Xtra Smart Apartment, cologne

I’m a resident of Scape. I’ve been lived here for over one year. This place left a very good impression on me, especially the staff at the front desk who were incredibly friendly and always able to promptly resolve any issues I had. They helped me a lot throughout the year and also supported me when I felt lonely. I believe it's rare to find such a good student apartment in this fast-paced society. Scape Swanston is definitely the kind of place you'll never forget after just one stay. The building's location is also excellent, right next to the tram stop, making it convenient to get to school. There are also many supermarkets nearby, so you can always find what you need. The apartment's events are fantastic, and I made many friends through them. I highly recommend this place as a home for first-year international students; it's truly worth living here. I would also like to thank all staff members here.

Really enjoyed my time living here. The area is super quiet, which is great for studying and just relaxing after a long day. At the same time, the location is really convenient—public transport is easy to access and getting around the city is pretty straightforward. The building itself has a nice vibe. They often organise small events, which makes it easier to meet people and feel part of a community. One of my favourite things is the free breakfast on Wednesday mornings—it’s such a small detail but honestly makes the week feel a bit nicer. Overall, it’s a comfortable and friendly place to live. I’ve had a really good experience here and would definitely recommend it to other students.

My six month stay here was overall amazing! For me, the pros of staying here overrode the few cons I had. Pros: Convenience and safety: As an international student who has lived in Melbourne for four years, I chose Scape Swanston for a temporary stay as the location was incredibly convenient. It is a two minute walk to all major tram lines and train stations, and near to most major universities. State Library, Asian grocery stores, Woolworths, Coles, QV Market, QV, ands Melbourne Central Mallss, and cheap/late night eats under $10 are also a 2-10 minute walk. Location also makes travelling back home late at night much safer, especially as a female student, and it is already situated in a location where surroundings remain brightly lit and populated til 3-4am. This is especially beneficial for students new to Melbourne and unfamiliar with navigating the city and public transport. Social events: as I am not a new student, so I did not participate in the events. Nonetheless, during my stay I could see that there were many free events being hosted and advertised that focused on different cultural celebrations, orientations, outdoor activities (e.g. in the city) and social activities that would be amazing for building community and finding friends for new students, especially international! Snacks and high quality scape merchandise were also often up for grabs! Room: the private studio room was a bit small for the price I paid, but I didn't mind as there were many amenities and great places for studying/socialising in the building and nearby that I didn't feel like I missed the extra space, and was made up for as I spent less money and time on travel to work, study, eat, shop, etc. Room maintenance: while the rooms may not be as new, they are quick to service any issues that arise in the room if you put in a request, such as loose hinges, creaky doors, etc., and even mattresses (room comes with a free mattress protector), so don't be afraid to ask! These are also free of charge and they are incredibly fast at getting to you. Service and staff: The staff were amazing when I was there! They're always down for a chat and are incredibly kind and helpful with anything you might need, be it deliveries, check in/outs, room maintenance, etc. Many of the staff are also multilingual. Special shoutout to KP, Jodie, Mark, and Alyssa for making this place feel like home and being so welcoming all the time! Cons -1 star: Beware that while the website advertises Scape as a property you are renting, and therefore are allowed guests over at anytime (for over18s), there are still restrictions to guests that were not mentioned on the website. Unregistered guests are not allowed after 10pm, guests that are staying after 10pm must be registered 24 hours beforehand. Overnight guests are limited to 3x per week and 9 days per month. I understand these are to keep the property safe and costs down, however, such restrictions should be as transparently advertised as other features. This may be an issue for international students whose parents might want to visit after hours or have friends over I was only made aware of the guest rule 1 month after I had moved in when Donald, the nighttime security/receptionist, prevented my partner from visiting and staying overnight at my apartment after we had arrived home from work at 1am. I politely informed him I was still new to Scape and was not informed of this rule upon moving in, as this was not mentioned in the rental agreement, or in the resident handbook (which was down due to Scape's software issues). However, he did not offer any allowances or let my partner remain, behaving as if my lack of information was my fault, even after we explained public transport was not working at 1am. Donald then directly accused me of lying to him. I found this extremely disrespectful, shocking, and unprofessional, especially given my previous delightful experiences with Scape staff, and was not expecting to be scolded like a child in my own home. Nonetheless, the pros made up for this negative experience.

I have been staying here at scape for 1 year and it is one of the best decision I have ever made as not only that it is convenient but to me it is also safe as the location makes travelling back home late at night much safer since it is situated in a location where the surroundings remains brightly lit and populated until 3-4am. This is especially beneficial for students who are new to Melbourne and are still unfamiliar in navivating the city and public transport. It is also close to grocery stores like Woolworths, Coles, QV market and etc. It is also surrounded with restaurants with different types of cuisine. Here in Scape there are many social events every month where scape residents are able to get together and know each other better and every Wednesday, they would provide light breakfast like protien bars, fruits and juice boxes for us residents who are in a hurry to catch the train/tram and does not have time to have breakfast. The staff here are friendly and the maintence service here are quite quick.

Great location and facility. Colorful, crowded The road (Little Latrobe) is blocked for cars due to upcoming metro station facility. So very uncomfortable for Cab / Uber services if you have luggage to move.