The serviced apartments at lyf Collingwood  – pronounced “Life” and short for “Live Your Freedom” deliver everything a goddess needs: a clean, quiet, warm, uncluttered room with a comfortable bed and a good shower.

The rooms are small though excellent value with budget friendly prices and the building is located just one block from groovy Gertrude St and Bohemian Smith St. You may even get better deals and loyalty points if you book through lyf’s loyalty program on Ascott Star Rewards.

What To Expect in the Room

In the room I was in the bed was located up against the window giving a view to the Collingwood backstreets and the apartment dwellers across the street, who had to tolerate me watching telly in my PJs. Something I could do because the air conditioning was good enough for my mid-winter stay. I had turned the air conditioner on full when I checked in, anticipating returning from my meal out to a cold room as has happened so many times in Melbourne, but on this occasion I returned to a cosy warm room instead of any icy one which was a big bonus.

There were 2 power points equipped with USB-A ports near my bed that saved unpacking the tangle of plugs. lyf rooms are only cleaned every 3 days – good for the environment and good for your budget.

Cleverly Designed Amenities

There wasn’t a fridge in my room though there is a kitchen called CHILL on each floor with labels and a marker to brand for your breakfast provisions. On Level 3, where I stayed, there were also 2 smaller kitchens in the alcoves outside the room clusters of 333-335 and 355-357. Some of the larger rooms do have kitchenettes.

The lovely lobby staff will make you free expresso. Though I didn’t mind paying for a cappuccino topped with real shaved chocolate near the open fire at South Of Johnson next door.

In the lobby, there is a full kitchen called BOND with multiple cooking stations and many celebrity cookbooks. If you feel like cooking or even a little defrosting, Coles Supermarket is nearby on Smith St and micro-herbs are growing in the lobby to garnish your creation.

There’s also a beautiful laundrette, WASH AND HANG, complete with a classic standard upright Ms Pac-Man Arcade game to pass the time.

As the getting stuff done, your can log your devices onto the internet using a QR code on the telly. Once connected I could easily to cast Netflix from my phone. There’s plenty of places to work in the expansive lobby and there’s also a COLLAB room and a WHITE room that can be booked for meetings.

Where to Eat Nearby

Apart from the venues we visited in the recent story Sloshed On Smith, There are plenty of fabulous and inexpensive places within walking distance

Some places we loved were:

• The Standard Hotel, according to Google Maps this is just a 17 minute walk from lyf. The casual service is worth it for tasty meals in the beer garden.
• Marios, A few minutes further into Fitzroy and open all day for classic Italian home-cooked food and cake.
• Stomping Ground, this is just a twelve minute walk in the opposite direction from lyf and delivers a Sunday Roast and craft beer brewed on site.

Eco-Friendly Transport

Bicycles can be borrowed in the lyf lobby for a $200 deposit and there are lockers to store your gear during the day or after you check out.

I’ve stayed at lyf twice now, and I’ll be back!