The Russell Boutique Hotel

A charming and well-designed boutique hotel, a combination of history with modern amenities at the center of Sydney. I am so glad I booked this hotel - its design is amazing, alongside historic rooms, all the functions in the room including completely modern lighting and air conditioning. They think of every detail here, including a bathrobe and slippers to make you feel at home. Although the bathrooms and toilets were shared, it was not noticeable at all, sometimes I thought I was the only one using them, everything was clean and tidy. Breakfast is very tasty and there are several options to choose from. Lovely, professional and kind staff, helping with everything. Perfect location, including proximity to the train station to/from the airport, ferries and light rail. Walking distance from the Opera house and the Harbour bridge. If you don't like noise, especially from the emptying of the bins, don't ask for room 3. Apart from that, everything was excellent. There is also a pub with live music downstairs, which adds even more charm and uniqueness to the place. Recommended

Where do I start, I read the reviews and thought great, good location, close to Circular Key where we would board our cruise, the only positive. Arrived by car to the hotel, first surprise, had to drag our heavy suitcases up a steep hill to get to the entrance, no not the reception that's on the first floor via lift that only holds 2 people and suit cases or option 2 climb the steep stairs. Next surprise get out of the lift met buy a narrow steep set of steps to get to the desk, decided to leave the bags outside the lift. Only pleasant surprise our bags are on the right floor, given our keys and went to our room, at first look a nice room, from here down hill. Let mean set the scene, it's a 43 degrees C in Sydney on this day, the windows of the room are open, the outside heat pouring in, lucky the ceiling fan is running, pity the aircon wasn't on, ohh wait this is no aircon, what a surprise, having paid $420 for a one night stay. The temperature did not drop below 36C neither did the room, couldn't leave the windows open because of the heat and the noise from the lane below. Now here's the next bit, not only was the heat making it impossible to sleep, the offices directly opposite our room had every light on, totally illuminating our room, because the fancy blinds don't seal out the light. The hotel is a rabbit warren of steep stairs, if your not good with stairs, it's not for you. I can honestly say avoid this place like the plague, especially if it's hot weather, couldn't tell if there was heating, had no reason to check that, it was all ready like an oven.

Great hotel in excellent location. Get train from airport direct to circular quay and walk less than 5 mins to hotel. Our charming room lived up to its description. Breakfast was really good and all the as train were lovely and helpful. We ate in the pub several times. Clisd to ferries and boat trips and easy to jump on light rail. We will definitely be back. Thank you for a great stay.

Supern location, easy walking distance to main attractions and downtown. Plenty of restuarants nearby. Mains stations close by for easy access and excursions. Double room facing main street was a good size. Bathroom small but more than adequate. Music outside until 11pm but not really an issue. Excelent breakfast to start your day. All staff helpful and happy. Dont mind the stories about the ghosts, heresay.

Lovely heritage hotel in The Rocks area. We came off a cruise and stayed for 2 nights in a Charming room. Very comfortable with air con and ensuite. A few stairs but nothing terrible. Not good perhaps for older people with limited mobility. Made very welcome and an amazing breakfast. Would stay again in this vibrant area

Great place to stay - it has great character in the rooms and the beds are super comfy. I stayed 1 night during a conference and had a room with a shared bathroom about 5 steps from my door. While I had thought the shared bathroom would be an issue, it truly wasn’t, never seen or heard the other room assigned to it. I had dinner in the downstairs pub which was great and the breakfast included was very generous indeed. I would happily come back

A lovely historic hotel in the heart of the Rocks, with a great location near to both transport, amazing restaurants, cafes and more. Attached to the Fortune of War Pub, the extensive five year renovation really shows, with a lot of effort put into the design of the hotel from the rooms to the public spaces. I loved my Serene room with courtyard, spacious, with air con, a fan, little minibar set up and more. Bedding is very comfortable, and despite the pub and George Street being close, it was peaceful. Service is excellent, and I loved the staff bringing chocolate around at night. Will be back.

If you want to relax after a long flight and wake up refreshed to explore the beautiful city, this isn't the place. The hotel is connected to a pub with live music until 1 a.m. I felt like I was sleeping in a pub. The constant shouting and music made it impossible to sleep. The air conditioning was very loud, which made it even more difficult to rest. There was no hotel staff at night, so there was no one to manage the noise. On the plus side, the staff, Alicja, were great. Breakfast and service were very good. Unfortunately, the hotel doesn't meet the basic requirement of rest and relaxation. If you're a party animal and like to sing until 1 a.m. and listen to music in your room, book. Otherwise, avoid it like the plague. I'm disappointed - I didn't sleep for two nights, and I haven't received a complaint from the hotel. loud music from the pub is the norm there.

SMALL, HISTORIC, EXPENSIVE HOTEL This old hotel puts me in mind of a Vermont B&B or some English hotels that are rabbit warrens of corridors and stairs. The wooden floors creak, it's noisy with thin walls & it's above a bar, but nevertheless it is well located and showing its age, which is okay, actually. It is wildly expensive for what you get, but still a fun place to stay for a short while. Note: you must pay a surcharge for en suite facilities and for WI-FI. Not cool. I'd love to give them 4 stars, but it's just not there.

I probably should start of by saying that this is a review of the bar as opposed to the boutique hotel. Anyway I always thought the Russell was its own pub, however on my last visit I had to go and find the little boy's room, so I went down the back, along the hallway, and discovered that I had walked into the Fortune of War. Okay, maybe it is the one and the same pub, but they certainly look at lot different (and the Russell is somewhat more expensive, as well as not having midis on offer, which I find somewhat annoying). Anyway, I've come here a couple of times but I can't say the place really enthuses me all that much. Sure it is a nice looking pub, but it does seem a bit classy. Also I ordered a Mountain Goat IPA, a beer that I regularly drink, and it didn't seem all that right. I'll probably give it a pass next time I'm in Sydney.

This is an old school, quaint place to stay. King size bed, ceiling fan, mini fridge and a TV. We shared a bathroom and there wasn't any AC. The location was great and they do serve a continental breakfast that wasn't too bad. We leave there Sunday morning for our cruise to Hawaii. Things ain't all hat bad!

I really, really loved this hotel. The floors creak and the doors are thin but it doesn't matter because it is charming and adorable. It reminds me of a bed and breakfast I stayed in when I visited Napa, CA, which was really historical and intimate. The front receptionist brought me chocolates to my room, which I obviously loved. The heater worked nicely on the chilly night I was there. I didn't use the TV so I can't really say. The sharing bathrooms isn't an issue because the toilet has it's own door and so does the shower. So you're never going in the same room as someone else in another stall...you do have some privacy. I spent a lot of time in their roomy lounge before and after my checkout and they didn't ask me to leave. I needed the wifi because I don't have cell service in Australia! Yes it was expensive but with the included breakfast, the location to the city highlights, and the main train/bus/ferry terminals practically across the street, this place was perfect. Sydney is a walkable city and you can really save transportation costs by staying right in the heart of it all.

I always stay in the cheap room which I can usually book for about 180 AUD. It has a shared bathroom across the hall and no air conditioning, but if a beautiful room, right in the Rocks with a quick walk to anywhere you need to go. Good breakfast is included at their pub downstairs.

A quaint boutique bed and breakfast is just the place to stay in Sydney whether you're there for business or pleasure. And that is most definitely The Russell Hotel. Located in the Rocks, this Sydney institution will make your stay in the city a delight. All their rooms are furnished differently (antique style) so every time you visit its sure to different. Their service is excellent and makes you feel at home. The hotel is near a lot of Sydney attractions like the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge which is definitely a big plus. And if you're not up to leaving the hotel, they even have a sitting room and rooftop garden where you can relax and just enjoy some quiet time. A stay here is highly recommended!

Russell Hotel is a cute boutique hotel with room decor almost reminiscent of an old New England bedroom. It is one of the more affordable options in your stay at Sydney. However, you share a bathroom with others on the same floor (usually one other room, but anyone on the floor can access it since it's in the hallway). And not everyone likes to flush the toilet (I feel like I should get put on salary here with the amount of times I had to flush for others). As old fashioned looking as this facility is, it does have wifi for a $5/day surcharge. Not bad. The continental breakfast hits the spot...nothing fancy, which is perfect for me. The croissants are delicious, and each new batch comes out warm from the oven. Though, I did notice my husband and I were the youngest people at breakfast by at least 20 years. And one guest mistook me for someone who works here and tried to ask for something. Despite the setbacks/awkwardness of the above, I would consider staying here again. It's in a great location, with easy access to the Opera House and Botanical Gardens, and is relatively affordable. Just be ready to flush a few toilets.

I've given this hotel 4 stars, not for Luxury, but for old world charm, service, cleanliness, and location. The Russel is a boutique B 'n B in a charming old building with creaky floors and nicely decorated and well appointed rooms. (The bed was very comfortable!) The staff was helpful and friendly- assisting us with all our needs- and arranged our tours for us! We had an air conditioner in our room and an on Suite bath, but some rooms share common baths. Breakfast is simple and is served in the pub below. This hotel is so conveniently located in the historic Rocks district where pubs and restaurants abound with great food , Circular Quay is a stones throw away - as is the Museum of Modern art, and the Opera House and botanic garden is a brisk walk away. We also walked up the hill to the Sydney Observatory and you can reach the Sydney bridge - we walked over and back. Our family has stayed here twice and we will stay there again on our next visit.