealt with, the staff are really nice, friendly and professional and we are loving it at the moment. I use the pool area most days ... which by the way is NOT located by walking through the cafe as another guest suggested...you walk through the walkway past reception and the lift area and the entrance to the pool by secure keycard is on the left. It is before the cafe. The cafe has a lovely outdoor area by the pool and the pool area is really quite nice with 2 BBQs for free use.
As for the two hotels...there are many different types of people in both, residents, students, holidaymakers, business people...it's really diverse. There are people here who have been here for years, young and old. It's great. I have travelled all over the world in budget hotels and 5 star hotels and this is a very nice, good value option. I would definitely come again...tram just outside and train 5-7 min walk away. I almost didn't book this hotel as I saw the reviews and the mix of rooms and thought we would get put in one of the smaller rooms where your bathroom is in the room, divided only by the shower curtain...but these are budget single rooms in sleep and go. And many people I have spoken to who are here on their own have said they are sufficient.
There are a few things that could be improved...the lifts in sleep and go. Your keycard will only get you in to your floor...but sometimes they don't work and you end up taking the stairs. But the staff did try and rectify this each time it happened and we saw work men working on them. The pool...could be cleaner with the use of a cover at night to stop leaves which then fall to the bottom. Room cleaning at sleep and go was a little irregular.
If you have the money...go for Rydges but if not, sleep and go is a very good value for money option...you won't get these facilities at this price elsewhere! Happy Holidays :)

Good stay, but very poor service at the front desk: people do not know anything, give wrong room number, make mistakes with credit cards, etc...
Suite rooms are very nice with great views, wifi is available, but not for free.
Nice pool with bbq facilities.
Breakfast at Chill restaurant was excellent, but expensive.
Location is 35 minutes frm downtown with tram.

We stayed at Sleep & Go Melbourne on our road trip from Sydney to Adelaide (via Melbourne) for four nights in November 2011. It cost us about $30 less per night compared to some average motel in the middle of nowhere we stayed at the night before.

I was very happy with our stay. The rooms were really nice, clean and modern. Only the TV was small and a bit far away from the bed. The room had a desk, a fridge, enough cupboards and my personal highlight - the huge windows that went from floor to ceiling. We had a nice view over the suburb of Preston. Parking was right in front of the entrance and we usually took the tram into the city, only a 5-min walk away.

Staff are friendly, the only thing I didnt like was the crowd that seemed to be staying there. Noisy workers, lots of students, some people behaved a bit like they owned the place. But that is not the hotels fault and I was happy with everything I got, especially for such a good price per night.

I would definitely stay here again, next time I'm in Melbourne.

arrived this hotel 26/11/11, first room 252, first impressions, the wall immedeately hehind door had been 'holed' at some stage, who knows when, platered to repair, not sanded and not paintend, finishing trims & speakers hanging off the walls partitioning on suite to main room. seal between sliding windows virtually non-existent and glass not properly sealed to frame, so massive draft in room. bought this to attention of management the next morning and advised we would be out all day, please fix or replace room.
on return that evening, to be greeted by a pool of vomit to inner left of main door, more of that later, on equirie at the desk as to what action had been taken, we are told there is no notation of our concern and we should go to the room and check, if it is not right ring the desk, so up we go, and found a slip shod repair that did not repair the draft one iota, so ring the front desk, ring ring ring, no answer, so back down we go and attend front desk, no problem we will give you another room.
up the hall to room 259, sash windows, no seal at RH window, so plug it with thier towel.
remember the vomit mentioned earlier, well by wendesday we were 'sick' of looking at it, my partner attends the front desk and told staff that morning, on our return that evening it was still there, so I attended front desk and pointed out again, mentioned my partner had already advised of this, assured by staff this would be cleaned up.
next day we are out all day, on our return it is still there, so this time I took a manager out to the spot and asked him what he thought it was? then explained what it was, how long it had been there and what I thought of thier efforts for Austrlian tourism, as there are a large number of international guests. bloody disgrace!!!!!
now when you arrive you are charged a $100.00 deposit via your credit card, I note that in a reply to an earlier reviewer the management have assured the reviewer they have changed this policy, what a load of bunkum!!!!!
this hotel has a security card key system, for doors lifts etc., or as we like to call them the occasional cards, because they may work once in a while, great if you are on a lower floor and a fellow lift passenger is on a higher, you get to go up and down whilst you try to get the bloody reader to read!!!! again I note a previous reviewer, who has stayed here frequently seems to experience this issue at each stay.
the fire procedure are afixed to the rear of the room door, the only hanging facility in the rooms is also on the rear of the door, so hang something up and you cover the procedure when you hang stuff up on arrival, no other infomation in the room, re- facilities etc.
fire alarms go off constantly, and when you go to a fire exit, they are LOCKED, this has been bought to attention of Metrpolitan Fire Brigade. and when you do eventuallly find the procedure, only in english, it as clear as the Yarra river.
no do not disturb sign in rooms, however we are acused of using this non-existant sign when they do not service room!!!! linen on beds not changed in a 8 day stay!!!! if the toilet roll has more than three leaves left its not replaced!!!
the only good things are the shuttle bus service to city and shops (at request), the staff at least smile when they do nothing about your concerns.
but the best feature, and I would go out of my way to use this, is JD's the restraunt/cafe, food is great and very good value, staff treat you as if you are in there every day, absolutely great service.
overall the concept is great, location is good and close to public transport, short stroll to shops, if they can get the others right it would be the place to stay...