Arrived to be greeted by check in staff talking to each other while I was asked to fill in my forms. Should have realised that there was going to be a problem from the lack in interest in the visitor. Had booked an upmarket Club Room for 3 nights (& 1 night on return from the Barossa). Staff were very off hand when we asked directions to a local attraction. Found our way to room which had been recently renovated (decor only). Bed & pillows were poor quality. The worst was to come when after dinner and a walk around the city we returned to our room. Despite double glazing we could hear the booming noise from the nite club opposite (stupidly thought that it would soon stop) and the vibrations from the hotel Airconditioning. Gave up at 1.30 am and demanded that we be moved to another room - only slightly better at the back of the hotel. Still drunken noise from a neighbouring building but at least the A/C was quieter. Checked out at 9.00am and cancelled our booking. Staff member (who sighned us in) tried to charge us for an extra night because we didn't give 24 hours notice. Naturally refused! Unless you are into the nite club scene NEVER stay here.

My wife and I travel extensively in Australia each year. We had booked the hotel via the phone the previous day . We had given our credit card details and had a confirmation number. . We gave then a UK number but said it was pretty meaningless as we were touring in OZ We arrived at 4 .30 the next day and struggled with our luggage to the reception desk We were told that there was no room for us. I explained I had a credit card confirmation. Eventually they admitted they had overbooked. They said they had tried to contact us by phone during the day (??) The manager on duty did not handle it will well. Apart from apologising she did ring and find us a room at another ,more expensive ,hotel . After some discussion they agreed to match the difference in price. In all my years of travel this has never happened to me before and we were concerned about the status of the other bookings we had for our trip.Fortunately the rest were OK

Hindley Street is one of Adelaide's seedier spots, with strip clubs, 24 hour bars, etc. along its length. And the Rockford Hotel finds itself located along this street and in the middle of all this action. Were it not for its location, the hotel would score better marks from me. I spent 4 nights there in January 2008, occupying an executive room. I can't fault my room, which was large and clean, with modern furniture and fittings. My bedroom had a king sized bed. The bathroom was also large, with a deep spa bath. Windows were sealed, and I frequently required use of the airconditioner. There is a small, secure, underground car park, which must be booked in advance. Reception staff were very polite and efficient, and I found the buffet breakfast to be unexciting but adequate, although food frequently ran low. From the hotel it was only a 5 minute walk to the Glenelg tram, 10 minutes to the Rundle Street Mall and 20 minutes to the Adelaide Oval. The real problem is at night. It's party time after the sun sets and until dawn. Sounds of music, loud voices, revving cars, screams and breaking glass go on through the night - literally. Young ladies in their party dresses were still staggering home past the Rockford Hotel along Hindley Street at 7.00am, as I breakfasted. So if you want a good night's sleep, book elsewhere.

The Rockford was a nice place to stay. We got a good deal on the internet of $99 per night for their basic room, which was spacious and comfortable, though I'm not sure I'd want to pay full price. Pros: -Nice large room. -New and clean bathroom. -Nice bar & restaurant area. -Curteous and helpful staff. -Nice heated pool. -Central Cons: -Some areas a bit tired looking, particularly around the pool. -Only 1 bedside table and lamp which gave barely enough light for the person next to it. Another bedside table and lamp, or a light on the wall above the bed would be nice. -Lift has no up/down button so you often end up going up when you want to go down. Very odd. - It's a little bit of a sleazy area as you walk up Hindley St to Rundle Mall. - Specifically booked a hotel with a pool in case it was hot. On the Friday it was 37 deg and we were told that the pool was closed for a private function (after we had been for a long walk in the heat and were desperate for a swim). Not happy at all about that. Overall a pleasant stay which is good value if you can get a good deal.

If you have zero expectations you may be happy with your stay at the Adelaide Rockford. It is certainly a reasonable bed and although at the seedy end of Adelaide it also is convenient to some popular facilities. It is rated three-star in Trip Advisor which is probably about right, although possibly half a star too high, but beware in some other portals such as from where I booked it is rated 4 stars and that is certainly misleading. The physical hotel is run down and can even smell of age/water and on every floor except the lobby gives the impression that the owners are simply waiting to demolish the hotel for something better. I had an executive room (one up from the standard) and while the space was generous the room was very tired. The lauded new flat TVs have a paucity of channels. There is no air movement since the windows are locked and sealed shut so you have to rely on the airconditioner for any air movement and when I turned it on I started sneezing with the dust and particles which hit the air. I suspect the filters have never been cleaned. The tap water in Adelaide is well know to be undrinkable and yet the Rockford is too miserable to provide any free bottled drinking water. (Two 24 hour stores across the street sell a good selection.) There is also no toothbrush supplied and no razors, which I though was true to the brand value of "cheap" which is portrayed everywhere in this hotel. The "gym" is actually a private operation 2 blocks away through the worst streets of town, so don't go in your robes. I went there at the times advised by the staff but it was mysteriously closed. The hotel staff had no explanation but on the other hand I asked and they had never even been introduced or taken to see the gym operator so knew nothing about how it worked and why their sheet of paper was incorrect. This poor staff training also reflects on the cheap brand values of the owners - so it is consistent. Stay if you don't mind loading up on drinkable bottled water across the street, breathing 100% air conditioned air with unknown fungi and particles, and don't forget your toothbrush and razor (take your anti-histamine nose drops!). Personally, I thought that it was a sad example of owners that simply don't care. But if you now know and expect that you may be pleasantly surprised!