It can be a challenge to find a Sydney CBD hotel that ticks all the boxes in convenience and comfort yet doesn’t require you to sell the family jewels to pay for it. Happily, the Metro Hotel Marlow Sydney Central delivers on all counts.
The 4-star hotel is the closest hotel to the historic Capitol Theatre where many leading productions are staged, most recently The Lion King which has just come to the end of its Sydney run. Step out of the theatre and the Metro Hotel Marlow is literally a few doors away.
The hotel is also very close to Central Station, making it ideal for anyone arriving by train or flying in. The train journey to the airport takes around 20 minutes. It’s a pleasant walk to the hotel from Central Station, taking no more than about 10 minutes and easy to do with a wheelie suitcase.
With a light rail stop just 100 metres away, you can easily get to restaurants, entertainment and attractions anywhere in downtown Sydney, and even to the world-class Sydney Fish Market. It really is the perfect location for a hotel minus the harbour view and associated price tag.
The 12-storey hotel has 220 guest rooms and suites. This includes double, twin and triple rooms in deluxe and superior categories, and junior suites with a bedroom and separate lounge. All are air-conditioned and equipped with free wi-fi, a small fridge, tea/coffee-making facilities, and toiletries.
The king room I stayed in was newly refurbished and a forerunner to a hotel-wide refurbishment expected to take place from around February/March next year. Whereas the decor throughout the hotel currently leans to pops of colour in red floral wall art, the refurbishment will be more on trend with marble-look surface finishes, brushed brass bathroom fittings, and olive-green feature walls.
A tall and slim arch-shaped mirror, bouclé lounge chair, flat-screen TV and stylish light fittings are other touches that feature in the revamp. My king-sized bed was super comfortable and I had the best night’s sleep, lulled off to sleep with Circle of Life and Hakuna Matata going through my head.
Older folk who find it difficult stepping into a bathtub with an overhead shower will welcome the bathrooms being refurbished with walk-in showers. I’m told that baths will be retained in some of the rooms for the benefit of Japanese guests, who are frequent visitors.
Refurbished king suite:
Junior suite, as it is now:
The hotel has a restaurant on level 2 offering an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast for $25, good value for a spread that includes hot dishes (eggs, bacon, hash browns, mushrooms and greens), fruit, cereal and pastries.
The restaurant is open for breakfast only, but there are so many lunch and dinner options nearby you won’t have any trouble finding something to your taste. Chinatown, Koreatown and Thai Town are seconds away, and it’s a short walk to the restaurants, cafés and bars in Surry Hills and Cockle Bay Wharf.
Hay St Market, where you’ll find more than 25 cuisines under the one roof, is just a short walk away.
The hotel has a rooftop pool, 24-hour reception and a very civilized checkout time of 11am. For guests arriving by car, parking is available at nearby World Square for $50 a day (one entry and one exit).
The Metro Hotel Marlow Sydney Central deserves to be on your radar if you are looking for a well-appointed and super convenient place to stay without a hefty price tag. Judging by how lovely my refurbished room was, the planned upgrades will make the hotel even more attractive.
Presumably that will come with an increase in price, but for the time being at least, the hotel remains one of the more affordable options for a short Sydney break.
Metro Hotel Marlow Sydney Central
431-439 Pitt Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: +61 2 9281 6999
metrohotels.com.au
With thanks to the Metro Hotel Marlow Sydney Central for hosting me on a very quick getaway to catch The Lion King before it moves on to Brisbane and Melbourne. I stayed in Room 311.
