which hotel in sydney for 1st timer
 

Hi - starting to plan my trip - hope to be in Sydney the 27th of March for 5 nights to begin my journey. Here are the options/rates I have so far....would appreciate any input.

Old Sydney Holiday Inn $213AUD
Lord Nelson Brewery $180AUD
Russell Hotel $195AUD
Harbour Rocks Hotel $185AUD w/o breakfast $215AUD with
Bed & Breakfast Sydney Harbour (142 Cumberland St) $228AUD

I also found something in Potts Point - is this somewhere I want to be?

Thanks for your help!

I wish Alan would get online and help with this as he's so good on Sydney.

For my 2 cents worth here goes:

From past posts the Lord Nelson brewery is a hotel over a pub (could get noisy at night)

Russell Hotel has not A/C - it's fairly warm at that time of year.

Sydney B & B is next to the old ANA hotel and in a good location and has received good reviews.

Harbor Rocks Hotel is (I think) under the thruway and could possibly be quite noisy.

Old Sydney Holiday Inn is in a very nice location with a few floors. Price is not bad for the location. Harbor view is probably from rooftop garden.

Potts Point - I'm not familiar with the hotels there.

This is just my opinion but I would avoid Potts Point. I stayed there and it's right near King's Cross which is a 'red-light' district. We thought it was too far from the sites we wanted to see and places we wanted to visit. Always required a bus or taxi ride.

Where did you find a rate of AUD213 for the Holiday Inn? We're thinking of staying there in midMay and saw higher rates on their website.
Thanks.
RitaA

Hi, mishoe01!
The most important thing I have to add to the above advice is to get Potts Point right out of your mind.... it's just far enough out of town to waste your time in taxis or buses, and it's very close to some dubious areas which you might be wisest to avoid (Kings Cross).
I think the Bed and Breakfast Sydney Harbour is a little overpriced, though it's a nice place. The Harbour Rocks without breakfast is pretty good, but for an extra $10 you can have the Russell, which is a nicer building and in an even better location. The Lord Nelson Brewery is a great old building also, but it's another five-minute walk through the Rocks from these others. However, the area it is in is quiet and elegant, and has changed little in a hundred years.... I think I would choose that one, but, then, I don't mind a walk.
The Old Sydney Holiday Inn is, well, a Holiday Inn, and if that's what you are looking for, I must say you wouldn't find a better-located one anywhere in the southern hemisphere.... it's right in the Rocks, surrounded by great little shops and arcades. It is very different from the others you have chosen, as it is modern, air-conditioned, and "American". That price is, it seems, cheaper than you sometimes see it, although I have seen at least one post on this forum that quoted a room there as well below $AUD200. I guess it depends on the season and what specials they are running.
The one in the Rocks you didn't mention is the Mercantile... check the prices there also before making your final choice. It's a little more down-market than the others, but it's in a great location, and if Irish pubs appeal to you, this might be a bargain-basement c (for the Rocks area) choice. There's another bed-and-breakfast called the Australian up near the ticket office for the Harbour Bridge climb... worth checking out also.
Of course, if you REALLY want to save money, try the Palisade (a room with a view of the Bridge for around $AUD120, but it's pretty basic) or one of the hotels around the Town Hall, like the Coronation (a bit over $AUD100) or the Criterion (share a bath, but the rooms are only about $AUD65). Another rather nice choice in the "share-bath" category is the Grand in Hunter Street.... about $AUD120 for a double room. It's a seven-minute walk to the harbour, but it's VERY close to the Wynyard Subway station.
Hope this has been of some help -- or have I just confused the issue by throwing even more names at you?

I think the old sydney holiday inn is now the old sydney parkroyal.

there was a recent thread on the harbour rocks...a frequent poster Andrew /David had a price at A150 for mid april.

Thanks for the thoughts -

Alan - I will look at the others you mentioned--thanks!

RitaA - the $213AUD rate is through a consortium of BTI (Business Travel International) for a standard room. This needs to be booked through a travel agent that belongs to BTI. If you can't find one - right now for these dates it looks like they have a Best Breaks rate of $260AUD.

Thanks for the information.

RitaA

I think it is the other way round - the Old Sydney Parkroyal is now the Holiday Inn!

Prue
I stand corrected. But these hotel compamies do tend to shuffle the cards pretty regularly.

who is going to win thw world cup?

I would like to say there is no question - but unfortunately all these other teams seem to have the same idea!!!
It is going to be a great contest.

My strong recommendation - check www.wotif.com.au. You should find that the rate you get from Wotif is very substantially less than rack rate, depending on the dates - check the site and you'll see what I mean. I think some people have found the walk-up rate cheaper than Wotif's, but that will always happen.