My wife and I recently stayed at Sullivans in Sydney for nine days and I would have to say it was the most enjoyable stay we have had at any hotel for quite some time. The location in Paddington is excellent. Buses come by frequently both east to the lovely beaches or west to downtown and points outward. Lovely coffee shop across the way, excellent bookstore right by the hotel and a Irish pub a short walk east. Most of all, though, the staff are excellent. The two main fellows at the desk downstairs were like personal friends to us over the course of our stay. They recommended weekly bus passes which saved us lots of money on travel and were always very helpful with directions and bus routes. Rooms at the hotel are cosy. I have to also add I never heard any noise from the hallways or from the floor above, which is always nice when one wants to get some rest. Did not do the pool or rent the bikes but they are available at no extra cost. One computer with free internet and that was usually available so no need to visit an internet cafe (nice to save a bit there as well). Loved staying at Sullivans and could not more highly recommend the hotel!!

I feel a bit mean only giving it a 2 rating but i was quite disappointed. We had a room on the side of the building, across the street from some houses. A typical set up for a city hotel I am sure. The room was...small. It was pretty well impossible not to trip over your bag on the way to the miniscule bathroom. You wouldn't want to be clostrophobic! The bed was fairly comfortable but the pillows were ROCK hard. Bring your own shampoo, etc. as there are NO bathroom complimentaries. Only one towel per person and no floor matt. There is a tea/coffee service but no raw sugar. Later that night as the cold settled in I went downstairs to ask for another blanket. The staff were amused at my request . The look they gave each other seemed to say "we're not one of those kinds of hotels". I was instead instructed to use the air conditioning which was ridiculous as I wouldn't like to sleep with it on all night. We piled our winter coats on the bed for warmth instead. The 'sleeping' part of the hotel is attached to the original Sullivans Hotel (pub section). We went there for dinner and were VERY HAPPY! The service was absolutely fantastic, the food was fresh and tasty AND reasonably priced (we had the bean nachos and the salt and pepper squid which came with a yummy salad). One thing that MUST be said about the Sullivans hotel is that it is in an EXCELLENT location. You can't beat it for the price (though not cheap, fairly cheap for Sydney). The rooms are clean and it is great not to have to share a bathroom. Go to the Sullivans hotel for dinner and a beer and a city-sleep ;)

A little bit tired looking but or room was at the end of a corridor so nice and quiet. We picked this hotel because they were in a good location for mardis gras and "relatively" inexpensive.

We stayed 3 nights on our way home from NZ. After staying in "budget" hotels in NZ, this was a step up. Our room was small but clean & in good order, not at all shabby. The A/C worked well and we needed it as it was quite warm. Our garden room looked over the small pool and a lovely small garden & fountain. Very pleasant & quiet. No street noise at all. The bathroom was clean. They are a bit stingy with towels - no wash clothes or hand towels only one bath towel per person & a shower soap dispenser. Bring your own shampoo, etc. as there are no complimentaries. There is a tea/coffee service with a small chocolate candy. There is a small frig. but don't ask for extra ice as there is no ice maker. The 380 bus leaves from the hotel door going to Bondi Beach or town. We walked in & out of town as we are walkers but it might be a trek for those who aren't. There are several good restaurants & pubs in the area & the hotel provides an excellent guide to them in each room. Going into Paddington there are loads of stylish boutiques. Walking into town, one goes past a couple of strip clubs, fetish shops & through Taylor Sq. known for its gay population. During the day, the area feels safe but we refrained from being out too late in the area. We suspect there is a reason the doors are locked after hours. As to the reception, there were a number of different men there during our stay. One in particular was a friendly, no nonsense person while the others did seem to ignore us as we came and left. However, when a couple of unusual fellows came in off the street and started to walk upstairs, they were called back and questioned. I believe reception contacted whomever they were looking for and had them come down. At 15$ for a continental breakfast, we did not have breakfast there but found cheaper breakfasts elsewhere or just had excellent large, flat whites & huge raisin toasts for $5 at the stand outside the Marriot across from Hyde Park. Sullivan's Hotel's webpage clearly & accurately depicts the hotel.

Feel a bit mean only giving it a 2 rating but i was quite disappointed. We had 2 room on the side of the building, maybe if we'd had one of the internal rooms overlooking the garden it may have been better. The rooms we had looked very tired. The bed was comfortable and the bedding was spotless but the windows looked old and the curtains were really shabby. the nets were gray and in one room there was a horrible yellow stain on them. There's really no excuse for that, it doesnt cost a lot to put clean nets up. We could hear the noise of the traffic, I think it was only single glazing. The bathroom was adequate and clean but again, dated. The pool is freezing because it's "solar heated", which doesnt mean solar panel heated, just solar heated, sadly it is built in the shade apart from a few hours sun in the morning so that pool will never be warm. The blue paint has been eroded by the chemicals and comes off on your body! We told the staff and they closed the pool, yet another disappointment. I dont think it's great value for money as it wasnt THAT cheap and i wish we'd paid a few hundred more quid for a better experience. Gladly we were only there 4 nights. It wasnt awful but it wasnt great either. We ate breakfast at Alexandras opposite the park just a quick bus ride away. Another fab place to eat breakfast is past alexandras opposite the Shark Hotel at a place called K.K's they served delicious breakfasts including luxury muslis with homemade exotic yoghurts and fresh fruit as well as an abundance of baked goods for a fraction of what it costs to eat at the hotel. We also bought the week long orange travel pass that allows you to use the buses and the ferries as often as you wish. This worked out to be a great money saver, we certainly got our money's worth. I'd recommend forgetting about the explorer buses as they cost loads and just using the ordinary transport system on an orange saver card.