Where to stay, Sydney?
 

I'll be traveling to Sydney in May...staying for four days by myself (I'm 30 years old). Looking for a place with a GREAT location, above all. Can spend up to $325/night. Suggestions?

You might want to try Quay West Suites and book one of the rooms that has a view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge/Opera House/Circular Quay.

If you like B&Bs, we stayed at the Sydney Harbour B&B, right in the Rocks area. The location is fabulous, you can walk everywhere. It's a little hippy dippy, but that's fine with me. Nice sitting room, nice garden to sit in, decent breakfast, helpful host. We had a pretty large room, and paid about $240NZ.

Alice

Try a hotel in Woolloomooloo or Potts Point or Surry Hills. All are close to the city. The first two will have hotels with sensational harbour views and with your budget you should be able to get a great room. Staying in the city is OK but I often think it's better to stay in places where residents live. Sydney's city centre is dead at night apart from the Circular Quay area. Potts Point, Woolloomooloo and Surry Hills all have a good vibe, plenty of cafes, and shops to keep you interested.

Try www.needitnow.com
www.lastminute.com
or www.cityhobo.com for more information.

If you put my screen name into the search box on this screen set against Australia you ought to get a post I did on 4th March 2008 summarising a recent review of boutique hotels in Sydney all of which fit what you want .

I guess there are loads of places that would fit. But I'm asking myself - where did I go wrong?

When I was 30 I was travelling cheap n cheerful (still am). But you are thinking of spending $325 for one night. You cannot be serious, but the scary thing is, you proabably are.

May one ask if you have ever left the US before, and why do you at age 30 feel you have to stay in a mega priced, probably global chain, anodyne hotel?

afterall , probably because she / he can .

Also look at Simpsons of Potts Point

Afterall, why does it even bother you that a 30 year old may want to spend a lot of money on a hotel for the 4 nights she is in Sydney? And why do you assume she's "never left the U.S. before". Call me crazy, but where do you even get from her post that she is American - she just says $325/night - could she not be simply referring to $325 Australian Dollars as the dollar is in fact the currency in Australia, New Zealand, Canada?

If she is American, did you ever stop to consider she may very well work at a job that only gives her 2 weeks off per year and maybe this is her only time away so she'd like to splurge?

I met up with a friend in Sydney who makes a nice income, but works (on average) 70 hours per week. She had just 2 weeks to spend in Australia - the only time she was getting off from her job for an entire year. She also wanted to spend money on a fancy hotel with a great view in a prime location. I had just come myself from spending 5 nights in a South Australian hostel where one of my bunk mates was scratching herself raw from the bed bug bites that covered her body at another hostel. I'm in my 30s and during my Australian trip I stayed in 6 to 12-bunk hostel rooms, B&Bs, slept on people's couches, $50/night motels, $100/night hotels and even splurged 3 times and split a fancy hotel with a friend. Why? Because in your 30s you can travel however you want to.

Fodor's demographic is clearly not the same as Thorn Tree. So I see no reason why you should find it "scary" when someone on this board asks a question about a nice hotel.

We stayed at Simpsons at Potts Point in January for a few nights.
Delighful accomodation,great location and wonderful hosts. It is not a large hotel chain,maybe only 15 rooms. More of a boutique style. We would stay there again.

Also try www.wotif.com and always check the hotel website. I second Quay West if you can get a harbour view which is cheaper than Quay Grand. The Four Seasons (great service) is showing under $300 for May in wotif. Stay in the Circular Quay area. Hopefully the sun will shine in May!

We prefer B&Bs and boutique hotels to the larger full-service places. We stayed at the Russell House (http://www.therussell.com.au/the-russell-hotel.html), which is in a perfect location on George Street in The Rocks. We found the staff extremely helpful and accommodating, breakfast was very good, and we were within easy walking distance of many of the main main sights. Here are distances from their Web site:

* Sydney Opera House - 5 minutes walk
* Sydney Harbour Bridge - 5 minutes walk
* Museum of Contemporary Art - 1 minute walk
* Ferry, bus and train - 2 minutes walk
* Botanic Gardens - 5 minutes walk
* CBD, Queen Victoria Building and shops - 20 minutes walk
* Darling Harbour - 30 minutes walk/15 minute ferry
* Bondi and other city beaches - half hour bus ride
* Manly Beach - half hour ferry ride

One warning: There is no elevator so some rooms require walking up a couple of flights of stairs. Rates for ensuite room from $245-$290 ($199-$245 low season) and include breakfast.

I concur with Ceidleh. We stayed at Quay West and had the killer view, and were completely satisfied (which usually, I am not). If I recall we found the best price on wotif.com or needitnow.com and the hotel ended up matching that rate.

Aloha, beatofhawaii.com

WE stayed at Quay Grand and had a suite which was like a luxurious one-bed apartment and a balcony on Circular Quay with a fab view of the bridge: excellent place to enjoy a leisurely breakfast.

Hello kjschulz99 - Wotif is showing plenty of 5 star accommodation, incl some of those mentioned, in your price range during May. You might also think about staying at the not nearly as flash, but clean, safe and very reasonably priced Travelodge Wynyard, conveniently located to the Quay, Rocks, Bridge, and CBD/ shopping precinct and putting the savings towards having a good time out and about. IMhumbleO, would strongly recommend staying at or near the Quay on a first trip, rather than at Potts Point, Woolloomooloo or Surry Hills.

I recommend either the Circular Quay or Rocks area. You're close to many of the major sights in that location, and you can easily take a ferry to other areas - a fun way to travel.