Help! Leaving for Australia on Sunday and I've had such a hard time booking a hotel in Sydney...Will be staying in Sydney May 29-June 2 and tried to book the Travelodge Wentworth but they won't guarantee the rate if you don't reside in Australia, the South Pacific or New Zealand. Does anyone have input, or can someone recommend a similar hotel? Willing to stay anywhere in Sydney for around $90US...looking for a nice place with a good size room though.

Look up www.wotif.com.au and you will find heaps of hotels - I'll check for you too and get back to you with some ideas.

Try lastminute.com.au or wotif.com.au - to give you an idea of hotels available and prices. Your timing is outside their cover - they do only 2 weeks in advance. You could contact the hotels direct, and see what they offer.

Try waiting another week, and book online from wherever you are.

I'm not sure what you're going to get for $90US though. Travelodge Wentworth is not in a particularly good area. I've never seen that "Rates to Australian residents" thing before. Perhaps they got sick of tourists booking and cancelling, when they found out where it was.

I googled Sydney Hotels, and looked at the side adds - some of them lead to good hotel options!

Perhaps Alan will be along soon - with other options.

The Russell hotel at the Rocks is showing $125 Au per night and you cannot get a better position than that. Just leave it until you get to Australia, find an internet cafe and get on wotif and book then, there are lots to choose from and in your price range. The Old Holiday Inn Sydney is another good one and reasonable, The Menzies Four Seasons but I would go for The Russell, its not your average American Chain Hotel so don't expect all the trimmings but it is lovely and nowhere has a better position.

I am staying at the Sydney Harbor Marriott over the same days for $115 American dollars per night plus taxes. I got the rate through priceline (http://www.priceline.com). Just choose a five star hotel for those dates and request $115 per night. The Sydney Marriott is considered a four star hotel on priceline and someone got a room there from 6/1 to 6/3 for $100 per night plus taxes and service fees.
The hotels available as a five star in Sydney are the Sheraton on the Park and Sydney Harbour Marriott. The Sydney Marriott and Four Points by Sheraton Darling Harbour are the four star hotels available.

Below is a link to a website that lists what people have bid to obtain hotels in Australia and southeast Asia:

http://p071.ezboard.com/fpricelinean...abiddingfrm247

I think the Russell is a bed and breakfast place and yes it is in a good position near the harbour and the city.An equally well placed hotel in the same area is the Holiday Inn Old Sydney which gets rave reports.

njgirl - I was at the Russell about 6 weeks ago - price was then AUD$290 for "deluxe" room with harbour view which was dominated by nearby Opera House. There were less expensive rooms, but I didn't see them. It's rather charming "old worlde" - no elevator and small restaurant downstairs. It's regularly listed in Frommers as one of the "top 14 guesthouses and B&Bs" in the country.