The Russell Hotel with just 30 delightfully different rooms is perfectly located for the Sydney visitor seeking a convenient and characterful base from which to explore this exciting city. Sydney is literally on your doorstep at the Russell with Circular Quay, Sydney Harbour and the Museum of Contemporary Art just across the road. The Russell Hotel is a gorgeous bed and breakfast hotel known for its superb location and charm. No two guest rooms are identical at The Russell Hotel. The Russell Hotel offers a variety of ensuite rooms and very affordable rooms with shared bathroom. The largest rooms overlook George Street whilst guests in search of tranquility might prefer one of the courtyard rooms or one above Nurses Walk. Continental Breakfast and Wifi is included in the room rate.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quaint
Historic Hotel
Languages Spoken
English
Location
143A George St The Rocks, Sydney, New South Wales 2000 Australia
The Russell Boutique Hotel
1,317 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Overall I really liked the Russell Hotel but I was very disappointed with the room. It was the most expensive hotel I have ever stayed in Sydney and I expected a little bit bigger, nicer room. I know they pride themselves on being authentic and I know they have some better rooms than we had but this was extremely basic. No desk or table, only one wooden old chair. We had to leave the bathroom window open when taking a shower otherwise the alarm would be set off and then we would be charged AU$1,200. The Push Restaurant attached to the hotel I would give one star. I’ve had better food at McDonalds for a fourth of the price. There are some positives. It is a perfect location just 3 minutes to the Circular Quay to catch trains, trams and boats to many location. Only 5 minute walk to the Opera House. Easy access to downtown shopping. They serve one of the best Continental Breakfasts of any hotel I’ve ever stayed in (included in room rate).
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Date of stay: January 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â I assume rooms at the front of the hotel are very noisy because the pub attached to the hotel...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RobertHemsing, Public Relations Manager at The Russell Boutique Hotel
Responded 2 Feb 2020
Hi Paragone9, Thank you so much for taking the time to review your recent stay with us. We're sorry to hear that the stay did not exceed your expectations. Our room rates differ seasonally as well as depending on the day of the week and we always price ourselves competitively with similar hotels in the Circular Quay/The Rocks area. As the smoke alarms are very sensitive we indeed have signs in the bathrooms asking our guests to leave the bathroom door closed when taking a shower so that the steam doesn't set the alarms off - this is quite a common practice in the industry. On a much lighter note we loved to read how much you enjoyed the central location in Circular Quay/The Rocks as well as the complimentary continental breakfast.
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We spent five nights here. It is located on one of the few remaining blocks that appears to be historic so the area is quaint. It is a very short work to the Circular Quay. The location is convenient to public transit plus it is very walkable. We arrived just as COVID-19 cases around the world were increasing. Two of our planned activities were canceled because of this. Every person we met at the hotel was so friendly and helpful. They suggested two day trips we could make on our own that were similar to what we had planned to do and those trips were great. The check in could not have been easier. Every night someone leaves a little card with a great quote about sleeping in your room along with chocolate. The breakfast buffet has a lot of variety and everyone should be able to find something they like. There is plenty of fresh fruit, too.
Our room faced the front of the hotel so it was over a restaurant and a pub. Every evening we could hear singing from the pub. It was good enough that we actually thought a choral group was rehearsing. They stopped on week nights by 10 PM and on the weekend at either 11 PM or midnight. We could hear them because the weather was pleasant and we kept our window open until we went to sleep. When we closed the window there was a framed plexiglass insert to put over the bottom half of the window which shut out most of the sound. I am often disturbed by light or noise at night when I am at home and I had no problem sleeping in this room. We would highly recommend this hotel.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed here for 2 nights and will definitely stay again. All the rooms are different and we had a charming one with ensuite facing George St. As the Rocks is sadly so quiet at present there were no noise issues but during busier times we would probably opt for a room on the other side. The staff that we met were all very friendly and helpful. The continental breakfast provided was basic but plentiful and the bed was very comfortable. Our room had a heater which made us lovely and toasty. There is also a lovely little rooftop terrace. One of the reasons we chose the Russell at this time was because they have a very good Covid plan in place and we certainly felt that every care was being taken to ensure the health and safety of guests and staff. We look forward to trying another one of their unique rooms in the very near future.
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Date of stay: August 2020
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â All rooms are unique. Some will be quieter than others.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What a great find. Boutique hotel in The Rocks, Sydney. Late century decor with modern facilities. Clean. Very comfortable. I was initially in a single (comfortable) unairconditioned room, and was pleasantly moved to an air conditioned room next morning. Staff exceptional. Fresh flowers every day. Great breakfast in breakfast bar, fresh fruit, boiled eggs, danishes, cereals and an assortment of lovely breads and great coffee. Loved my stay. Ordered a bottle of wine and cheese board twice. I will definitely be back.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RobertHemsing, Public Relations Manager at The Russell Boutique Hotel
Responded 2 Feb 2020
Hi Melissa, Thank you so much for taking the time to review your stay at our centrally located Sydney boutique hotel. We loved to read how much you enjoyed your time at The Russell Boutique Hotel. We especially loved to read how much you appreciate the historic decor with modern facilities, service received by the team, fresh flowers as a standard in all rooms, as well as complimentary continental breakfast in the morning. The team and I look forward to welcoming you back soon.
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We love staying at the Russell. The location is a stone's throw from Circular Quay, the staff are ridiculously freindly and the hotel itself is so homely and comfortable. Walk in to town, to the Rocks, to Circular Quay, to the opera house, the bridge. Perfect.
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Date of stay: November 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What a great find was The Russell Hotel, a real gem and I am reluctant to write a review because other people will now know about it.
Nestled above and behind The Fortune of War the hotel is full of twists and turns and ups and downs and is really quite quirky in side in a really interesting way. As part of The Rocks it affords proximity to all the pubs and restaurants in this part of town allowing visitors (even locals) to experience the fun and heritage of Sydney without the non-descript big hotel experience.
We chose a queen room with en-suite and found our room to be clean, comfortable and spacious with a good sized en-suite bathroom.
In town overnight for the SailGP the customer service was excellent in allowing us to leave our bags prior to check in and after checkout whilst we were on the harbour and a late checkout at 11am was great allowing us a little more time to relax. My one observation (and surprisingly The Russell is only 3 star) would be to include tea and coffee making facilities in the rooms.
Local to Sydney and living on The Beaches we occasionally stay overnight in the city. The Russell will be top of our list now for its convenience and great customer service.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RobertHemsing, Public Relations Manager at The Russell Boutique Hotel
Responded 9 Mar 2020
Hi kimmM1133XH, Thank you so much for taking the time to review your stay at The Russell Boutique Hotel. We’re thrilled to read how much of a great time you had in our small bed and breakfast in The Rocks, Sydney. As all of our rooms should come with tea and coffee making facilities we'd love for you to email us your room number so we can double-check what happened there. The team and I especially loved to read how much you appreciated our quirky old world charm and the maze the building is, our central location in Circular Quay and The Rocks, as well as our friendly service. We can’t wait to welcome you back soon!
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This hotel will be a new favourite place for us to stay in Sydney. From the moment you enter you are made to feel welcome. The staff are lovely, the rooms are huge and even though no air conditioning on a 30 degree weekend, the room was lovely and cool. We slept with the ceiling fan on low and had a blissful nights sleep. Do take earplugs if you're a light sleeper as guests leaving the bar are a little noisy on Sat nights. We had fresh flowers in the room and chocolates on the bed at night. So many nice touches. The rooftop area is lovely, and you can see the Harbour Bridge from there, you can also listen to the live music below on the street. A free continental breakfast is included in the tariff and was impressive, with juice, coffee and tea, pastries, little quiches, muesli with a gorgeous yoghurt and berries and a plate of fresh fruit. Positioned just across the road from the water, only 5 min's walk to Circular Quay and the trams, trains and buses, and 10 mins walk to the Opera House. Will never stay anywhere else in Sydney again now that we've been so spoilt.
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Loved this old hotel in the Rocks - perfect location, clean rooms and great friendly staff. This hotel is in a great location with parking next (reason rates if validated by hotel), close to public transport and easy walking to many of the places in Sydney we visited. Their a 2 pubs downstairs that have great atmosphere for a couple of drinks and also great food as well. I would definitely stay in this hotel again.
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Date of stay: July 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Two nights over Australia Day w/end was the perfect place to be. Staff were helpful in every way and room was quiet and quaint. The hotel and area is full of history. Validated parking nearby was very 'cheap' for Sydney and the incl light b'fast made it a great stay near shopping, restaurants, Opera House show and fireworks ....
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Date of stay: January 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â being an historic bldg. some rooms have share bathrooms and some no aircon....
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RobertHemsing, Public Relations Manager at The Russell Boutique Hotel
Responded 30 Jan 2020
Hi wendybt, Thank you so much for taking the time to review your stay at our historic bed and breakfast in The Rocks, Sydney. The team and I were thrilled to read how much you enjoyed your time and especially loved to read how much you enjoyed the quiet and quaint room, history of the building and area, as well as the complimentary continental breakfast and proximity to everything great Sydney has to offer. We hope to be able to welcome you back to The Russell Boutique Hotel soon.
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Stayed again at the Russell in my favourite room over the weekend of Mardi Gras. The staff were as welcoming and helpful as they always are. This small boutique hotel is so conveniently situated right next to the Circular Quay transport hub, convenient for train, bus, tram and ferry services.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RobertHemsing, Public Relations Manager at The Russell Boutique Hotel
Responded 5 Mar 2020
Hi Carl, Thank you so much for taking the time to review you recent return stay at The Russell Boutique Hotel. We’re thrilled to read how much of a great time you had in our small bed and breakfast in The Rocks, Sydney, especially how much you enjoyed our central location and friendly team. We can’t wait to welcome you back soon & thank you for your loyalty!
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Hi wcd1125,
We have a lift that goes to the main floors however there are a few steps up and down being one of the oldest hotels in Sydney. Your luggage shouldn't be any of your concern however - we can most certainly give you a hand and help you with those steps!
Our hotel is located just across the street from the Overseas Passenger terminal so it'll be hard to find any place closer.
If you've got any further questions feel free to email us and don't forget to book via our website for your 5% direct bookings discount!
Hi 767flyer, We have 10 rooms with shared bathrooms and 20 rooms with ensuite. If you book via our website directly the type of bathroom will be mentioned in the name of the room category.
Let us know if you need any help in picking the right one!
Regards,
Rob
The Russell Boutique Hotel
Yes you can consume alcohol on the rooftop. You can bring your own, or purchase a bottle with us (either from your in room mini bar, or as a takeaway sale from the downstairs bar the Fortune of War).
Hi Wendy, you are not permitted to smoke inside any of our rooms. Our private rooftop terrace is a designated smoking area, or you can smoke outside the building in Globe Lane or on George Street. Thanks!
There are more places to choose from in the Sydney area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
the russell hotel sydney, russell hotel sydney, russell sydney
LOCATION
AustraliaNew South WalesSydneyThe Rocks
NUMBER OF ROOMS
30
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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