Holiday Inn & Suites Sydney Bondi Junction by IHG

I had a great one-night stay at IHG Holiday Inn Bondi Junction Express Suites. Calvin at reception checked me in smoothly in the afternoon, upgraded me to a King Studio Suite with Balcony, and arranged late checkout. The room was clean, and I really liked the view from the balcony. The studio had everything I needed, including a kitchen and utensils, which was handy for anyone wanting to cook. It was over 40 degrees, so the air conditioning was essential, and the room stayed nice and cool. The bathroom was clean too. There were no bath towels at first, but I called reception and housekeeping brought me two within a couple of minutes. I needed help working out how to turn on the stove. I’m a bit out of date with today’s tech, and reception guided me through switching on the electricity for the stovetop, which was controlled by a switch on the side. When I checked out today, I had a pleasant chat with Dipesh, who handled it. Thanks for the hospitality and great service. I’ll definitely book a longer stay in the near future.

After a long flight, being allowed to check in early was a real kindness and made my day. The room itself, though, was disappointing for the price. It faced the street, and loud cars woke me several times overnight. The window didn’t close properly, so the noise came through even more. Light got in at all hours because the curtains didn’t cover the whole window, and there was a large gap beneath the front door letting hallway light into the room. When a neighbour let their door shut without holding it, the whole wall shook and woke me up. Very poor hotel standards for what it costs.

The location is the best thing about this hotel, central to downtown and the famous bondi beach, with bus stops and public transit close by. Check-in was wonderful, thanks Alexandra. The problem is the cockroaches. Even after they moved me to a different room, I spent one night killing them and slept in my car the next night. Not cool. I know it’s an island and it’s spring, but some prevention would be great. A few big spring and summer events are happening, so many hotels are booked up. I’m still debating whether to cancel the rest of my 14 day trip here. I can’t see myself spending another 12 days in this hotel.

For what I paid, I expected a 4+ star stay, but the room standard and cleanliness were very disappointing. The rooms felt dated, my fridge was dirty, there was mould in the shower, and the shower leaked when the door was closed because the seal was old. The toilet paper holder swung down, and the cutlery and crockery didn’t match. I met another guest in the lift who was already on his third room change. I was on a work trip and couldn’t be bothered changing rooms myself. Holiday Inn, do better or charge less!