SMALL-TOWN GIRLS, MIDNIGHT TRAINS

— travel inspiration for small budgets and big dreams —

travel inspiration for small budgets and big dreams

Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House | Image by Diliff | CC BY-SA 3.0


For the past few weeks, I’ve been doing research for a trip to Sydney, Australia and I’ve come to one conclusion: it’s expensive! My nieces’ school choir is participating in an event in Sydney from July 5-16 and in particular I’ve been looking for accommodations that are central, well-reviewed, and at the same time affordable. It was not easy! Nevertheless, I’ve managed to put together this little list of the best cheap accommodations in Sydney. There are 10 places on this list and they will be categorized as follows:

  • The Best: These are the places that have the highest ratings in both Booking.com and TripAdvisor but still cost less than P2,000 per night.
  • Good and Cheap: In between the best and the cheapest, these hostels are around PHP 1,500 per night and have ratings of at least 4/5 in TripAdvisor and at least 8/10 in Booking.com.
  • The Cheapest: Among the properties that cost PHP 1,000 per night or lower, these are the ones that have acceptable ratings in both Booking.com and TripAdvisor. Acceptable, in this case, means some people like them and some people don’t. 50-50. If you’re a bit arte, I wouldn’t recommend staying here because I don’t want you to hate me. 😛
  • Private Rooms: It goes without saying that the hostels will be the most affordable option for accommodations, but if you’re the type of person who can’t imagine staying in a room with people you don’t know, there are still some relatively affordable options for you in the PHP 2,800-3,400 range.

Want a quick recommendation? Go with The Pod Sydney. It’s where I’m personally staying (along with my family) this June. It’s new, it’s got great reviews, it’s central, it accepts children and over-35s, and while it’s not exactly dirt-cheap, it’s quite affordable, all things considered.

 

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The list below is based on property prices and availability on July 5-16, 2017. The price per night is based on the price for July 5. The price for 11 nights is for a check-in date of July 5 and a check-out date of July 16. To be included in this list, each property must have a review score of Good (7+) or higher at Booking.com. In addition — with the exception of the cheapest, Secret Garden Backpackers Sydney — all the properties here have a TripAdvisor rating of 4 or higher (out of 5). All images are courtesy of each property’s listing in Booking.com.

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The Best

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The Pod Sydney

Price per night: PHP 1,572

Price for 11 nights*: PHP 15,724

Room type: Single bed in female dorm room

Includes breakfast? NO

Booking.com rating (out of 10): 9.2
TripAdvisor rating (out of 5): 4.5

Notes:

  • 0.6 km to Central Station
  • 2.5 km to Sydney Opera House
  • All children are welcome.

Other bed/room types available from July 5-16 (price for 11 nights):

  • Single bed in co-ed dorm room – PHP 15,724

 

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Bounce Sydney

Price per night: PHP 1,610

Price for 11 nights*: PHP 17,708

Room type: Bed in 8-bed female/mixed dormitory room

Includes breakfast? NO

Booking.com rating (out of 10): 8.9
TripAdvisor rating (out of 5): 4.5

Notes:

  • 0.2 km to Central Station
  • 3.2 km to Sydney Opera House
  • All guests must be over 18. Guests over 35 not allowed in dorm rooms.

Other bed/room types available from July 5-16 (price for 11 nights):

  • Bed in 6-bed mixed dormitory room – PHP 18,532
  • Bed in 8-bed female dorm room w/ private bath – PHP 18,532
  • Bed in 7-bed female dorm room w/ private bath – PHP 18,944
  • Double room w/ private bathroom – PHP 69,448

 

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The Cheapest

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Secret Garden Backpackers Sydney

Price per night: PHP 861

Price for 11 nights*: PHP 9,472

Room type: Bed in 12-bed mixed dormitory room

Includes breakfast? YES

Booking.com rating (out of 10): 7.1
TripAdvisor rating (out of 5): 3

Notes:

  • 0.4 km to Kings Cross
  • 2 km to Sydney Opera House
  • Guests must be 18-35 years old.

Other bed/room types available from July 5-16 (price for 11 nights):

  • Bed in 10-bed mixed dormitory room – PHP 9,884
  • Bed in 8-bed mixed dormitory room – PHP 10,707
  • Bed in 6-bed mixed dormitory room – PHP 11,531
  • Bed in 4-bed mixed dormitory room – PHP 12,355

 

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Nate’s Place Backpackers

Price per night: PHP 1,011

Price for 11 nights*: PHP 11,119

Room type: Bed in 12-bed mixed dormitory room

Includes breakfast? YES

Booking.com rating (out of 10): 7.4
TripAdvisor rating (out of 5): 4

Notes:

  • 0.5 km to Kings Cross
  • 2 km to Sydney Opera House
  • Guests must be 18-35 years old.

Other bed/room types available from July 5-16 (price for 11 nights):

  • Bed in 10-bed mixed dormitory room – PHP 11,531
  • Bed in 8-bed mixed dormitory room – PHP 11,943
  • Bed in 6-bed mixed dormitory room – PHP 13,178
  • Bed in 4-bed mixed dormitory room – PHP 14,002

 

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Good and Cheap

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Blue Parrot Youth Hostel

Price per night: PHP 1,460

Price for 11 nights*: PHP 16,061

Room type: Bed in 10-bed mixed dormitory room

Includes breakfast? NO

Booking.com rating (out of 10): 8.2
TripAdvisor rating (out of 5): 4.5

Notes:

  • 0.3 km to Kings Cross
  • 1.8 km to Sydney Opera House
  • Children cannot be accommodated at the hotel.

Other bed/room types available from July 5-16 (price for 11 nights):

  • Bed in 10-bed mixed/female dorm room w/ private bath – PHP 16,885
  • Bed in 6-bed mixed dorm room – PHP 17,708
  • Bed in 4-bed mixed dorm room – PHP 18,532

 

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Railway Square YHA

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Price per night: PHP 1,460

Price for 11 nights*: PHP 16,361

Room type: Bed in 8-bed female/male/mixed dormitory room

Includes breakfast? NO

Booking.com rating (out of 10): 8.2
TripAdvisor rating (out of 5): 4

Notes:

  • 0.3 km to Central Station
  • 3.1 km to Sydney Opera House
  • Children are welcome, but are not permitted to stay in dormitory rooms.
  • If children are 16 or under, they will need a parent/legal guardian aged over 21 to stay with them in a private room.
  • Children under 12 years stay free of charge when using existing beds.

Other bed/room types available from July 5-16 (price for 11 nights):

  • Bed in 4-bed male/female dorm room – PHP 18,420

 

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Sydney Central YHA

Price per night: PHP 1,460

Price for 11 nights*: PHP 16,810

Room type: Bed in 8-bed mixed dormitory room

Includes breakfast? NO

Booking.com rating (out of 10): 8.0
TripAdvisor rating (out of 5): 4

Notes:

  • 0.3 km to Central Station
  • 2.9 km to Sydney Opera House
  • Children are welcome at this property, but cannot be accommodated in the dormitory rooms.
  • Guests under the age of 16 can only check in with a parent or official guardian over the age of 21.
  • Children aged 17 will need a letter from a parent or official guardian to stay in the dormitory rooms.

Other bed/room types available from July 5-16 (price for 11 nights):

  • Bed in 6-bed male/female dorm room – PHP 17,222
  • Bed in 4-bed male/female dorm room – PHP 19,543

 

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Wake Up! Sydney Central

Price per night: PHP 1,498

Price for 11 nights*: PHP 16,473

Room type: Bed in 10-bed mixed dormitory room

Includes breakfast? NO

Booking.com rating (out of 10): 8.3
TripAdvisor rating (out of 5): 4

Notes:

  • 0.3 km to Central Station
  • 3 km to Sydney Opera House
  • Children 17 years and under cannot be accommodated here.

Other bed/room types available from July 5-16 (price for 11 nights):

  • Bed in 8-bed mixed dorm room – PHP 17,297
  • Bed in 6-bed mixed dorm room – PHP 18,120
  • Bed in 6-bed female dorm room – PHP 18,944
  • Bed in 4-bed female dorm room – PHP 19,767
  • Twin room w/ shared bath – PHP 44,889
  • Double room w/ shared bath – PHP 55,184
  • Twin room w/ private bath – PHP 63,421

 

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Private Rooms

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Casa Central Backpackers Hostel

Price per night: PHP 2,808

Price for 11 nights*: PHP 30,325

Room type: Standard single room with shared bathroom

Includes breakfast? NO

Booking.com rating (out of 10): 7.5
TripAdvisor rating (out of 5): 4

Notes:

  • 0.5 km to Central Station
  • 3.3 km to Sydney Opera House
  • Children under 6 years cannot be accommodated here.

 

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Jackaroo Hostel Sydney

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Price per night: PHP 3,332

Price for 11 nights*: PHP 36,652

Room type: Twin room with shared bathroom

Includes breakfast? YES

Booking.com rating (out of 10): 7.1
TripAdvisor rating (out of 5): 4

Notes:

  • 0.1 km to Kings Cross
  • 2.1 km to Sydney Opera House
  • Children cannot be accommodated at this hostel.

 

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*If you’re wondering why the price for 11 nights is not always equal to 11 times the price of 1 night, that’s because some properties have special prices for longer stays, some charge more for weekends than for weeknights, etc. Just roll with it. 😛

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And that’s it! I hope you find a place from this list that fits both your budget and your tastes. Of course, there are even better (but more expensive) places to stay in Sydney — just head to Booking.com and enter your travel dates to see a full list of available hotels, hostels, B&Bs, etc.

Enjoy Sydney!

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2 Responses

    1. Jhoe!! Will PM you. We’re just finalizing our itinerary, mag-overnight mi Blue Mountains but the rest of the time we’ll be in central Sydney so it’ll be nice to catch up. Oy, if you need anything from over here, ingna ko, we can bring as long as it’s not too heavy or bulky.

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