CBD (Town Hall)

Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney Town Hall

★★★★★

Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney Town Hall solves the two biggest problems for families and longer-stay visitors in central Sydney: space and the cost of eating out. It has been fully refurbished and offers a range of apartments rather than hotel rooms, on Kent Street next to Town Hall station. Studios of about 28 square metres have a kitchenette with a microwave and fridge, and premier studios add a city view and balcony. One-bedroom apartments of around 57 square metres have a full kitchen, separate living area and an in-room washer and dryer. Two-bedroom apartments of around 92 square metres have two bathrooms, and a three-bedroom premier apartment of around 120 square metres sleeps up to six. The full kitchens include a cooktop, oven, full-size fridge, dishwasher, microwave, kettle and toaster, so you can cook proper meals and keep breakfast costs down. Facilities include a heated, semi-outdoor pool, a fully equipped gym, in-room massage on request, and Bar Benevento on the ground floor for breakfast, coffee and a drink. Reception runs 24 hours, check-in is from 3pm and check-out by 11am, and free cots and interconnecting or family rooms are available on request. The location could hardly be more central: the Queen Victoria Building, Pitt Street Mall, Chinatown, Darling Harbour and Barangaroo are all walkable, and Town Hall station connects to the whole train network, including the airport line.

Where it fits: for a family of four, two hotel rooms in the city centre can cost more than a two-bedroom apartment here, and having a kitchen and a washing machine makes a week-long stay far more comfortable. The surrounding streets are the shopping and business heart of the city, with supermarkets nearby for stocking the kitchen and dozens of casual restaurants in Chinatown and around Town Hall.

Room craft: couples on a short stay can choose a studio; anyone staying more than a few nights should consider a one-bedroom apartment for the full kitchen and laundry. Families should book the two-bedroom apartments, which have two bathrooms and make mornings much easier, and larger groups can take the three-bedroom premier apartment. Premier apartments add city views. Request a cot or interconnecting rooms when you book.

Who it suits and the trade-offs: families, groups of friends, longer-stay visitors and business travellers who prefer to cook. Service is apartment-style rather than full hotel service, and parking is available for a nightly fee with a 2.1-metre height limit and is subject to availability. There are no harbour views, and Kent Street is a busy city street. But for space, practicality and location, it is one of the best-value family bases in the CBD.