This information is for all those people who think that it's impossible to get accommodation in Sydney around New Year's Eve for less than about $AUD400 a night, and that, unless you book six months in advance, it's impossible to get ANYTHING.

Yesterday I happened to find myself in Erskineville, two train stops (six minutes) from Sydney Terminal Station, and about 300 metres from King Street, Newtown (my own choice for the most interesting shopping-and-eating area in Sydney). I recalled, from my youth (I used to go to school at Erskineville, in the days when the suburb was considered a slum; now it's an upmarket yuppie haven), a wildly-overdone art-deco hotel right near the station, and I couldn't resist having a nostalgic look at its monstrous ugliness (art deco always makes me laugh). When I came upon it -- still as riotous as ever -- about 100 metres from the station, however, I found I was more interested in the sign out the front: ACCOMMODATION. Would-be-visitors to Sydney have been complaining about the lack of hotel rooms on New Year's Eve (apparently you can get one at the Shangri-La for about $1500 for one night!), and the well-located Erskineville Hotel suddenly seemed like a good place for me to test my theory that there are rooms empty all over Sydney, if the booking sites and travel agents only did their homework and went to look for them.

So I ambled into the Erskineville Hotel (it's a three-storey pub with rooms upatairs) and asked the publican if the "accommodation" sign was actually current. "Yair," he replied amiably, "But we're full."

"Oh, I'm not talking about tonight," I replied. "I know some people from overseas who are trying to find a place to stay for New Year's Eve, and their agent has told them they have to go way out to Eastwood. Have you got anything for that week?"

"What, December?" (as if I must be out of my head to ask about a room NINE WEEKS before I needed it). "Yair, we'd be bound to have rooms available by then," he replied; so I asked the all-important question: "What's your room rate?"

"Our rooms are just basic," he admitted, "but we have two rates: fifty dollars a night or a hundred and fifty dollars a week". I told him about the Shangri-La's rate for the single night of December 31, and he replied amiably, "Well, your friends can pay me fourteen hundred dollars for the night if they want to."

Now, the rooms he is talking about are, as he was quick to point out, "basic" pub accommodation (which usually means that the bathroom is down the corridor); but the hotel is clean and well-kept, and it is a VERY short bus or train ride to the harbour for the fireworks. You could see the midnight show and be tucked up in bed by 12:45. And we are talking Australian dollars here... what's that, a bit less than $US120 for a full week in Sydney at New Year's!

Well, this got me thinking about other possibilities. So I wandered down William Street to check out a little hotel I remembered that was directly opposite the much-touted Boulevard (about 200 metres from the Museum of Sydney, on the road that leads up to King's Cross; not the best location in the town, but in five minutes you are in the Botanical Gardens, or seven minutes walk to the Town Hall). Sure enough, the elegant but past-its-prime 100-year-old building I remembered was still there, now given a fresh coat of pink (!!) paint. The Strand Hotel is, as I said, DIRECTLY opposite the big-bucks Boulevard (just ask what THEIR price is for New Year's Eve!). The "ACCOMMODATION" sign was still up, so I investigated.

They have a "Spring Special" at the moment: their double/twin rooms are $30 a night or $180 a week. This special won't, of course, still be going by December, which is very definitely summer; however, here are the Stand's "everyday" prices:

Double/twin rooms, $50 a night. With private bath $75.

Quad rooms $80 a night.

Weekly rates available."

I didn't ask if they had rooms as far ahead as December 31, as the guy at the Erskineville had acted like I had rocks in my head asking about a room so far in advance; but my guess is that the Strand will have plenty. Who knows about it? Not the travel agents and booking sites, for sure.

Finally, I walked directly from the Strand towards Town Hall Station, passing by my oft-recommended "favourite", the wonderfully-located Criterion (seven minutes walk from the Strand). I hadn't looked at their rates in about three years. Well, the current sign says: "Double or single rooms, $55 a night". Weekly rates are not mentioned... but I bet you could negotiate, since the next pub down the road is giving them!

Who said Sydney is a rip-off on New Year's Eve? These are not fancy places, but all three are clean and interesting, and the blokes that run them are just out to make an honest living, no more. Could you really say that about those places who charge a MINIMUM 300% mark-up on New Year's Eve? And I DO mean the Shangri-La!

Hi Alan. I know all these hotels. I wonder how many fodorites would lower their standards enough to experience a real Aussie pub stay? C'mon!!!

I would, and do love to stay in old pubs, in fact I love doing a pub stay crawl around any of the states. So they don't have cable - big deal!!!!!

Sorry Liz, I should have said "overseas resident fodorites". I love the pubs too!

I am not real keen on pub stays and I am not posh, I even wear bare feet around my house!

I stayed in Customs House in Hobart and it was really nice for a pub and I would recommend it. Even as nice or nicer than many hotels. Ensuite and TV.

I stayed in a pub at Oyster Cove, Tasmania and was shabby indeed but ok and no problem at all. Beautiful setting, clean and we had ensuite room with TV so had everything we needed.

I have not stayed at the Lufra Pub on the Tasman Peninsula but would in a heartbeat. I really liked the lobby/restaurant. So from what I saw was terrific.

But that is about the best of my experiences, all in Tasmania?

We stayed at the Wynyard one night after a night out at Soup Plus and it was so noisy and the room was muggy so needed to open the window( so noise was even worse) Otherwise, very basic but a great mix of people stayed there and breakfast in the common room was an enoyable experience but NO sleep.

Another time we stayed at Rockdale and NEVER again.

We recently stopped at Nowra and saw a bargain rate for a room, went up the stairs for inspection, all sorts of weirdos hanging around. One look at the room, returned the key and ran for our lives.

Yet another stay at a Wollongong Pub, ok but....

I think Erskineville may be worth a shot but William Street maybe too noisy, especially New Years (though depends what time you want to sleep).

But it is great to have this feedback Alan because although a pub stay can be great value you really do need personal recommendations as there is no way to know what it is like otherwise.

As usual, Lyndie, you have a very good point to make. I would hate someone to see my heading and imagine that they were going to get something like the Mercure for $150 a week, and then , having arrived at the Erskineville or the Strand, come looking for me with a gun!

Maybe the place for me to post this entry ought to be on the Thorn Tree forum, where one often sees requests for hostels and dorms, and where words like "Marriott" and "Hyatt" seldom come up.

The dyed-in-the-wool Fodors tourists, looking for "reasonable accommodation under $US300 a night" (I expect to have accommodation for a week for my family for less than that!, must get awfully sick of hearing me rant and rave against the Shangri-La and the All-Points and all those other chains!

However, I keep thinking of that family from Singapore whose travel agant told them, about a month ago, that the best they could get for New Year's Eve was a hotel in "Talavera Road, Sydney" (by which I presume he meant Talavera Road, EASTWOOD, which as you will know, is a LONG way from Sydney!) for something well over twqo hundred dollars a night, and I kept remembering that the only other post I had ever seen about a hotel in Talavera Road mentioned bed bugs and a management that couldn't have cared less whern these were brought to their attention.... well, anyway, I just thought it was worth telling people that there IS another side to the story, one that you will seldom hear from the travel agents who, naturally enough, have very different motives than do you or I.

Liz, I am so glad to hear that you love pubstays, as I do.... maybe one day we can stay at one or two of my favourites together, and you can test out Lyndie's theory about my being PC!

Alan, reminds me of a story about Adelaide. Apparently there were two "Hiltons". One the big chain job and the other a somewhat 'umbler establishment on the way in from the airport. A rather stroppy secretary was booking her boss's Australian travel & accommodation with the T/agent & said she wanted the Hilton in (the 'umble abode's) street. When the T/a tried to tell her that wasn't the right address, she became even stroppier, insisted she knew where it was and demanded the T/Agent book it. So she did. And as instructed, booked a car to take VIP from airport to said "Hilton". I'd have paid good money to see the look on VIP's face when the limo pulled up outside!

Dear Alan. You are being far too sensitive. If you know you're not PC then for heaven's sake that's good enough for me. I'm just sorry that PC has become an abbreviation for all types of mental & physical maladies. I'm certain you could not be PC because Neil's sure you're not, and even though I don't know your ex-wife, I'm thinking Neil knows you better than me, and it may be that you are not PC but you maybe something else, altogether differnt from PC. Or whatever. If you get my drift. No criticism was ever intended. It just seemed to me that you were a bit PC but now, with Neil's assurance, I know otherwise. So to speak!

Everyone, Lyndie is trying to act like she doesn't know me, but the fact is that we once slept in the same hard bed in a place called Aphonso's Guest House, in Panjim! There, our secret's out!

Loose lips sink ships!

Hi Alan,

Well, you've certainly been doing your homework, but as you and Lyndie have agreed on after deliberation, most American tourists would not want stay in those locations.

You have to realize that fantasy plays a big part in travel..especially when it comes to a special event like New Years -- clients picture themselves standing on their deck at the Quay Grand, or the like, champers in hand with fireworks going off in the background....of course they don't want to pay the rates the hotels are charging, but SOMEONE is!

Many times, especially with people who aren't experienced travellers, they have no idea what these rooms actually cost. They've just watched the Travel Channel or seen it in a magazine and MUST have that over-the-water bungalow in Tahiti for their honeymoon...and then I tell them the rate which is usually followed by a quick intake of breath!

Regards,

Melodie