Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Hotel in Sydney/Cairns Feedback

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Hotel in Sydney/Cairns Feedback

Hello, There are 2 hotels we were given as possible places to stay at in both Sydney and Cairns. Can someone please provide some feedback on these? Just wanted to know if the hotel was in a good location, safe, and easy to get around from in town . the hotels are : 1.Sydney : CENTRAL RAILWAY HOTEL 2.Sydney : Park REgis 3.Cairns : Heritage Cairns 4.Cairns : plaza palms Thanks again!!!

I have relatives that live in Cairns (I live in Sydney) and have been visiting Cairns for many years now. As far as a hotel goes in Cairns I recommend the Cairns Colonial Club (www.cairnscolonialclub.com.au). My family and I have stayed there on many occasions and are now VIP members. The service there is brilliant and it is reasonably priced. They have a free shuttle bus to and from the hotel to the Cairns City Centre every hour for guests in the hotel which makes it easy to get into town. The Heritage Cairns is located 500m sth of city centre (1/3 of a mile - however you like to measure!) which is very close as you can see. I can't find anything on Plaza Palms in my accommodation guide, so i'm afraid I can't help you there. The Central Railway Hotel (as the name suggests - although I've never heard of it) would be next to the train station. That part of Sydney is okay but if you wanted to be near the Harbour you are too far away, prolly should choose a hotel closer. It is reasonably easy to access the city from Central, but a lot of things such as shopping, Darling Harbour etc are a bit of a walk. Park Regis Hotel is 500m south of GPO in Park Street which is pretty central. It's right next to Hyde Park and a short stroll to Darling Harbour and Pitt Street Mall and the Queen Victoria Building (known to Sydneysiders as the QVB) - which are great places to shop and the QVB has an amazing history... it's about 150years old!!! However, to suss out any hotels in Sydney, with star ratings, you could check out the NRMA - National Roads and Motorists Association -accommodation section. The NRMA is great for sussing out accommodation in Sydney, Cairns, anywhere!(http://www.mynrma.com.au/travel/accommodation/index.shtml). Just select the state you are visiting (New South Wales for Sydney and Queensland for Cairns) and then select the region (Sydney in New South Wales and Tropical North Queensland for Cairns) and from the pulldown menu select Cairns (if in Queensland) and Sydney (if in Sydney). Then you can select what type of accommodation you are looking for (B&B, Hotel/Motel etc), how many stars you want to search within, etc. It's great for searching accommodation! Hope this helps anyways Princess Aurora

Hi, Nack! Like PrincessAurora (whose advice was excellent) I have not heard of the Central Railway Hotel, and I wonder if it is the Great Southern, near Central, which has changed names in the last year or two. If so, it's old but refurbished, close to transport, but a long way from the harbour, which is the best part of Sydney. Another possibility is that you are being referred to the Central Station Youth Hostel, a few steps away, even closer to the station. It's probably the best of the youth hostels, as it's in a great old building... but it's still a youth hostel. The Park Regis is, I think, good value for money, considering its location. It's a very nondescript building, and I have read one poster here complain about small rooms, but most seem to feel very positively. It's a block from the Town Hall, almost opposite Hyde Park, a short stroll to the Monorail and the Queen Victoria Building, and only a couple of blocks from the best shopping areas of Sydney (one way) and the George St Cinema strip/Chinatown (the other way). You could hardly be more centrally-placed... except that it's a twenty-minute walk to the water's edge, where the hotels are twice the price.

I can't speak for the hotels in Cairns, but I checked out several hotels when I was in Sydney a couple of months ago, including the Central Railway and the Park Regis. The Central Railway is on Chalmers, between Redfern and Cleveland. It is near the rail station, but in an area just slightly off most maps of Central Sydney. I agree with the other posters that the Park Regis is in a much better location. However, the rooms are small, and the carpet is rather worn. It's also very easy to bypass because it sits flush with the sidewalk and kind of blends in with the restaurants and boutiques along the sidewalk. If you get a good rate, though, it would be a good choice because of the location.

Hi Nick-- I'm going to have to disagree with the Princess about the Cairns Colonial Club. Sorry, your Royal Highness ;) I was there July '02 and spent one night at CCC in their least expensive room. I had pre-paid for one night so stayed that one night and found another place to stay for my last night at the GBR. The first thing I noticed about CCC is that it has a very 70s feel to it and is a fairly massive complex. (I believe it has more rooms than any other place in Cairns.) That in and of itself is not why I disliked the 'resort'. The 1st room I was shown reeked of cigarette smoke even though it was supposed to be non-smoking. The garbage had not been emptied and there sat an empty cig. carton right on top...I asked to be shown a new room and without any hassle, was reassigned. The 2nd room was much like the 1st, minus the stench. Both were in serious need of refurbishment. They both had stains and burns in the worn carpeting, the furniture had cig. burns as well and bathrooms with moldy tile. Oh, and the 2nd room's beds were uncomfortable. (I don't know about the 1st room's beds as I wasn't in there long enough to test them.) I've travelled loads of places and stayed in worse but this was just not good value, IMO. Another thing I didn't like about CCC is how far it was from the center of town. Yes, they have an hourly shuttle but there are loads of places more centrally located. The CCC shuttle doesn't run after around 7 so if you go out to dinner you will need to take a cab. For the $, I think you can find nicer, cleaner and a better placed hotel. (BTW, they have several restaurants onsite. I ate dinner at the buffet; it was moderately priced but it was also pretty yucky--and I'm not a picky eater!) I stayed my 2nd night at Il Palazzo and got way more for my $$. For just $5 (or was it $10?) more, I had a cute one-bedroom furnished apartment complete with a small kitchen, washer and dryer and even a little balcony. The place was spotless, more attractive and centrally located. I was MUCH happier there! Nick, you might want to check out places in Pt. Douglas as well. I stayed there for 6 nts before the 2 in Cairns and thought PD was a much nicer town. It its not more expensive but is more upscale with a lovely 4 mile beach.(Cairns doesn't have a beach.)Cairns is bigger but tackier. PD is small but has everything you need--a variety of good restaurants, a supermarket, shops, places to go out at night and it's closer to the reef and the Daintree. Next trip to Australia, I'm going to skip Cairns altogether and head straight to PD. Deb

Sorry, Nack--didn't mean to call you Nick...Wanna change your name to Nick Nack :-)

Thanks, Walkabaout, for refreshing my memory about the Central Station Hotel. As soon as you described it, I remembered it instantly.... when I went past it (in a bus) I was amused by its name, as it is really not very close to Central Station.... it must be closer to Redfern Station, which is an inner suburb. It's a quaint old building, but unless you're getting a great bargain, why would you want a twelve-to-fifteen minute walk before you even get to the outer edge of the CBD?

Thanks for the help guys. Here is some info I got on the Central Railway Hotel. You think I should look for something else closer to where you guys suggest? I will not be renting a car. Info : ---------------------------------- Central Railway Hotel Enjoy your Sydney with us Central Railway Hotel is centrally located in Chalmers Street near Central Railway Station, the heart of Sydney's Transport System. The hotel is an ideal base from which to leisurely explore, or do business in Sydney. It is within minutes of the the Central Business District, Circular Quay, Chinatown and within 15 minutes to Sydney's famous Beaches. Public Transport is at our door, with an airport bus service operating to and from the hotel. Guests are offered friendly and personalised service in an informal atmosphere. Not surprisingly, our rooms are able to cater to various budgets and configurations. Central Railway Hotel's location puts all of Sydney's major attractions including The Rocks, The Harbour Bridge, Cernterpoint Tower, Darling Harbour and the Opera House-within easy reach. Quality accommodation in the heart of Sydney City Views Comfortable Rooms All our rooms have kitchenettes with microwaves, refrigerators, and others feature balconies which offer views over Chalmers street into the city. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms, hairdryers, fans, colour television, radio-clock, coffee/tea making facilities and direct dial telephone for both local and international calls. The focal point of Central Railway is the outdoor courtyard, where guests can relax and read the daily papers or browse mingle with the other guests. Kitchenette Rooms Outdoor Area FEATURES Reception open between 7am - 10pm Loads of natural light Easy access to City Undercover secure parking Easy access to all attractions Close to Restaurants and Clubs Close to Fox Studios Public transport readily available ose to all attractions SYDNEY CBD is 5 minutes away walk. SYDNEY AIRPORT is 15 minutes away by bus or taxi. OPERA HOUSE is 20 minutes away walk. HARBOUR BRIDGE is 25 minutes away walk. CONVENTION CENTRE is 15 minutes walk. DARLING HARBOUR is 10 minutes walk. BONDI BEACH is 20 minutes by bus or taxi. CENTRAL STATION is 5 minutes walk. KINGS CROSS is 10 minutes by taxi. OLYMPIC STADIUM is 30 minutes by bus or train. Restaurants and Shopping Restaurants: In the immediate vicinity of Central Railway Hotel are some of Sydney's most renowned restaurants as well as countless cafes with menus priced to suit all pockets. Within a short radius a wide variety of cuisines is offered which includes Australian, Italian, French, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indian to name a few. Our favourites Around the corner include turkish which is always packed and the takeaway side buzzes with people collecting their pide, kebabs and dips. Not to forget the south Indian fare of better-than-usual authenticity at Sagar South Indian Restaurant. There are as many vegetarian as meat options, with the enormous dosai pancakes a deserved favourite with both groups. Shopping: Our hotel is in the perfect position from where you can enjoy some of Sydney's best shopping. Most shops in Sydney are open 7 days a week. Walk to the CBD with its departments stores and close by is the Darling Harbour shopping complex. Looking for a bargain? Then Paddy's Market, Paddington Market and the Rocks Markets are fun places to find a great selection of unique goods as well as hand crafted gifts and interesting collectables.

Nack, it really depends on what you want. All that stuff about the Central Railway hotel is probably true, but the main point is that it's located further from the action than just about any hotel that's been mentioned on this site since that lady wrote in asking about hotels in Ryde. The only thing this hotel really has going for it is the old Victorian building, which would have originally been a two-storey house in Sydney's younger and more elegant days... and, I would imagine, the price. If you've come to Sydney with an agenda of places to see, and a limited time to see them, then definitely take the Park Regis in preference. If saving money is your main consideration, and you want to be away from the action and in a quiet part of Sydney (but don't walk too far west, as five blocks from the Central Railway is "the" notoriously troubled area of Sydney), then go for the Central Railway. If you're tight for time, you can always catch a bus, as they pass the hotel frequently.

As Princess Aurora, Alan, and I stated, this hotel is not in the Central Business District (CBD), which is the area most tourists stay in because of its proximity to the Harbour and most other tourist attractions. You don't need a car in Sydney, but if you stay in the CBD it is easier to walk to attractions and catch public transportation. If having a kitchenette is important to you, please take a look at the Stellar Suites on Wentworth (www.stellarsuites.com.au), the Travelodge on Wentworth, and the Travelodge on Phillips St. The Stellar Suites is an older hotel, just off Oxford St., near Hyde Park and about a 5-minute walk from the Park Regis. It was under renovation when I checked it out in Jan/Feb, but the renovations are scheduled to be finished this month. The Travelodge is about half a block from the Stellar Suites. It is a large 406-room tourist hotel that has a kitchenette with microwave, refrigerator, a set of dishes,and guest laundry facilities. The Travelodge on Phillip St is much smaller, only 86 rooms. It, too, is near Hyde Park, but on a quiet street that is a little nearer to the center of the CBD and a little closer to the harbour. See www.travelodge.com.au. If you go to needitnow.com.au, you will see that all three of these hotels and the Park Regis are around the same price as the Central Railway. In my opinion, all are better located than the Central Railway. But I am assuming you want to be in the CBD, which may not be the case. If you prefer to be on the outskirts of the CBD, then the Central Railway may be a good choice for you.

We stayed at the Park Regis for 7 days in Feb and were very pleased with the location. The hotel itself has nothing special apart from a pool and great view on the 45th floor but the price was favorable so no complaints. I'd be happy staying there again. There's a bit more in our posting 'advice on a 3 wk holiday' posted in March.

what about the grace hotel.I heard it is a lovely hotel and right near all of the shopping.(However about a 20 minute walk to the rocks)