Oceania (Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific) - Sydney Hotel Help

Greetings,

I will be going to Australia in August. Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne. Will be staying at the Vibe Hotel Gold Coast ($90/nt), and Mercure Welcome Melbourne ($70/nt)

However, Sydney is proving to be troublesome in finding a quality hotel at a budget price, so I have turned to the wisdom of FT.
I've been using priceline's name your price tool, but I'm up to the $100's with no acceptance (4* and up hotels). I included the other hotels I'm staying at to give an idea to my "hotel tastes" which I would classify as modern, middle-of-the-road hotels in a good location. Would prefer to stay in the CBD area, however I am flexible.

Dates: 8/10 to 8/15 (I would be ok switching hotels)
Budget: $120-130/nt

Thanks ^ :cool: :cool:

Accor (Mercure, Ibis, Novotel) has a half price sale underway right now that matches your travel dates to Sydney. A quick check shows a number of properties in your price range including the Ibis Darling Harbour at $US90, Ibis World Square, on Pitt Street, at $95 a night and the Novotel Darling Harbour at $US122 a night.

If you buy a 7 day bus/ferry pass any of those locations should work, though I'd lean toward Pitt Steet just because bus and train options would be better from there.

Welcome to FlyerTalk :) If this is your first trip to Australia I have lots of photos HERE (http://tom911.smugmug.com/Travel-Australia).

Welcome to FlyerTalk :) If this is your first trip to Australia I have lots of photos HERE (http://tom911.smugmug.com/Travel-Australia).

Tom, I've looked at your photos a couple of times now and they really are excellent. Not just the Australia pics.^:)

Oh and updawg welcome to FT.

I'm just a month off from heading to Shanghai for World Swimming Championships. I see some of the Australian swimmers were down the road in Santa Clara this past weekend tuning up.

Thanks for the replies and welcomes.

I'm curious tom, where do you see the rate for Novotel? BTW sweet pics! :p

www.wotif.com.au will give you a price guide and a good, but not complete, list of accomodation available
However booking direct can be cheaper

For Accor look at the Aust web site portal http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/australia/index.shtml

For Accor look at the Aust web site portal http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/australia/index.shtml

It looks like when you click through on the $122 rate it jumps to $170. You may need to play with the web site to verify the prices. A bit misleading to show the cheaper price on the master list of hotels and then no availability at that price.

When you look at day by day pricing there is one night at $122 and the 13th jumps to over $300, so an average price of $170 a night. Make sure you check the individual nights to see where the cheap nights are.

What's happening in Sydney on August 13 for $300 rates that night?

...When you look at day by day pricing there is one night at $122 and the 13th jumps to over $300, so an average price of $170 a night. Make sure you check the individual nights to see where the cheap nights are.

What's happening in Sydney on August 13 for $300 rates that night?This has become normal for Sydney hotels, thanks to the 99% occupancy they are enjoying. Sell a dozen rooms, double the room rate. Throw in some teaser rates so the web sites look more decent. Very frustrating, but not about to change until the occupancy rate drops. Date flexibility isn't very helpful as these high rates get sprinkled into every week, at least for the dates I've checked. Makes it easier to justify a suite (those are less price volatile and often just $100-200 more than a room).

In August you can get very nice cheap accomodation by the beaches, I'd look at Manly or Bondi beach. Much nicer than in the CBD and the ferry from Manly is a pleasure rather than a burden. You could even get a room at the Q station retreat for $130 then (costs $450 during season) ... that is a former quarantine station in North Head which is in a stunning setting, inside a national park yet 30 min from CBD -- sydney is like that sometimes. Lots of other less isolated choices.

Guess I've just been lucky in the past, and probably not high occupancy, as I've used this promo in past years for Hong Kong, Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns.

How about this for an offer:

http://www.ourdeal.com.au/deal/parkroyal-darling-harbour