3 words: The Famous Otto. He's the host extraordinaire who will check you in, give you a ton of great recommendations, good directions bout town and is hosting a "Pasta Night" tonight, which we'll miss because we just checked out today. He's the guy that will get you a $20/pp shuttle to the airport (versus a $55-$100 taxi fare).
The hotel is newly renovated and absolutely adorable. Our room had huge windows with white wood slats and a white ceiling fan. It totally reminded me of the Bahamas. The bed was totally comfy and you didn't have to ask for an extra blanket, because a large plush one was already awaiting us. So we're 2 large plush towels each.
Breakfast each morning ends at 10, so there's a reason to get up and at 'me. It includes coffee, juice, fruit, toast, cereals and sweets. It's included in the very reasonable room price.
The walk to the beach is about a 1/2 mile, but it's downhill all the way (yes, and uphill all the way back - which is good for burning off the beers and food you will buy down on Bondi beach).
You can also walks to Tamarama Beach and Bronte beach in the same time. All are fantastic.
The Famous Otto advised we buy bus tickets and go to Manly beach after we went to the Tarango zoo. Good advice, because it's beautiful and our ferry ticket lasted 24 hours.
There are a ton of shops, bars, restaurants, cafes and grocery stores within blocks.
I was most pleased about how quiet it got at night (no nightclub below like our hotel in Auckland) and how much hot water we always had. The Famous Otto also promised the tap water was fantastic and to not waste money on bottled water. He was right.
Our stay was a blast and I would highly recommend this hotel and it's "pretty" host to anyone who's got champagne taste on a beer budget. read more