Editor Pick
Y on the park - location, location, location
- April 30, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
actonsteve from London, United Kingdom
Looking for a reasonably priced, clean, and centrally located hotel in Sydney? Well, look no further, the YWCA fits the bill.
The location is smack bang in the centre of Sydney on Wentworth Avenue and literally a few steps from Hyde Park. The CBD and Liverpool Street are a little to the west, Circular Quay and the harbour are a brisk walk down MacQuarie Avenue and the decadent nightlife of Oxford Street is literally across the road.
It's a clean safe environment (and despite being a YWCA, admits us fellas). The reception is just off street, and centrally manned, and very professional. It can change up money, book tours and store luggage. The restaurant area is self service so you can indulge in Vegemite on toast and numerous fruit juices. A single room costs $70 a night and breakfast is included in the price.
There are over 200 rooms on seven floors. My one was clean with frequently changed linen and overlooking a central courtyard. The shared bathrooms are clean and serviceable, and even have a sense of camaraderie often missing from hotels with more stars to their name. Each room contains a television so you can lie back and enjoy "Rove Live" or "Australian Idol" to your hearts content. So, all in all pretty good value for the price.
But best of all is the location. You will pass through Hyde Park at least once on your visit to Sydney. It marks the start of the CBD, Marquarie Street, Botanical Garden area that rolls all the way down to the harbour. A rectangle 1/4 of a mile long, bisected by Park Street, and containing a number of attractions. The vegetation is very Australian—gigantic boles of fig trees soar overhead surrounded by cicadas, eucalyptus and palm fronds—all dotted with warbling birds and scruffy ibis.
The main attraction is the ANZAC memorial. A beautiful pink stone Art Deco monument overlooking a reflecting pool. It's a monument to Australian war dead around the world and inside contains a small museum. The memorabilia was impressive with troop roll calls and WWI gas masks on display.
At the far end is the Archibald fountain—Diana stands poised surrounded by prancing deer. And the sun is so strong in Sydney it actually forms a rainbow. What could be more Sydney then that?
From journal The watery city of Sydney - Gleaming, Glittering and Gigantic