The Russell Boutique Hotel

This hotel is in a great location - very convenient for the wedding I was attending at the Sydney Opera House. The lady on reception was friendly and helpful. I stayed in room 9 which had a lovely view out onto George Street and the room was beautifully decorated. It didn't have an ensuite, but I never found the shared bathroom situation a problem (as there was 3 different bathrooms in close proximity). I had a great nights sleep and in the morning I went into the bistro downstairs and had a lovely cooked breakfast (which was included in the price). Overall I would recommend this hotel and would stay here again.

The big plus for this hotel is it's location on Sydney Harbour directly opposite, and only a short walk from, the Opera House. The area is throbbing in the evening with numerous restaurants and other facilities on the doorstep. If you are departing on a cruise from this harbour then you won't find a closer hotel - you could almost roll out of bed into the cruise terminal it's that close just a few minutes walk away. There does appear to be a big difference in the rooms that are available. I stayed in a heritage room so can only comment on that and I suspect that other rooms are significantly bigger and better. My room was small to say the least and apart from one hook on the back of the door there was absolutely nowhere to hang up any items as there was no wardrobe in the room. That was fine for my purposes as I was only staying one night but if you intend staying longer then look for somewhere else to stay or go for a different room. Even two persons staying in my room would have meant one of us tripping over the suitcase everytime we moved. The shower in the shared bathroom was fine but again it was so small I had to step back onto the shower tray just to open the door. Breakfast was excellent and the staff both in the hotel and whilst ining were friendly and professional.

Very comfortable hotel in a great location. Staff were super friendly and engaging and nothing was too much trouble. We would certainly return when next visiting Sydney.