Darren

Hello everyone, I am looking for a good hotel in the Rocks area. I would prefer to spend less than US$100 per night and am willing to sacrifice quality for location. Anyone have any advice?<BR>Thanks!

Alan

Hi, Darren!<BR><BR>The best hotel around the Rocks is the Russell; its location is unbeatable and it's a beautiful colonial building just three storeys high. You can get a large double room there for $AUD180, which is just under your limit.<BR>You can check it out and book online at this website: www.australia.travelmall.com/travelmall/hotel/Sydney+(NSW)/The+Russell+Hotel<BR><BR>A cheaper alternative is the Mercantile, which hasn't got the charm but is still great on location -- it's even further down towards the Bridge, right in the heart of the Rocks! I would expect a room there to cost under $AUD100 a night. Be warned, though... it is primarily a drinker's pub, and there will be lots of noise and activity happeneing downstairs! Check this one out on http://cs.anu.ed.au/TPHOLs98/hotels.html<BR><BR>Hope one of these is suitable... otherwise you may see something you like on that second site. But, if you can afford it, go for the Russell. When you step outside and see just where you are, you won't be sorry.

Mina

Darren:<BR><BR>Alan makes a great suggestion with the Russell hotel. It's what I like to call a "kick-ass" location. I didn't check out the hotel on the inside (dumb move on my part) but lots of people on this site love it.<BR><BR>I actually stayed at the B&B Sydney Harbour. It's just a few minutes walk from the Russell. It's right next to the Ana Hotel, so the location is pretty good. I will say though, that you want a room that faces the courtyard. If you get a room facing the street, there is a highway, or something like that right next to the hotel. I am deaf in one ear, so I was able to get past all the cars vrooming by. <BR><BR>The website for the B&B Sydney Harbour is http://www.bbsydneyharbour.com.au/<BR><BR>I believe I paid about $77.50 USD for a single, but was upgraded to the Barton room, which goes for about $89 (but again, it has that noise factor). Those prices included a pretty good breakfast. <BR><BR>Hope that helps.

ramon

Darren,<BR>About three blocks south of the Rocks and Circular Quay on George St and Bond is the Saville Suites 2 Bond Street. Look it up at at www.savillesuites.com.au. We paid AUS $220/night (US around $108) which included breakfast. This gets you to about the US $100 a night- less if you have two people. Use their internet booking for the best prices. The rooms are five star quality much better than I expected. Marble bathroom with granite countertops. Full kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel oven. Big size room for an executive suite i'd say about 480 square feet. The bathroom even has a stackable washer dryer and they supply the soap! Room also has VCR and CD player -and is located very close to a grocery (Coles Express inside the Wynward Railway Starion) and to a lot of take out restaurants. I timed myself 8-10 minutes walk (depending on lights) to circular quay and the beginning of the rocks. The hotel is obviously for business travelers as almost all of the breakfast folks were wearing suits. there is even a pool and jacuzzi on the top floor. I stayed on the sixth floor and traffic noise was not a problem. It's not as service oriented as the tourist type hotels in terms of setting up tours and stuff like that and is not in the tourist district but if you are a savvy traveller and can take care of yourself this is definitely one of the better places for the money if you want a quality hotel and room.

jill

Darren<BR>We stayed at the Holiday Inn in the Rocks, just down from the Russell and it too is a fantastic location. Don't know the rate because we had a package, but still worth checking out - even though it is a holiday inn.

Cecilia

Darren,<BR>We stayed in the Mercantile and you just can't beat the location right in the centre of the Rocks area. It's a very popular Irish Pub downstairs and they do have bands playing in the evening,so yes it will be a bit noisy at times.But who wants to go to bed at 10pm anyway when you're in Sydney?<BR>We paid AUS$140 (around 78 US dollars)for a double room with jacuzzi and breakfast. The rooms with shared bathrooms are even cheaper. The double room was very spaciuos with a huge bathroom.We would definately stay there again.

Alan

Cecilia, I was very interested to read your favourable report on the Mercantile... because of its location I have recommended it several times to people on this forum, but I have always been a bit uneasy doing so, because I have never actually spoken to anyone who's stayed there. It's certainly an interesting looking place... a real Australian pub in the middle of an historic area, but every time I walked past there's been a lot of noise going on in the bar, which is the main reservation I had about recommending it. It's good to hear that the noise wasn't particularly bothersome. I will, in future, recommend it more often!

Phil

<BR>As a Sydney residient I would advise against staying in the rocks area simply because of the excessive cost.<BR><BR>Check out the George hotel on george st. its about a 15 minute walk to the rocks and you can get a double room there for about AUS$60 (US$32), its not top class obviously but its spotlessly clean and is about as central as it gets.<BR><BR>As a general bit of advice, don't confine ourself to the rocks, thats just where all the tourists go!

Alan

I agree with Phil, above: the George is a real budget choice, and, so they tell me, if you book it for the whole week the rate comes down even more. It's close to Chinatown, where many of the bargain-basement eateries are. But if we are talking really budget, I would opt for the Criterion, which is even better-located than the George and around the same price (though they don't have weekly rates). It's also considerably nicer than the George, which is really only a doorway between two shops and a staircase leading up... not the most welcoming place to arrive at when you've just come to a strange city! (The Criterion is a three-storey art-deco building on a major corner just near the Town Hall).<BR>There are several other hotels around the same price range. The point is, that tourists coming to Sydney shouldn't feel that they have to pay inflated prices just because they're visitors... the locals never do!