My travel agent has given us prices for these hotels. Has anyone stayed please comment. Novotel Palm Cove, Novotel Darling Harbour and Hunter Resort.

We stayed at the Novotel Palm Cove because many people on the web board recommended it, but it wasn't that spectacular. The first room we got was so musty I almost got sick. So they moved us to a room that was better but not great. The restaurants on site were adequate, but nothing to write home about. The buffet could have been better. The work out room was pathetic! It was an ok hotel if you were just there to shower & sleep. If you were looking for a resort..it will be disappointing.

There weren't a ton of choices in Palm Cove for hotels and restaurants. If I had to do it over again I would have stayed in Port Douglas, since most of our tours left from there and it was a bigger city.

Hi, obrien641!
I can speak only for Sydney. This is such a lovely city, with tons of beautiful scenery and hotels looking at it all around the foreshores,that I am constantly surprised that anyone would ever want to stay at Darling Harbour. I guess that the big hotels that found cheap building sites around there have managed to coonvince people that it's the same as Sydney Harbour. It isn't. Darling Harbour is a collection of ugly buildings and freeway overpasses, a convention centre, and an Imax Theatre clustered around a rather dismal piece of water that is a far cry in character (not far in distance) from the white and blue of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. The Novotel is an ultra-modern hotel which is part of this complex... I can't remember which one, exactly, but who could tell the difference anyway? You'd be better off down near the Rocks, or in the middle of the shopping centre around the Town Hall. Then you wouldn't have to start each day planning on how to get to somewhere interesting. (There are two museums near Darling Harbour... the Maritime and the Powerhouse; if your main reason for coming to Sydney was to visit these, and you're absolutely sick of blue harbours and white sailboats, then I take all this back).

Thank you for all your help. I am glad I asked. We are not planning on going until November 2004. So I have time to have the TA rework the hotels.

Reread Alan's posting and heed every word! He is spot on correct in his description of Darling Harbor.

The poster who said he or she would stay in Pt. Douglas if they were to do it again is also dead right. Forget Palm Cove. There are many charming places to stay in Pt Douglas and it's the departure point for many of the interesting tours and side trips.

One last thought....maybe you need a new travel agent. One who has some personal experience with the areas you plan to visit.
Just a thought.

I have stayed at Darling Harbor Novotel on three different trips to Sydney! It's my first choice when I visit this wonderful city. I always ask for a harbor view room. When I arrive in SYD at about 6 in the morning, it is such a lovely "wake up call" to look out the window and think..."I'm here!"

I've also stayed at Old Sydney Park Royal (rocks area) and at the Holiday Inn Menzies. IMO, staying at Sydney Harbor is too far away from the things I want to see/do. The Novotel at Darling Harbor is next to the monorail, which takes me to my shopping places, and a water taxi to Sydney Harbor is just steps away... for boat rides, zoo, Manly Beach, etc.
Carol

I cannot comment on your particular hotels but do have some thoughts on your locations. First we stayed recently in both Palm Cove at the Siebel and in Port Douglas at the Radisson and I do not think that Port Douglas is necessarily better than Palm Cove. We really liked the suite we had at the Siebel and the beach is very close and there is a very cozy feel to Palm Cove. Port Douglas is much larger and more convenient to trips to the GBR and Daintree but often the hotels are further from the beach. Night life is also better in Port Douglas. Which place you prefer will depend on what you want.
We stayed at the Cir Quay in Sydney and would recommend staying near the Rocks as well. Having said that I do not think Darling Harbor is a bad choice. The hotels are less expensive, I do not think it is ugly, (although it is modern and touristy) and it is close to the town centre and chinatown.

Obrien,

Once again, Alan is spot on! I agree with his comments about Darling Harbour, but that's just ME. What you need to do is ask questions of your travel agent and provide them with information about your likes/dislikes.

You might ask the agent why they recommended these particular hotels, and supply your agent with the type of property you're looking for (you know, something along the lines of...walking distance to major attractions, but not a huge Hilton or Hyatt hotel, etc. Whatever your preferences are.

In Palm Cove I recommend the Sebel which is a wonderful property that I've stayed at (as well as toured others in the area too); I've never had a client who didn't enjoy their stay there. As far as the difference between Palm Cove and Port Douglas, again, that's for you to decide which area appeals to you - something a little more laid back, quiet (Palm Cove)or touristy with lots of shops/restaurants (Port Douglas).

Regards,

Melodie
Certified Aussie Specialist

Hi, again, obrien641!
You will pardon a second reply, I hope.... today I was in the city, so I decided to go down to Darling Harbour and see which one of the half-dozen American chains around there was the Novotel. It's on the Sydney side of the "harbour" (for that word, read "estuary&quot, right at some major freeway exits (to the west and to the Bridge). The smell of petrol fumes will greet you every time you step out of your door. If your previous poster gets a room with a "harbour view" don't think that this refers to Sydney Harbour.... the view is of Darling Harbour, which is, believe me, nothing to write home about. If you DO stay in this place, however, make absolutely sure you get a room with a "harbour" view, as the "other side" view is the three-tier concrete carpark of the Entertainment Centre, which is adjacent. Step outside the main door of the Novotel and you're in a tiny grassed area between the ugly Entertainment Centre and your hotel. It's the kind of grassed area where weary parents with shopping bags set themselves down in the daytime (that's okay) and let the kids run around (there's a McDonald's nearby) and people who have had too much to drink set themselves down at night. Directly to your left is Chinatown, which is a lively place full of cheap eateries, but, judging from the litter on the streets, pretty short on kerbside bins. Almost opposite is another hotel called "Southern Cross On Harbour", a name which always offends me because most overseas tourists booking it would assume that the name implied that it was on the foreshores of Sydney Harbour..... but the omission of the word "Sydney" (or even the word "the&quot in the name is significant, because this, too, is nowhere near Sydney Harbour, and I think the management ought to be flogged for misleading tourists. To sum up all of the above.... why not try the Old Sydney Holiday Inn, or the Four Seasons (George St) or the Marriott Circular Quay, or the Sir Stamford, or, if you're flush with funds, the Park Hyatt.... all perfectly good American-type hotels (if that's what you are looking for... if not, look at the Russell or the Lord Nelson Brewery) that are actually situated very near to what you came to see, and therefore don't need to indulge in misleading advertising to attract their guests ("harbour view" indeed!)

I really have to disagree with Lyndsey.
Palm Cove is an absolutely beautiful sanctuary of peace and quiet. There are plenty of places to eat and its a good base with access to a wide area.
We stayed at the Oasis which may not be considered the No 1 place at PC but it was absolutely beautiful with great apartments and we were very pleased with the whole area.
Port Douglas is a lovely place too, slightly larger and busier than PC. Its only a short ride up the coast.
But Lyndsey please don't tell people to "Forget Palm Cove" just because you prefered somewhere else. Travelling is a subjective thing don't you think?

Muck

I note that obrien641 said that he would get his TA to take a look at some other hotels in Sydney - thats OK but why not leave that and do it yourself nearer the time you are coming and do it on www.wotif.com.au and get really good prices?
There are many, many very good hotels in Sydney and you can book them yourself within 14 days of your arrival and get something better than hoped for for far less than your travel agent will with perhaps some extras thrown in as well.
The Hunter resort is expensive as well and you also could do a search on wotif for something there as well - look up Hunter Valley for resorts. For North Queensland both www.wotif.com.au and a subsiduary wotif hotels in Australia offer good deals with the latter giving you longer term deals with inclusions. I cannot remember the exact web site but you can go to it from the main site anyway. Look under Tropical Queensland / Cairns region / Daintree / Port Douglas etc and you will cover that area. You will be surprised at what you will save on accommodation and then you have more money to spend on excursions and gifts etc.

PS
Darling Harbour? - no thanks!

Hi

Can I join in too?? We stayed in the Rocks area in Sydney - (Quay West) and loved the activity around there - it was perfect for our first Sydney visit. Stayed at Palm Cove in the Novatel and had a great suite there and actually had some good food there. The area was quieter than Port Douglas but very convenient for Kuranda and Cairns. Got a really great rate for Novatel using their Accor hotels site and saved some money there too. Spent it easily heading out to the reef.

As far as last minute reservations we had great luck using Wotif and Needitnow as Janese (Liz??) says and saved on nicer places using these sites. People on this board (Alan, Liz, Alf,and Melodie) helped make our trip to OZ and NZ so much nicer as I'm sure Mucky will agree.

My advice would be to get yourself more involved with your trip - find some great places to see and stay!!

Thanks for all the great advise. I have been looking at other postings to get an idea about things to see and do. There had been 4 in our group to start with now we are down to 3 ladies.
I am going to look into those last minute deals also.
We have changed our trip so many times since July when we first started this idea. Keep the ideas coming.

Agree with most other postings - Darling Harbour is only an estuary of the main Sydney Harbour and it's built-up and ugly - stay at the Rocks or Manly which is only a half hour ferry ride. Palm Cove is a northern beach of Cairns - has recently been awarded "Cleanest Beach in Australia" which says something - it is smaller than Port Douglas but has some world class accommodation - Angsana Resort and Spa is one of them. It's only about half hour bus ride into Cairns, much handier to Skyrail than Port Douglas - some reef trips pick up at Palm Cove wharf which is only minutes walk from anywhere you would stay. Other reef trips which leave from Cairns also pick up at Palm Cove for a small cost.

We just got from a stay at Darling Harbor. Actually, we (a family of four, (two being in their early 20s and well, the other two their parents)) truly enjoyed staying there. There was a vibrancy to the area. We had NO trouble getting anywhere we wanted to go. We would actually enjoy staying there again. Can't comment on your hotel itself, however.

Forgot to mention that we were just across Pyrmont Bridge (a "walking" bridge" from some fantastic restaurants, right on the waterfront.

During our recent trip to Sydney, we stayed at the Quay West near the Rocks area and the view of Sydney Harbour was to die for. Absolutely spectacular. But I must add we went to Darling Harbour a lot, more often than I expected, and sometimes I found it mildly annoying that Darling Harbour was not a bit closer to our hotel! We were travelling with kids, so on three separate days we were at Darling Harbour going to the Aquarium (which is fabulous), the Maritime Museum, and the Powerhouse Museum. While there, we also enjoyed the IMAX theater twice and a wonderful Malaysian restaurant Chinta Ria. So for a family trip, I could see some advantages to staying right in Darling Harbour itself as it is loaded with kid-pleasing attractions. As I said, getting to Darling Harbour from the Quay West with all the kids was a minor nuisance. But having said that, everyone is right, Darling Harbour is rather ugly in many ways and is a very different experience from the magestic Sydney Harbour. For an adult trip like yours, I would definitely stay in the "real" harbor.

I STILL like Darling Harbor!! By "harbor view", I did mean Darling Harbor( and NO, it's not circular quay). Sorry I didn't explain that. You also get a lovely view of the city from the Novotel. And I've got the photos taken from my window to prove it.

In my five visits to Sydney, I've found that the Darling Harbor Novotel is my favorite (IMHO) because it suits my needs. If you like shopping, it's a nice monorail ride across the Darling Harbor to good shopping. There is also the Darling Harbor complex with shops and food right there at hand.

I happen to have found a nice restaurant in China Town that I usually visit (with friends from Sydney) and the food is always great, as well as the pleasant company. And a nice WALK from Novotel.

I have not noticed the smell of fumes or anything else "ugly" about Darling Harbor. As a woman, traveling alone to Australia, I like to be in a location with activity and people and easy transportation to other places. Darling Harbor has all that.

I've looked at the other posts but have not read your ages (obrien641) but see that you are 3 ladies. I've been travelling alone to Australia since age 45. Is that about your age as well? If you are 3 younger "gals" you might prefer beach areas. You don't really say.

I've been to the GBR 3 times and have always stayed in Cairns. But I recall writing in my travel journal (I write everyday!) that Port Douglas looked like another option! Palm Cove looked a bit too quiet for me. I like being around other people. The Aussies are very friendly. You can strike up a conversation on an elevator, at the street corner, etc.

In any case, I know you will enjoy your trip to Australia!

Carol