Sydney Hotels for a Couple
 

Hi all! I have been seeing a lot of posts for family/ group accommodations in Sydney, but I wondered if anyone could suggest a nice hotel for a young couple. We would like to be centrally located to sites and transportation, but want to keep the price within reason. Any ideas?

Thanks everyone!

Hi, Punky144!

There are lots of suggestions all over this board (just search "Sydney" above!), but we can easily extract from these a half-dozen that would exactly meet your requirements. Just help us narrow things down a bit: first, by "nice": do you consider places like a Marriott or a Four Seasons or a Holiday Inn "nice", or do you prefer something unusual and a wee bit adventurous? Second, by "within reason" would you be happy with $US50, 100, 150, 200, or more than 200? And finally, exactly what kind of facilities do you want IN the hotel? With this kind of information at hand, I am sure you'll get lots of responses!

Thanks Alan!

OK- here's what we are looking for:

100-150 range per night
Centrally located to sites and transportation

By nice, well, of course we would like a Four Seasons but can't afford it! In comparison to a US hotel chain I would say similar to a Hilton, Sheraton, or Marriot. We are adventurous though and would def consider something different if anyone has a good idea!

As for facilities inside the hotel, we probably won't be spending too much time in the hotel because we are the active types who try to fill every minute of the day with activities. It would be nice to find one where breakfast was included though. Other than that, we don't have any other special requirement!

Punky-

I am a HUGE fan of the lastminute hotel sites, as they are often great value and there's ALWAYS something in the right range available. For $100-$150US (so about $130-200AUD) there'd be heaps of choice. When are you travelling to Sydney? High season (now) is probably close to 50% higher than shoulder or low season.

I'd say stay in the city centre/rocks area or maybe even inner east. I know people who love the Mariner's Court, which is only about $75US. It's not fancy, but good value and good location. There's also the full range of Westin/Sheraton/Holiday Inns.

Oh, and depending when you're coming, the W hotel is having a promotion where it's only $99US to stay on a Sunday night...that's about $200 cheaper than it would be otherwise!

Going next month and booked The Sydney Boulevard for about AUD 120 (US$90) for 2 though Breakfast isn't included. Got that from Sydney Travelreporter site, was instant confirmation which I liked.

Hi, again, Punky144!

$120 for the Boulevard is a good price -- wotif.com's last minute rate is $125 -- and I don't know if I can beat that and give you a hotel you'd really like. At the same time, I wouldn't be happy sending you down to the Boulevard, anyway; although it has quite a history (in 1974, Frank Sinatra stayed there and was "holed up" in his suite -- actually a whole floor -- while the powerful Australian unions decided to cut the big fella down to size by refusing him services such as lighting for his concerts or fuel for his private jet), it hasn't had much of a run since, and looks like it has seen better days (which, indeed, it has). Also, it's most of the way up to King's Cross in a street that is always choked with traffic and near which a new distributor is currently under construction. Frank wouldn't stay there nowadays!

If you are willing to go as high as $AUD190, the Grace might be a good choice. A nice old art deco building reminiscent of a New York skyscraper, only much more modest in scale, it is a block back from busy George St, where all the buses run, a twenty-minute maximum walk to the harbour, quite close to the best shopping area in Sydney, and just a few blocks to both Town Hall and Wynyard subway stations. The $190 price is a wotif special, but will probably be available when you are ready to come. A google search (I used http://www.sydney.the-hotels.com/grace-hotel.htm)will let you have a look at the hotel, but the on-line booking rate is way more than wotif, and you may, in fact, do better by ringing the hotel directly. It's quite a big hotel and is unlikely to be full, except maybe on New Year's Eve.

Thanks for the info! I am coming in late August which as I understand is off-peak. Should I hold off booking until it gets closer? It seems like there aren't too many specials yet for that time..

Certainly, as far as Sydney is concerned, I would hold off booking until within a fortnight of your departure date, and then look first at wotif, and maybe follow-up with a call direct to the hotel to see if they will match or beat that price. The point to remember about Sydney is that, shortly before the Olympic Games, there was an absolute explosion of hotel construction in order to meet the accommodation needs of that event. A month after it closed, we had all these hoteliers looking around at each other, wondering what to do with all those suddenly-empty rooms. Unless you have an event like the Rugby World Cup Final, there are bound to be lots of empty rooms.... hence somebody being able to bag the Boulevard for $120. Some months ago, someone on this forum said they got the Old Sydney Holiday Inn for $165... that would be a great deal, too, if you can talk them into it. And, August being WAY off-peak, you just might be able to talk them into it! Good luck!

Thanks Alan for that advice, I checked that link and it sent me to a US site, they wanted US$ 169 a night (AUD 221)
What about the Hyde Park Plaze Suites, I can change to that with the guys I used for the Boulevard for AUD 180 a night? Looks nice, but is it??? Many tks

Hi, JamesA!

Sorry, I don't quite understand.... has the $120 deal for the Boulevard fallen through, then? I thought it was all confirmed!

Hyde Park Plaza -- I don't know what the hotel is like inside, of course (I never do, as I live in Sydney), but, location-wise, it would be better than the Boulevard. However, the better location is certainly not worth an extra $60 a night -- that's a 50% mark-up!

As with Punky144, I think your best bet is to leave things until a fortnight before you come and then check wotif.com.au.
Before you book, ring the hotel that looks like the best deal and see what they will give you over the phone. Rest assured, there won't be any disgraceful hotels on that site -- Sydney is quite a decent, civilised town nowadays; and as long as you assure yourself that the hotel you are booking is actually in the city and not in some distant suburb like Parramatta, then you can't go too far wrong; Sydney city is a compact little area which can be walked in half a day, so whatever you choose is unlikely to be more than about a kilometre and a half from one you reject.

Friends of mine stayed at the Harbour Rocks Hotel after considering many swankier places but leaving it too late to book (it was NYE!). They enjoyed it. I thought I'd mention it cos of where it is - perfect location in the narrow streets of the Rocks within spitting distance of Circular Quay. It's a heritage bldg, has character, and friendly staff. Wotif price now aud 220 but closer to the time, and in August, it might be cheaper.

One to consider? Also, wouldn't suggest it as a base but maybe for a night - Doyle's Palace Hotel in Watsons Bay. There was a review in the SMH of this place when it first opened which was very mixed - but if it was me, and I had the time (u don't say how long u will be in Sydney), and the money, and the partner, I wd take the ferry to Watsons Bay, check out the harbour beaches, and the ocean, wander the streets, see the sunset, eat at Doyles seafood restaurant (which may or may not be overrated) and stay the night.

Just a thought! Here's the review: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/...308479039.html

Don't know why I can't post this as a link - maybe cos I'm using Works not Word.

Have a wonderful trip!!!

Thanks for the advice Alan, it is that I could change to the Hyde Park suites if I want, I just booked 2 nts at Boulevard and see how it goes.

Stick with the Boulevard, JamesA; you won't be blown out of your mind by the neighbourhood, but it's only a couple og blocks to the Australian Museum, and it's quite close to Hyde Park. Walking the other way, you are only five minutes' from King's Cross, where you can get a whole new perspective (shudder!)on Sydney... but, if nothing else, there's Govinda's restaurant up there, and the prices there plus the great rates you got at the Boulevard will make you feel like you're doing Sydney at a bargain-basement rate! Write us a report about it, will you?