Hotel berhampiran Barcom Avenue Park, Sydney

OH! Firstly it is important to note that we chose Oxford House because of its close proximity to St Vincent Hospital. We would normally chose a large chain hotel with the added comforts because, well, who doesn’t like the nicer things when they travel. Oxford house is definitely not your average hotel. Its boutique, artsy, personal feel is felt throughout the entire property. From the second you enter Oxford House, no matter who is at the reception desk, you can guarantee your greeting will be warm and welcoming from the very first encounter. Any interaction with staff thereafter is as warm, friendly and genuinely caring. I read reviews (as you do) prior to our stay and a lot referred to the level of customer service. I, personally like nice linen, a comfortable bed, a good pillow, a pool, view. You know, that sort of thing. Oxford House ticked all my boxes above but it also ticked a box that wasn’t super important prior to this stay. It’s all about the customer service. We loved all the staff but our absolute favourite ladies were Carla and Alisha. Nothing was an effort for Carla and let me tell you, she’s got the skills to get things done. Our trip was complicated with hospital trips several times a day and we were filled with emotion and exhausted . Walking back through those doors of an evening, almost felt like home. Carla was particularly lovely and my 10 year old daughter adored her. By the time we left I felt like I had made a friend. Hotel was wonderful but Carla brought it up that extra level.

The good - the location is pretty central and the bed was very comfortable. The ride to/from the airport was about 20 minutes and about 50 dollars Aus. We could book the room for one night on the New Years' weekend and it was ＜ $200 US. The rest - Overall, the Kirketon could use an update. The hotel facility was retrofitted into the building and while this can produce a fun and funky (in a good way) experience, the Kirketon is more funky (in not a good way). The lobby and room furnishings are tired and weird (not in a ”hip” way). The windows are FILTHY. I think the room and bathroom were clean but the lighting is not great. There is no lift so be prepared to carry you and all your stuff up the stairs. Our room was strangely laid out so that there was about 1 foot between the bed and wall and we had to lift our suitcases over the bed to get them to the other side where we could put them down. We also basically had to walk sideways to move through that opening. The bathroom was a long, thin (~12 foot x 2 foot - think bowling lane) ”room” with a small sink at the top of the corridor and toilet at the end with the shower jutting back into the main room on the side.

Sydney Boutique Hotel was the perfect place to stay for us during our 3-days visit in Sydney. The Hotel was really quite, our room had a big balcony, a kingsize bed and was comfortable. The hotel is located just a 5 min walk from the train station. We explored a lot of things (like the Australia Museum, the Sydney Eye and the shopping street) by walking, the location was super. And the staff was really friendly and helpful. They even postet my postcards for me.

On the ambience side, the decor and modern-ish art was uplifting and fun. The room was very clean. But, we were surprised to find the room so small. In order for 2 people to get into the bed, one had to crawl over the other. The very small window sill became the nightstand. There was no room for luggage, and no luggage racks - we were told they didn’t have enough. That meant one suitcase on the floor and one on the very small plastic table. The retro-refrigerator was cool, but my traveling companion kept threatening to move it out into the hall to create some space in the room the whole time we were there. And then, the very small bathroom, the shower door doubled as the door to the bathroom. Have you ever looked into a microwave? The shower and the bathroom walls had the same dot matrix pattern as a microwave door. My companion was surprised to see while showering she could see me relaxing on the bed, and when she screamed “can you see me?” I replied “yes”. My companion now has bathroom-PTSD. Not only was the shower see through, there was a full-room-view sitting on the throne, trying to do your business. Then the realization somebody may be watching. PTSD! Our solution was to use the downstairs public bathroom for major activities. Did I mention IBS???

새로 지은곳이라서 쾌적했습니다만. 일단 주방시설은 청소를 하지만 역시 호스텔 특성상 그렇게 깨끗하게 쓰진 않습니다. 냉장고도 하나뿐이고 너무 작습니다. 빨래 할수 있는 공간도 없습니다. 지어진지 얼마 안된 공간이라서 이해는 했습니다. 방에 원래 에어컨이 없어서 더워 죽을뻔 했다가 겨우 문의로 통해 틀기 시작했습니다. 방은 일단 침대를 정리를 하는건지 안하는건지는 모르겠습니다. 정리가 되기도 전에 사람들이 채크인으로 들어와 썼던 자리를 바로 쓰게됩니다. 위생은 그래도 괜찮았던것 같았지만 페인트 냄새가 좀 났습니다. 그리고 그들이 처음에 열쇠 보증금이라고 기존 금액에 45불을 추가로 받아갔는데 리뷰를 작성해야 돌려준다는 말에 기가 막혔고 마 리뷰를 작성했지만 채크아웃을 마치고 귀국한지 2일이 됬는데도 그 45불은 아직도 안들어오고 있는 중입니다. 그래서 리뷰를 수정해서 다시 올립니다. 45불이 적어보여도 결코 적지않는 금액이란걸 다들 아실거라 생각합니다. 이점 이해하시고 오시면 좋을것 같습니다.

GD is in Sydney for an extended stay and the accommodation offered by her employer has suffered water damage so she was placed here. We headed in today to settle her in. Check in.. no desk after hours (read 12 on a Sunday despite check in being from 1pm. Everything was communicated well and keys left in the night safe. Do not expect to stop and drop anything off as there are no stopping signs everywhere, Thankfully I found a no parking and was able to stay with the car The rangers were deadly even at 3pm on a Sunday Room: Tiny but it has a huge bathroom. I suspect it was share bathroom at some point so living space gave way to a bathroom. Hanging/storage space- minimal, certainly only suitable for a night or 2. Does have an iron and board so one step up on Emporium Brisbane Self cater... bar fridge... mini bar was removed thankfully Fresh Milk daily.... nope long life pods, not even a long life time carton Clean .... yes Roof top: Awesome Sweeping views and BBQ, communal fridge but it is also the smoking area. Hopefully weather plays the game because otherwise the small room with a wall nearby may be an issue. Convenience: Harris Farm and a variety of small dining options nearby so great on that front. Coles and St Vincents in walking distance. Lift in the property so easy to move luggage etc. We are doing a meet up Tuesday so I'm staying at Holiday Inn and it will be interesting to compare the 2. Holiday Inn for Tuesday is $15 cheaper....

The best part was when the fish tank maintenance man had a decent chat about the process of cleaning the fish tank that's under the floor in the foyer and taught our children about the fish. The breakfast buffet was a hit with everyone and we struggled to get the children out of the pool.

Closed with Train King cross station

Clean hostel with friendly staff. Rooms were spacious with large lockers for each occupant and personal plugs and bed side lights in a great position. Showers/toilets on each floor and I never had to wait to use them. Downside is that you can hear the music from their basement club even on the 6th floor until late into the night. Didn’t bother me as I was only there a few nights and I managed to get enough sleep. Kitchen is WAY too small for amount of guests in the hostel. The social events put on by the hostel were a good way to meet people as a solo female traveller.

The size of the room was stated when we booked, so no surprises there. Most importantly the room was clean. All staff were very friendly. The atmosphere is sometimes what 'makes a place' & this was the case for us. I'm sorry I didn't ask your name, but the barista rostered on the morning of Saturday 25th March 2023, you're amazing, not only do you make magnificent hot chocolate & my partner said your coffee was also fantastic, but your 'people skills' are exceptional!! Ibis Barangaroo is lucky to have you :-) We were also surprised to find the 'Archibald' exhibition on the hotel premises, we really enjoyed this & over two mornings saw many customers smile at this experience also. This gallery certainly complimented our stay, well done to all involved.