My girlfriend and I need a place to stay for 3 nights in Sydney. I'm looking for something relatively cheap, but still nice. And smaller, I prefer to avoid big chains....

Thoughts on the Pensione Hotel, Grace Hotel, or other ideas I haven't come across yet??

Much appreciated

If you want something right down in the Rocks in an historic building and can swing $180/nt AUD, then go for the Lord Nelson Brewery. They might even have rooms without bathrooms for less. Walking distance to the bridge, the old parts of town, the ferries, etc. and right by where many busses stop. Our room was plain but comfy on the 3rd floor, no elevator.
Sally in Seattle

I friend stayed at the Dive Hotel in Coogee (right near the beach) and really liked it. The price is $170 for a standard room:

http://www.divehotel.com.au/pages/rates.htm

Also out of the city area: the Hughenden Hotel (near cnr Queens and Oxford St, Woollhara/Paddington). "cosy" rooms are listed for $128. This is a good neighbourhood for shopping and eating and it's right on a number of bus routes.

http://www.wotif.com/hotel/View?hotel=W6474

Can't go wrong at http://www.australianheritagehotel.com/ King size bed in a gigantic room, and OK, shared facilities but on the loo at end of the hall you can perve on the Opera House.

Just ask for a room facing the Harbour than the bridge, for general noise is not so bad but there's an intermittent counter clunk in the early hours of lighter traffic which is a pain.

But as for the rooms decor, you'll think you're back in the 1880s or sometime, absolutely wonderful and with what you save you can afford a good dinner and their rooftop restaurant ain't a half bad idea either.

You may also want to do a pub crawl of sorts - http://www.therocks.com/sydney-Educa...s_Pub_Tour.htm

We stayed at the Grace Hotel last month. It was very convenient, only a block or so from the Queen Victoria Building, and very handy to Darling Harbour. The rooms were nice, but not as big as the Marriott, and there is no pool. The history is interesting. (Headquarters of Gen. MacArthur in WW2 Pacific Campaign). Last week, we stayed at the Marriott in College St, and had a much nicer room, and lovely view across Hyde Park to the War Memorial.
Whilst the Grace lobby etc. is historic, the rooms are modern.

John Fitz reported a great list of smaller boutique hotels in Sydney. I've just brought it back to the top.

Suppose the definition of relatively cheap comes into play with the Boutiques Susan, relatively cheap a few aren't, on my paupers scale anyway.

Here are two from John's post, $70 is pretty cheap to me.


Devere Hotel ,
44- 46 Macleay St PP , around A$128 per night .This the main street running from Kings Cross through PP and down to the harbour

Challis Lodge ,
21 Challis Ave , PP .Rooms on wotif around A$70- 80 .just off Macleay with great cafes underneath owned by the hotel owners t

Yep, Wotif and other booking sites can be used for price range searches easily enough and I've seen the Devere with rooms as low as $49, but do not expect much of a room.

Their better rooms with balconies etc. as you might hope for with a Boutique hotel go up to boutique price - old story - you get what you pay for.