Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

ACCOMMODATIONS YOU CAN AFFORD 115
WORTH A SPLURGE
Tricketts Luxury Bed & Breakfast As soon as I walked into this atmospheric
old place, I wanted to ditch my modern Sydney apartment and move in.
As you enter the tessellated, tiled corridor of this 1880s Victorian mansion, you’re
greeted with a jumble of plants and ornaments, high ceilings, Oriental rugs, and
leaded windows. Guests play billiards over a decanter of port or relax among magazines
and wicker furniture on the balcony overlooking the fairly busy Glebe Point
Road. The bedrooms are quiet and homey, and there are no TVs. My favorites are
no. 2, with its wooden floorboards and king-size bed, and no. 7, with its queensize
bed, extra single bed, and very large bathroom. Rooms all have showers.
There’s a nice courtyard out back with a barbecue.
270 Glebe Point Rd., Glebe, NSW 2037.& 02/9552 1141. Fax 02/9692 9462. www.tricketts.com.au. 7 units.
A$150–A$176 (US$98–US$114) double; A$198 (US$129) honeymoon suite. Rates include continental breakfast.
Free parking. Bus: 431 from George St. Amenities: Tour desk; massage; nonsmoking rooms; barbecue
area. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer.
IN BONDI
Bondi Beach is a good place to stay if you want to be close to the surf and sand,
though if you’re getting around by public transport, you’ll need to catch a bus
to Bondi Junction, then a train to the city center. (You can stay on the bus all
the way, but it takes forever.)
As well as the properties recommended below, there are two good backpacker
hostels: Indy’s (& 02/9365 4900; www.indysbackpackers.com.au), at 35a Hall
St. offers four- to eight-person dorm rooms for A$18 (US$12) in winter and
A$22 (US$14) in summer, and double rooms in a separate building opposite
North Bondi Surf Club for the same price per person; Noah’s, 2 Campbell
Parade (& 02/9365 7100; www.noahsbondibeach.com), has great ambience
and offers clean, modern four- to eight-person dorm rooms from A$21 to A$24
(US$14–US$16) as well as doubles for A$50 (US$33), beach doubles for A$55
(US$36). Weekly rates from A$126 to A$330 (US$82–US$215).
Bondi Beachside Inn With such a great location, right on the beachfront,
you can’t get much better value than this. A modern seven-story hotel, which
prides itself on being family-friendly, the Beachside Inn has quite large rooms
with compact bathrooms. The more expensive rooms have balconies with ocean
views. It’s well loved by return travelers, so it’s very advisable to book well ahead,
especially during the Australian summer.
152 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach, NSW 2026. & 02/9130 5311. Fax 02/9365 2646. www.bondiinn.com.
au. 70 units. A$100–A$120 (US$63–US$76) double. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking. Bus: 380 or 382 from Circular
Quay. Amenities: 24-hr. reception; free security parking. In room: A/C, TV, fridge, tea/coffeemaker, toaster.
Ravesi’s on Bondi Beach Right on Australia’s most famous golden sands,
this boutique property reopened in May 2002 after major renovations to the
restaurant, bar, and many of its rooms. Now this three-star hotel offers modern
minimalist rooms with chic white marble bathrooms and African tribal wall hangings.
Standard doubles are spacious, and there’s a one-bedroom suite and a splitlevel
unit with the bedroom upstairs. Room nos. 5 and 6 and the split-level suite
have the best views of the ocean. All rooms have Juliet balconies, and the split-level
suite has its own terrace. If you’re a light sleeper, request a room on the top floor
because the popular Ravesi’s Restaurant with its Modern Australian cuisine can
cook up quite a bit of noise on busy nights. An attractive glass-sided ground floor
bar is the “in” place on the Bondi scene, with lounge, house, and “chill” music every
evening. It’s a great place to dress up and watch the streetscene pass by outside.