Sydney accommodation

Sydney offers every category of accommodation – from backpacker hostels to international standard deluxe hotels (A$300-plus per night).

Sydney’s large and diverse accommodation industry caters for all budgets. At the upper end there’s the luxurious Park Hyatt Sydney, set right on the water’s edge, and the Westin Sydney, occupying the classic old post office building in Martin Place. At the lower-priced end, the ever popular Y on the Park, offers budget rooms with a near-city location. There are also many economical, self-catering apartments and reasonably priced guest guesthouses and hostels are plentiful. Bed-and-breakfasts are numerous, especially in outer suburbs and rural areas close to the city.

Sydney’s major hotel areas are around the city centre, Darling Harbour and Pyrmont, Circular Quay, Central Railway, and the inner eastern suburbs. Most hotels have in-room internet connections or wireless areas for laptops, and all backpacker hostels have computers for pay-as-you-go net surfing and email checking.

It’s worth looking on the internet for special deals, both in advance bookings and last-minute rate reductions. By all means use the sites that compare and present hotels together, but if you have a good idea of the place you wish to stay, go directly to their website and look for a ‘specials’ button. You can often get better deals this way. But be aware that there are popular times of the year, such as around new Year and January, when hotels are fully booked, so forward booking at this time of year is essential.

Although Sydney’s CBD is only 7km from the international airport, there are times when a stay at an airport hotel is necessary. Fortunately there are three good options: Hotel Formule 1 Sydney Airport is a good budget option; Ibis Hotel Sydney Airport offers mid-range value, and Airport Sydney International Inn is only a few minutes from the airport, in the quieter suburb of Arncliffe.