The slogan for the Travelodge hotel chain is “refreshingly simple”, and never before has a brand’s tagline been so honest. You will not find frills in a Travelodge – no fresh flowers in your room, no day spas – but you will not find any nasty surprises either. Instead, what you get are hotel rooms that are clean, neat and totally functional. There’s enough closet space to make it to your pitch meeting entirely uncrumpled, good water pressure in your bathroom, tea and coffee making facilities and a little TV screen for channel-surfing and chilling. The Wynyard location, which was renovated in 2017, places almost every corner of Sydney within accessible reach via public transport, and Barangaroo, the Rocks, and the Sydney Opera House are within walking distance, so hitting up some of the city’s most popular tourist attractions is a breeze. There are comforting touches like boardgames in-room, but the biggest comfort is the dependability. This reliability makes the chain popular with frequent business travellers, younger couples and budget-conscious families, who are catered to with kids’ packs.
Time Out tip: Walk five minutes west down Margaret Street to the Streets of Barangaroo (yes, the suburb is actually named ‘the Streets of Barangaroo’) to get access to the city’s buzziest eateries, from Belles Hot Chicken (fried chicken and organic wine) to Cirrus (upscale, sophisticated seafood).