Pre-Cruise Accommodation in Sydney

[ozcruisiegirl]

Hello fellow cruisers,

 

I have narrowed my search for accommodation pre-cruise down to either The Mercure Hotel Sydney or The Menzies Sydney. Has anyone recently stayed at either of these hotels? Which is easier in terms of getting around Sydney. We would like to visit the zoo and maybe eat in the Chinatown area. We only need two nights accommodation. Is the Menzies really rundown as per a lot of reviews on trip advisor? I can live with it looking old fashioned but not if the wallpaper is peeling of the walls. On the other hand the rooms at the Mercure look really small. Is this the case?

 

We need accommodation for 2 adults and my 5 year old son. We will arrive Sunday afternoon and our cruise leaves on Tuesday.

 

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Regards

Ozcruisiegirl :confused:

[CruisinCat31]

I've stayed in both, and would choose a Superior Room at the Menzies, a really good size if you have a child and nice view over the park.

[ozcruisiegirl]

Thanks CruisinCat31. I was leaning to the Menzies due to the room size, but after reading a few reviews that said it was very old and in need of repairs I became unsure. A superior room it is then.

 

Ozcruisiegirl

[goodycruising]

Sometimes you can pick up things from reviews, but often it will make you feel like any place will be a hovel. Try and read between the lines, and I hope you do have a good stay. I can't recommend a place, but can only give my experience trying decide on places after reading reviews.

 

Rule of thumb we have started to use is: don't go for specials, and do book direct if possible. We have heard that they keep the not so popular rooms for the internet specials they put up with other sites. Whether that is always true I don't know but we have had issues with booking through a 3rd party and arriving to no booking. Also print out anything in regards to bookings.

[jennyau]

Also print out anything in regards to bookings.

 

Very, very good advice. I'd almost go so far as doing voice recordings. I'd NEVER recommend the Langham to anyone.

 

And the OPs original question..... I'd go for the bigger rooms at The Menzies. Trip advisor is not the be all and end all! In a way it has a bit in common with CC.... people prefer complaining to complimenting.

 

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[cassamanda]

The Menzies is fine just keep in mind it is 31/2 star not 5. Handy to Circular Quay and underground shops in the Wynyard Station tunnel system which has an entry directly opp the hotel. 5 minute walk to ferries for the zoo.

Mercure is at other end of city and a bit out of the way.

[30thbirthdaygirls]

I have tat ayes at the mecure but have stayed at the Menzies awhile back and was really disappointed with it. Yes it is definitely in need of a refurb our bed was terrible and the customer service and f & b available inside lacked a lot. The location was great though. It all depends on your budget this hotel is 3 star at most in my view. The mecure looks good from outside if you don't mind hoping on a quick train or bus it is sill pretty central, I would consider anything within the cbd area for this reason.

 

 

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[avalon007]

Lots of good deals out there on the assorted booking sites.

 

We have stayed at Radisson Blu which was nice & walking distance to the Quay.

 

We will be staying at the Marriott soon, we got a good deal (with breakfast) for a 5 star hotel & very close to the Quay, unless the weather is bad we will walk to the ship.

 

Can also recommend for a nice well priced meal the Republic Hotel on Pitt St a few blocks up from the Quay end.

 

All depends on your budget & proximity to the Quay I guess, but most Sydney hotels of any repute are not cheap & location makes a big difference to the price.

[keagle]

Have a look at The York Apartments as well. We were impressed with it. Located at 5 York street.

[amandawalker1]

We have booked the Sofitel through their web site at a really good rate (Breakfast included in the restaurant) Defiantly agree it is never a good idea to book through third party web sites, they are agents and take about 20% of what you pay for the room, so its no wonder the hotels give you the least favourable room when they are getting only 80% of the rate.

[annenic]

We have stayed in the Menzies a number of times - it is our "go-to" hotel if we need to stay in the city and we are not celebrating an occasion of any sort. We've always found it to be clean and comfortable and quiet. Never had wallpaper peeling off. It is an older hotel but good value for the money spent.

 

Very central and about the mid-way point between the Rocks and Darling Harbour so an easy walk to either.

 

Probably recommend not eating in the hotel though. We haven't eaten there so can't really comment ....but we have heard that it is not great. However, lots of eateries close by.

[frites]

Since you have a 5 year old, have you look into the apartment hotels? There are several Meriton Serviced Apartments in the area that you mentioned, near Chinatown.

If you go on their websites, you can find the floor plans and size of the apartments. The Cube Apartment is about 700 sq ft for about $275/night. The adults could have the bedroom and the child could sleep in the living room.

Another is Adina Apartment Hotel. A one bedroom apartment is about 614 sq ft for about $260/night.

[ozcruisiegirl]

Thanks everyone for your input. I will do some more searching of the internet hotel sites and see what I can find.

 

Regards

Ozcruisiegirl

[Pacificdaze]

The great advantage of a 'third-party' booking site, is that you are shown all the accommodation available in that location for your required dates. It makes it easier to compare facilities and prices, and after making your decision, you can go directly to the specific hotel website if you prefer. I have been impressed by the efficiency of using a booking site for pre- and post-cruise accommodation, with all details for our 5 booked hotels readily available on my iPad. We will be staying at the York Apartments for one night prior to Solstice Sydney-Honolulu in April.

[Waihekean]

We booked at the York apartment Hotel as well for our upcoming cruise.

Mainly because of having the extra space compared to a hotel room and it is really central.

But it also has an outdoor swimming pool and a Jacussi pool:).

Further the apartment has a balcony and a bath in the bathroom.

What could be usefull for OP too is that there is also a laundry with washer and dryer.

[ozcruisiegirl]

Hi all,

I ended up booking Menzies Hotel. $338.00 for two nights with breakfast included.

 

Regards

Ozcruisiegirl

[rugbypopsie]

That's a good price, the hotel us a little tired but in a very convenient location you can walk to he OPT easily.

 

Sue

 

 

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