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

Fantastic historical hotel with oodles of charm. Amazing and helpful staff. Absolutely perfect location. Adjoined Fortune of War Pub, great food and drinks circa 1828 in the best neighborhood of Sydney. You cannot go wrong making this the place to comfortably rest your head at night. My only hesitation would be those with mobility issues. The hotel has stairs to deal with, even though there are limited lifts.

Great location in The Rocks. Close to eateries and pubs. The trains and ferries are minutes walk away for day trips. The bed was very comfy and the room clean. The bistro being connected to the pub next door was very convenient. The breakfast was fantastic, as were the staff. The only let down was having no aircon in the room. Yes this is a heritage building, but some rooms I understand do have aircon, which I was under the impression I was supposed to have - If it states on the booking aircon, well I expect it. At the time it was hot, around 33C, but luckily a cool sea breeze was blowing to cool the room. I would not have enjoyed it if my stay was the following 2 days as the peak of a hit wave hit above 40C. In this day and age I think it is unreasonable not to have aircon especially for the premium paid for the room. I will need to think about my options next time I return to the Rocks as there are comparable places very close which do have all facilities to ensure a comfortable stay.

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.

The Russell Boutique Hotel was wonderful in every way! We stayed there for 2 nights prior to our cruise. Everything was spot on from the service to the food, to the location, which is within walking distance of the cruise terminal and so much more. We had an early morning excursion, and they accommodated us with a delicious breakfast to go since our departure was before they served breakfast in the restaurant. The breakfast in the restaurant the next day was beyond expectations. The price is very reasonable, and we can't recommend this hotel enough. We will stay there the next time we are in Sydney.

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.

Thank you very, very much to Mick in the reviews for the warning of NO AIRCONDITIONING in some rooms. I cannot even imagine how furious we (4 guests) would have been arriving at the hotel to find out there is no airconditioning in our rooms. The hotel should have a duty of care to inform guests of this, especially when they, like we did, were informed we were travelling with an elderly (80+) guest. We contacted the hotel immediately after reading your review Mick to confirm if the two (2) Standard Double Rooms (Authentic Rooms) we had booked for two nights pre-cruise had aircon, and were told only in January upon enquiry, they do not have air conditioning in the Standard Double Rooms (Authentic Rooms). In 7 months we had the booking, nothing was mentioned to us regarding the no airconditioning in the rooms, we were just meant to pick up on it being omitted in the room details. I thought it was standard for all hotels in Aust to have aircons?? We were told by the hotel that the only rooms they have with air conditioning are the Standard King Room (Heritage King), Double Room with Garden View (Courtyard Room), King Room (Timeless Room), and Superior King Room (The Russell Room) and they were sold out for our dates next fortnight. Very poor service. What a terrible experience we would have had if we hadn't have picked up on it before the trip. We cancelled our booking immediately and found other accommodation. Thank you again to Mick, you saved us starting our entire holiday on the wrong foot with your review. Mate, if you are ever up in NQ, we owe you a beer!

I have never had the hospitality and help from anyone before in my lifetime like I just had from the manager Valentin. What an amazing young man. We arrived at the hotel via taxi. The taxi stopped a little short of our destination. As I was coming out of the taxi I was setting up my wife’s mobility scooter when I was approached and asked if I was heading to the hotel. Before I could answer he said let me help you with your cases. He took us to the side entrance where we didn’t have to worry about stairs.He knew exactly what room we were in and proceeded to take my cases there while I checked in. The next morning we were going on a cruise. He came to our room again to help with the cases . He walked with us all the way to the cruise ship and even checked them in for us. I offered to give him $50 for his extraordinary service. He refused saying he was only happy to help and the smile on my face was enough reward. What an amazing young man.

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.