When choosing a place to stay in Sydney, you want to make sure it is close to where all the action is.
We discovered just why the Sydney Central YHA is one of the best budget accommodation places to stay in Sydney.
A Busy Sydney Day
Usually we just jump on a train and explore Sydney for the day, but this past weekend we had to stay overnight as we had various blogging assignments to fulfill that would end really late at night.
We had an early morning private Volvo event to attend in Darling Harbour, as well as the Baby and Toddler Show and taking Kalyra to the new Darling Harbour Park.
We had to have one of our Malaysian Kitchen lunches in Broadway, meet a friend for coffee, and then I had to get myself to the Kit and Kaboodle Supper Club in Kings Cross where I was speaking on a panel about blogger brand relationships to a room full of bloggers and PR reps.
Perfect Sydney Location
The Sydney Central YHA turned out to be the best place for us to stay that made it easy for us to get to all these places.
All of them were within a short walking distance, except for Kings Cross. Luckily the hostel is right across the road from Central Station (Sydney’s hub) making it an easy five minute train trip.
The YHA is a perfect location for those wishing to explore Sydney as you can easily get the train from Central Station to anywhere in the city, and it’s great for onward domestic or international travel as it’s a short train ride to Sydney airport.
The Sydney Central YHA is a close walk to the cheap eats of Chinatown, the tourist area of Darling Harbour, the alternative suburbs of Surry Hills, Newtown and Glebe, and is also only about a half hour walk through the city to the historic Rocks area and stunning harbour that makes Sydney so beautiful.
The Sydney Central YHA
The hostel is a 5 star backpackers hostel housed in a heritage listed building and is a Three-time Winner (and Hall of Fame entrant) of the Australian Tourism Awards (2008, 2009, 2010).
It is a large spacious building with plenty of amenities and modern facilities. The hostel is suitable to any type of traveller from solo, to group, to family travel.
We stayed in a private room with an ensuite that had a double bed, a roll out bed for Kalyra, which she loved, and we bought our own portable cot for Savannah. We felt very comfortable and happy.
Kalyra loved peeking out the window to the city views outside and constantly remarked at how much she loved the hotel.
The hostel has a rooftop pool and BBQ areas for you to enjoy the panoramic city views on a balmy summers evening.
Each floor has a lounge/chill out area, there are several big kitchens that are clean and functional, and there are plenty of spots for you to hook yourself up online.
Entertainment and Meals
Downstairs is a cafe with really reasonably priced food and coffee.
The hostel has entertainment specials on every night with different themed meals, BBQs and cheap drinks. They have there very own backpackers Scubar in the basement with pool comps, theme nights and pub crawls.
The hostel is close to Star City Casino and many other of Sydney’s pubs and clubs.
We recommend the nearby Scruffy Murphys Irish Pub for cheap drinks and meals. A pint of guinness and a meal of fish and chips will set you back $12 – a friggin bargain in Sydney!
A night out for Mummy
It was my turn for a night out without any parenting responsibilities, and while Craig begged for me to come home, I enjoyed myself thoroughly speaking at the event, getting this amazing gift box for doing so, and drinking a few glasses of wine, while he lived my life when he was in New Zealand.
Driving home in the cab allowed me to sit and reflect on why this city is so beautiful.
We drove through the trendy suburb of Potts Points, past the flash leafy harbour suburb of Woolloomooloo, and through the bustling Hyde Park district to our hostel.
As I neared the Sydney Central YHA, I received a text from Craig who was obviously tired of being a single parent…
“When are you coming home? Kalyra misses you.”
Lucky for him I wasn’t still partying at Kings Cross otherwise I would have replied
“Remember New Zealand. I’ll be home in a few more hours.”
The Facts:
Prices: start at $37 for dorm room up to $110 for private rooms.
Parking: we found the cheapest parking in Sydney at the new Darling Park Wilsons parking only a short walk from he hostel. Get there before 9:30am and you’ll get the flat early brd rate of $10 for 24 hours.
Getting there: right opposite Central Train Station.
Location: 11 Rawson Place, Corner of Pitt St and Rawson Place (opposite Central Station)
Phone: (+612) 9218 9000
Website: Sydney Central YHA
Trip Advisor: Read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor
How important is location for you when choosing accommodation?
Many thanks to the Sydney Central YHA for our complimentary stay. All opinions are of my own
