The Lansdowne Sydney

I came away disappointed, especially after relying on the positive Google reviews. I was told guests get a free drink for leaving staff a review, which makes those ratings feel biased to me. The cleaning woman was a bright spot: always cheerful and considerate. The rest of the staff were hard to reach. I got an email with a door code that was wrong, and only got inside because someone from the bar let me in. Check-in meant hauling my bags up two floors to use an iPad by myself. They use an app for doors and communication, and supposedly have backup codes, but I asked repeatedly and never got a clear answer. The reception was apparently at the bar on the third floor, though there was no reason to go there since everything was self-service. They also kept contacting me about extending my stay, which felt pushy, and app-only communication was no help when I needed something urgently. My eight-bed dorm was spacious, but the air conditioning didn't work. The windows barely opened, and faced a busy road, so sleeping with them open wasn't realistic. Even shut, it was difficult to sleep: the bar and concert venue below sounded like a club in the room until 11 pm. There were only two showers and three toilets for the whole hostel. The lovely cleaner isn't there every day, so the bathrooms weren't always clean. The kitchen and fridge were small, and the fridge was already full even though the hostel wasn't. There's no oven. For meals, there are three little tables in the stairwell or corridor; the rooftop closes at night and can't be used in rain. Two small rooms behind it are available for relaxing, but not from 10 pm to 7:30 am. I expected the place to be nearer the centre and tourist spots, though that's my own misunderstanding. A large shopping centre across the road has supermarkets, banks for opening an account, phone providers and other shops.