The Abode Hotels in Belconnen, Canberra

In the heart of Belconnen, the Abode Hotel is the perfect spot for families to stay while they visit Australia’s capital city. We spent a long weekend staying in one of their 2 bedroom apartments and we have nothing but great things to say about it!

The apartments have everything that you would need for a family holiday. Ours had 2 bedrooms (with very comfortable beds!) and 2 bathrooms, as well as a sitting area, dining table and kitchenette.

The kitchenette had a stove top, fridge, sink, microwave, dishwasher and washing machine. It had all the crockery and kitchen utensils that we needed, as well as appliances like a kettle, toaster and coffee machine, which were great for having breakfast in the room.

As much as we love eating out, I really appreciate being able to make food in the room - it makes it cheaper and healthier than eating out.

The room had WiFi and you can even bring your dog. My kids loved all the dogs we’d meet in the lift and reception area!

The hotel has a restaurant on its ground floor - Number 10 Restaurant and Bar - where we went for dinner on a Friday night. It is also open for breakfast and lunch.

We had an amazing three course meal and every dish was great. They have a great selection of small plates (for entrees or sharing) and large plates, and on Friday and Saturdays from 5pm, kids eat free with any large plate.

My kids both chose the chicken schnitzel, and it was big, served with chips and salad. Sometimes their appetites are too big for the kids menu, but this was perfect for them. If you make use of their happy hour and a half (4.30pm - 6pm every night: house wine, beer and cider is only $6 a glass) it is a great, inexpensive night out!

The hotel has other facilities that we checked out, but didn’t have chance to use. They have a beautiful swimming pool (it was winter, so a bit cold for us to swim!) and also a spa, sauna and gym. We were kicking ourselves for not bringing our swimmers as the spa looked lovely and warm!

We found Belconnen to be a great spot to base ourselves. It was a short drive to everywhere that we wanted to go around the city (is everywhere in Canberra a 15 minute drive?) and we loved the area itself.

Around the hotel are a few great cafes, take away shops and restaurants, as well as a Woolworths Metro and BWS directly opposite and an Asian supermarket next door.

A few minutes walk from the hotel is the most epic skate park we have ever seen, on the edge of Lake Ginninderra. It is huge with all different areas for different skill levels. It really was super impressive.

A few minutes further along Lake Ginninderra was a playground called the Rainbow Serpent playground in John Knight Memorial Park. We spent a whole afternoon there, playing in the 3 different sections of the playground and exploring the beautiful lake foreshore.

One of the highlights of our stay was the exceptional service we received from the staff at the hotel. From the warm welcome at check in, to the staff at the restaurant who made our night out so special, and the receptionists who were so helpful in giving us great recommendations, everyone was just so lovely!

Our stay at the Abode Hotel in Belconnen was honestly such a great experience and exceeded all of our expectations. We love visiting Canberra and I’m so happy to have found somewhere to stay that has everything that we need for a relaxed and comfortable stay.

Their regular rates are very reasonable, but they often have great specials on so make sure you check their website. Although Abode Hotels hosted our stay, this blog is an honest account of our experience - we highly recommend this hotel to anyone seeking a great stay in the Australian capital!