Sydney - Australia 2004 - page 113

facilities, TV rooms on every floor, and an audiovisual room showing movies.
Try the heated swimming pool and the sauna. Rooms are clean and basic. The
YHA is accessible to travelers with disabilities. Check the website for other hos-
tels in Sydney—including the Glebe Point YHA, the Sydney Beachhouse YHA
in the beachside suburb of Collaroy, and Pittwater YHA in Ku-ring-gai Chase
National Park (only accessible by boat and a fabulous way to experience the
“bush” around Sydney).
11 Rawson Place, Sydney, NSW 2000. & 02/9281 9111. Fax [phone]. www.yha.com.au. 151 rooms
or 532 beds (54 twin rooms). A$25-A$31 (US$16-US$20) dorm bed; A$78 (US$51) twin without bathroom,
A$88 (US$57) twin with bathroom. Non-YHA members A$3 (US$1.95) extra. MC, V. Parking A$10 (US$6.50).
On the corner of Pitt St., outside Central Station. CityRail: Central. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small heated
outdoor pool; sauna; 2 kitchens; TV room. In room: No phone.
AT DARLING HARBOUR
VERY EXPENSIVE
Star City Hotel Opened at the end of 1997, this A$900 million
(US$585 million) gambling and entertainment complex includes a AAA-rated
five-star hotel, with rooms overlooking Darling Harbour and the architecturally
interesting Pyrmont Bridge. Although the four split-level Royal Suites are spec-
tacular, each with three TVs, a giant Jacuzzi, a full kitchen, two bathrooms, its
own sauna, and the services of the former butler to the governor of Queensland,
the standard rooms are somewhat small and sterile. Executive suites are very
nice. If you stay here, pay the extra money for a room with spectacular views
over Darling Harbour.
80 Pyrmont St., Pyrmont, Sydney, NSW 2009. & 1800/700 700 in Australia, or 02/9777 9000. Fax 02/9657
8344. www.starcity.com.au. 491 units. A$350-A$370 (US$228-US$241) double, depending on view; from
A$510 (US$332) and way up for apts. Extra person A$40 (US$26). Ask about special packages. AE, DC, MC,
V. Parking A$15 (US$9.75). Ferry: Pyrmont Bay. Monorail: Harbourside. Light Rail: Star City. Free shuttle buses
run from the central business district. Amenities: 4 restaurants; large heated outdoor pool; sauna; Jacuzzi;
gaming rooms; concierge; business center; shopping arcade; salon; 24-hr. room service; massage; laundry
service; 2 theaters; currency exchange. In room:A/C, TV, dataport, minibar, coffeemaker, hair dryer.
MODERATE
Wool Brokers Arms You'll find this friendly 1886 heritage building on the far
side of Darling Harbour, next to the prominent AAA-rated four-star Novotel
hotel and hidden behind a monstrous aboveground parking garage. It's set on a
noisy road, so unless you're used to traffic avoid the rooms at the front. Rooms
are simply furnished with a double bed and a sink. Room no. 3 is one of the nicer
ones. Family rooms have a king-size bed, a set of bunks, and two singles through
an open doorway. There are 19 shared bathrooms. It's adequate for a few nights.
22 Allen St., Pyrmont, Sydney, NSW 2009. & 02/9552 4773. Fax [phone]. www.ozemail.com.
au/~woolbrokers. 26 units, none with bathroom. A$89 (US$58) double; A$110 (US$72) triple; A$130 (US$85)
family room for 4. Rates include continental breakfast. Extra person A$20 (US$13). AE, MC, V. Parking A$11
(US$7) nearby. Bus: 501 from central business district or Central Station. Light Rail: Convention Centre.
Amenities: Tour desk; coin-op laundry; nonsmoking rooms. In room:TV.
SERVICED APARTMENTS
Medina Grand, Harbourside This impressive serviced hotel offers
modern and very comfortable rooms at competitive prices. It's a little oddly
placed—reached by an offshoot road and a short, unattractive walk from the
Sydney Aquarium in Darling Harbour—but it makes up for it by being close to
all the Darling Harbour, Cockle Bay, and Town Hall attractions and shops. You
can choose between studio and one-bedroom apartments, which all come with
Italian designer furniture, large windows, and balconies (some with good harbor