We spent 4 nights at The Stellar. There's an IGA around the corner on Oxford. Bought our breakfast fixings and ate in the room. Our room faced Wentworth and was reasonably quiet. Comfortable bed. Hot water. We walked everywhere in the CBD and beyond. Central Station. Paddy's Market. Paddington. Kings Cross. Royal Botanical Gardens.
My partner and I stayed over NYE, was quite pricey ($500ish just for the 31st of Dec, but that was still relatively cheap compared to other accommodation in Sydney city, plus we booked it 2 days before, very last minute!)
We stayed in a studio apartment on the 6th floor. The room was spacious enough, very clean and organised. The only things I could complain about would be the lack of bright lighting and how small the flat screen tv was BUT other than that, nothing to complain about.
The staff were very welcoming and friendly/ The day before we arrived we asked if there was a stove top included in the kitchen, we were advised they do not have any so upon our arrival, they had placed a hot-plate and a fry pan + cooking utensils for us to use if we wanted to. I thought that was pretty nice of them considering we didn't even ask for it.
Also, the cleaning staff were very sweet and polite when they came to give us fresh towels :-)
The rooms in this small hotel were clean and comfortable. The hotel is very conveniently located. Restaurants, shops and the railway station were a short walk away. The staff were helpful. Parking was available at a reasonable cost. Highly recommended.
I booked a room about 5 hours from Auckland airport before checking in end November, for just 1 night. Expected a 4 star hotel, considering the price of AUD399. Checked in at 8PM and out next day at 9am. The hotel and the room failed to meet reasonable expectations, considering the rating and description on booking engines and the price. It was definitely not 4 stars.
I got a quiet facing studio room on the 4th Level.
My impressions:
1. Small hotel, felt very budget like, definitely not 4 star. I would give 2.5-3 stars.
2. Friendly single night receptionist did a quick check in and gave me enough information I required.
3. Room adequate, not 4 star standard, tired and dated. Not spacious but not very small. Average. Ditto the bathroom - quite dated. More effort required to get good cleanliness. Shower head and taps needs replacing. Hot water and power, good.
4. No room service - so had to go out for dinner. Cafe closed for the night. Good cafe / pub food within 10-15 minute easy walk away.
5. Great location, quite central, walking distance to George & Pitt Sts. Near train station.
6. Requested a late check out 12 pm instead of 10am. Not granted. No problem, left bag at storage. Polite and friendly morning receptionist did a quick check-out.
7. Cafe breakfast, did not bother.
8. Very difficult to get taxis. I had to go to nearby Pullman to get a cab.
9. Very expensive for what I got and not worth the cost.
This was the best hotel stay I have had. The hotel itself from the outside looks nice, well-kept, and boutique-like. Inside was just as positive - lovely studio apartment-type room. I was impressed with how well-kept the room was. Boutique feel and charm with modern fittings - clean, well-presented, and 100% functional. It was the first time, at any hotel in the countries I have stayed, where there wasn't one problem. I had no reason to phone the desk to ask for something missing, get something repaired, or ask for instruction on how to use something. That, itself was such a relief. The hotel desk staff were friendly, helpful, and inviting. The cleaning staff were polite and certainly seemed to ensure the rooms were cleaned to the last detail. The location was perfect for me. I could jog in Hyde Park in the morning - right across the street. Easily get to the train - right across the street and a two minute walk, and have immediate access to shops, theatres and cafes on Oxford and Stanley Streets. Central to all main centres and shops in the city. Thank you BW Sydney. You made my Christmas holiday so pleasantly remember-able!
We stayed here for four nights at the beginning of December. The location of the hotel is excellent, very near museum station and you can walk to Circular Quay in about 35 minutes, but if you would rather travel round by bus there are stops nearby and the open top bus stops just up the road. Our room was on the 5th floor facing the back and was very well appointed and decorated beautifully. We didn't have any problem with the air conditioning or the shower and found the room to be spotlessly clean. The hotel information pack quite clearly states that the cleaning staff do not wash your dirty dishes for you, and our room was always cleaned to a high standard and the toiletries replaced without asking. There are complimentary tea and coffee making facilities, again replenished without needing to ask.
The reception staff were all very friendly and helpful. We didn't use the coffee shop or the breakfast room so can't comment on those. We didn't use the free WiFi but used the PCs in the lounge area which was fine for our purposes. The not so good points of the hotel are the lift is incredibly slow, we tended to use the stairs most days. Also the bar area is a little unwelcoming and not very well laid out. The bar is a serving hatch into the kitchen and the large leather furniture takes up a large amount of room and doesn't seat many people comfortably. Having said that we did enjoy happy hour in there on most evenings, but the seating does need to be revamped to make it more comfortable.
One other point is that we booked our airport shuttle bus via the hotel for an early morning pick up. The bus was late and there was no way of contacting them before 7am to check that it was on its way. Also it took nearly an hour to get to the airport which needs to be borne in mind if you decide to use the service. Next time we'd probably take a cab rather than undertake the tortuous journey round Sydney hotels.
Overall this is a good hotel for most purposes, the front door is locked from 7pm and only opens with a valid room key, so we felt secure here.
