In my recent travels, I have always written about my adventures to the most famous places I have been to, or my experiences in getting lost and finding my way to my destinations, which I have all considered to be the best parts of my travels. I didn't realize, however, that every time I was with my friends, what I always tell them are some crazy stories and incredible experiences in the hotels I have stayed in. But I have never written any.
I was always being asked for my opinion, a seemingly subtle way of soliciting a review, about the hotels I have been to, so my friends can decide if they would like to stay in the same place or ditch the idea. It could've been a hell lot easier to just sway them to check out my site so they can dig on the features that I have liked a lot, or skim on the photos that I posted which I just happen to randomly shoot if only I have written a hotel review in my page. I then suddenly realized that I have been contributing a lot of reviews in my Tripadvisor account, but never did I write anything on my own page. So why don't I start with the one that I had the most unique hotel experience of all?
PLANNING THE UNPLANNED
It was my first time down under although it's my third visit to the Australia-Oceania continent. I was completely ecstatic because I will be spending my birthday in The Emerald City, my very first birthday outside my home country. I know that 3 days stay is really unsatisfyingly short, but because I still had to jump to Kuala Lumpur and Beijing before the year ends, I had to be content with just a short-stay visit.
The initial plan was to stay in a 4-star hotel in the central business district of Sydney but it got fully-booked on the dates I planned before I can even book it. I know that booking a place to stay just days before the intended arrival date is almost next to impossible, but I think it's more ridiculous to finalize all bookings before the visa is even issued (yes, I had to find something to point my finger to so I wouldn't feel a tinge of regret). Finding a roof in a foreign country within 24 hours before the arrival feels like an Ethan Hunt mission but I was glad it's not impossible with the help of Google Maps.
DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE
I then opted to stay in any place near the Sydney Opera House outside the central business district and Woolloomoolloo seemed very promising to me. Hundreds of hotels lined up in my choices but what stood out among the rest, according to my needs and demands, is a 3-star hotel named Mariners Court. I got an instant confirmation from Hotels.com and it was such a relief, err... supposedly, but I got even more scared when I received the email confirmation with an attached instruction on how to infiltrate the hotel. What could that mean?
I love adventures, didn't I? So what could be these 5 unbelievable reasons why Mariners Court gave me the most unforgettable hotel stay of all time that I highly recommend to all my friends and to everyone who may want to visit this area of Sydney?
1. DIY Meet-and-Greet
I was scheduled to arrive in Sydney on November 24, 2019, and I was lucky to book 1 unit for 3 nights just within 48 hours. I informed the hotel that my arrival time is 10:00 pm and might possibly reach them an hour before midnight. Surprisingly, I received a separate email detailing the late check-in policy and instructions on how to find the keys to open the main gate of the hotel and my assigned room. Perhaps I wasn't able to visualize what to expect (and what not) since I was more focused on packing my bags at that time so I ignored it and decided I'll just figure it out once I get there.
The cabbie dropped me off at McElhone Street right in front of a pothouse-like establishment that seemed to be abandoned as there were no living objects in sight. I looked around and I see a familiar view of the building's facade as I've seen from the hotel's website. I figured I was in the right place but what's strange is that no human being was there to meet me. What's scary is that the entire street is so dark that the only thing I see is the rear parking lights of the cab that is about to leave and I am soon to be on my own in the empty streets. Suddenly, a light bulb appeared above my head! I remember I was given instructions in the email on how I can get into the hotel.
I hurriedly took my mobile phone out and read the email back again. A 4-digit PIN was provided to be keyed-in to the key safe security box at the hotel's main gate. Amazingly, the keys along with my room number tag dropped from the box after I punched in the correct PIN. Not wasting any minute, I immediately opened the security grill door and locked it behind me as soon as I got in. I felt somehow a little safer now. But the agony did not end at an instant. There's another middle glass door that separates the gate and the hallway which, yes you guessed it, is also locked. Fortunately, the email has the answer to that riddle and I made my way inside. The front desk office is on my left and the lift on my right but still no humans around. The suspense-thriller movie Vacancy started playing in my mind and I was already freaking out. I jumped into the lift and found myself at the 2nd level of the building, trying hard not to make my luggage any sound until I reached the door of my room at the far end of the floor. I only felt I was already safe when I finally locked my door and I threw myself right to the bed.
And then I realized, It's now past midnight and I haven't eaten dinner yet.
2. Cozy Room and Balcony
I woke up at the sound of my 6:00 am alarm although my body clock tells me that it's just 4:00 am back home. I looked around and I was greatly stunned that the sun's already up. I realized that November is springtime in Australia while autumn is about to end on the other side of the world, which means breaks of dawn are much earlier down under. My anxiety from last night was put to oblivion and admiration took over as soon as I realized how cozy the room was. I must admit that it did not meet my expectations but it gave me a different perspective of getting more than what you are not expecting. I got less from what I envisioned but it was more than what I think I need. It didn't feel like I was away from home, in fact, it made me feel like I woke up in my own room that I wouldn't have to miss anyone elsewhere.
The Queen Room that I got is just 21 m² wide but it's more than enough for a lone traveler like me, matched with a comfy mammoth-sized double bed with its usual daily turndown service. A 32-inch flat-screen television playing music videos keep me company at bedtime is installed by the working table above it. The ensuite bathroom is not as superior as I expected it to be but what I loved about it is the wall-mounted room heater right above the toilet bowl which keeps me warm in the morning at its coldest. The bathroom vent turns on automatically at designated times in the afternoon and in the morning and turns off after an hour. Adjacent to the bathroom is a mini kitchen with choices of instant coffee mix or tea sachets and complimentary biscuits below the cupboard sitting right next to the electric kettle. Below it is a personal-sized fridge that stores my soda and bottle drinks to keep me hydrated when I come home at night.
The best facility in the room is its balcony which is overlooking St Columbkille's Catholic Church and the tip of the Sydney Tower Eye peeking from above the roof. The view is breathtaking but the cold morning breeze outside is nipping at my face while I was only wearing my usual-tropical-country-sleeping-clothes-not appropriate-for-the-weather in Sydney. One thing to note is that the wall outlets have Type 1 sockets, the ones with two flat metal pins shaped like a "V" with a flat pin in the center which my power cords don't match. Thankfully, it's one of the best reasons why I always bring my travel adapter with me.
3. Best Buffet Breakfast Ever!
Daily breakfast is buffet type and is being served at the sunny dining room on the 1st floor just below the guest lounge area between 7:00 am to 9:30 am. I noticed that there are more hotel guests eating from 8:00 am onwards so I decided to come earlier on the second and third days. There are more than enough tables inside but in case you want to have a refreshing view of the wharf towards the end of McElhone Street, you can bring your plate outside and enjoy your sumptuous breakfast at their steel table sets while relishing the cold breeze of the spring winds. Most of the guests that I've talked to say that having free breakfast in Australia is very unusual because most meals are paid for, so I guess I really have to enjoy this rare lifetime opportunity of having the best things in life that are free!
My expectation of free breakfast is usually a simple continental menu but it was a jaw-dropping surprise when I saw their serving tables overflowing with hot dishes, choices of bread and butter, various flavors of juices, and typical western-style greasy bits with fruits and other sweets for dessert. I learned that the most common Aussie breakfast is the big fry up, which is what I always load up on my daily plate. They served the same menu every day but I didn't get tired munching the same oily, smoky fried stuff like scrambled eggs, bacon strips, sausages, fluffy hash browns, mushrooms with some extras on the sides like grilled tomatoes and legumes. I tried all four choices of their cold beverages but what stood out for me is the apple juice that tasted like freshly picked produce from their backyard farm. Coffee, tea, latte, and hot chocolate are also available but I preferred sipping hot drinks on my balcony while being mesmerized at the view from the rear side of the hotel. The dessert table has some freshly cut fruits, salads, puddings, and gelatin but I always pick a single banana which I eat while I walk my way back to my room.
Kathy Freston was right about breakfast being the most important meal of the day. And Aussie breakfast in Mariners Court is the best I've had for the year!
4. Accessibility
Woolloomoolloo is not entirely the best place if you'd like the nearest and easiest access to your principal needs on your vacation or business trips but it has greatly provided me all the essential things that I needed during my visit to the city. It's primarily the best reason why I picked Mariners Court Hotel because, on my calculation, it is the central place that would lead me to all the places I need to go to, both business and pleasure, in every direction. On my first day, I had to go westward to Smithfield which takes about 2 hours train ride and went southward to Hillsdale on my second day. Just above north are the tourist spots that everyone in the world comes to see and a little northwest turn is the business hub of the city. Technically, the hotel is a perfect spot for everything that I needed to have, see, and get.
Airport - The hotel is just 20 minutes away from the airport through a cab. I had to take a local taxi service because I was having a hard time booking Uber. An advisory kept popping up on my mobile phone telling me that the cash payment method is not accepted in Australia, thus, requiring an Uber user to link a credit card to the Uber account. Ironically, my credit card is already linked to my Uber account but I have never used it because I paid cash when I visited India a few months earlier, and the app says my local bank does not authorize Uber transactions overseas. I was left with no choice but to withdraw AU$ from the teller machines at the airport for my cab fare. I hopped into a 13cabs taxi and the cabbie drove 10.9km to get me to the hotel, which charged me $67.50, a little higher than usual because the basic fee and the kilometer price are higher for all trips beyond 10:00 pm.
Train Station - the closest is Kings Cross Station which is just an 8-min walk from the hotel. It connects me to my last train station at Fairfield as I moved to a bus service to take me to Smithfield. Opal cards can be purchased at the station with an initial top-up value of $20 which can be used on both trains and buses.
City Centre - the main business and commercial area of the city is where Sydney Tower is. Fortunately, it's just an 18-minute walk from the hotel. I found both the easy route and the more chaotic one where you had to run into stairs that will take you up onto the hill. Same result, different methods. I got a little anxious and scared on the way home though because the same streets I walked by are so dark at night and there was no single human being in sight.
Church - For Catholic people like me, one of the first things that we look for on a visit to a foreign country is a place of worship. Lucky me, right next to the Mariners Court Hotel is St Columbkille's Catholic Church which can be seen right outside my balcony. The most famous Catholic Church in Sydney, however, is St. Mary's Cathedral, the oldest place of worship for the Catholic community in the entire country, which is just 13 minutes walk from the hotel.
Dining - A number of fast-food restaurants can be found at the Kings Cross Station where familiar brands are available by Darlinghurst Road. A Big Mac Meal in McDonald's is just $13.60 and a 6" Italian BMT in Subway is $12.20, although the nearest from the hotel is Domino's Pizza which can be found just at the end of the road from where the hotel is. The pizza house, as well as all other food establishments, closes too early though. Thankfully, Harry's Cafe de Wheels, Sydney's icon for pies and hotdogs, is just a 5-minute walk from Mariners Court. I really enjoyed their Hotdog de Wheels and Regular Hot Chips combo for $17.90 and my new favorite Tiger Beef Pie and Regular Hot Chips combo for $14.90.
5. Tour! Tour! Tour!
What's the point of going to Australia's most populous city if you'll leave without a glimpse of its iconic structures, lush national parks, and world-famous Victorian-style buildings. One of the best reasons why I picked this hotel is that these tourist spots in New South Wales' capital are just within reach.
Sydney Opera House - the world-renowned multi-venue performing arts center is just 29 minutes walk from the hotel but may take longer since the route going to Sydney Harbour may take you to some side trips on other famous tourist attraction along the way like the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Royal Botanic Gardens, Macquarie's Wall, Australian Rockery Lawn, and the Bennelong Lawn. In fact, the entire walk from the hotel is already a tour by itself because of these Instagram-worthy photoshoot locations for people like me who love taking pictures of places I've been to. One thing to take note of is to make sure you reach the gate where the Choo Choo Express is before it closes at 8:00 pm.
Hyde Park - A 15-minute walk westward will bring you to more collection of tourist destinations and Instagrammable spots right in the oldest public parkland in the country. The park itself is already a breathtaking spectacle showcasing avenues of fig-trees, low-flying pigeons, and elegantly-maintained gardens. Around it is amazing views and picturesque buildings like the St Mary's Cathedral, St. James Church, the Australian Museum, The Mint, the Supreme Court of New South Wales, the Sydney Tower Eye, and a lot more impressive sights. A half-day walk is more than enough to feast your eyes with this beauty that only Sydney can bring.
The CBD - Sydney Central Business District, or The CBD as locals call it, is just right next to Hyde Park which is just about a few more minutes walk. It is New South Wales' main city center, the seat of commercial, financial, and economic activities of the entire region. I celebrated my first birthday outside my home country walking through George Street while getting mesmerized with the jaw-dropping cityscape and architecture around the city. I had endless love seeing the beauty of Queen Victoria Building, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney Town Hall, and other famous landmarks like the Capitol Theatre, and Madame Tussauds in Hay Street or you can shop 'til your drop at Market City and the Chinatown. It was such an unforgettable, happy birthday for me!
I checked-out at 9:00 am right after having my last buffet breakfast on November 27, 2019, to catch my 11:50 am flight. It was the least hassle checking out that I ever did. I just dropped off the keys to the ever-friendly Craig at the front desk, the second time I got to see him (the first was when I did the paperwork on his desk the first day), and that was it! Since I still can't make the Uber app work for me, I dragged my luggage to the Cowper Wharf Roadway at the corner of Dowling Street, to wait for a taxi. A Silver Service cab picked me up and drove me to the airport just in time for my scheduled check-in. I was charged $51.00, lower than the fare that I was charged when I arrived because the basic fee and the kilometer price are both lower in the daytime.
If I would come back to Sydney, it's no doubt that I would choose to stay at Mariners Court Hotel again. I left my heart in Room 231.