My wife and I spent four nights at the Holiday Inn, Darling Harbor, on our first visit to Sydney in late June 2008.

We decided on this hotel after reading the reviews on Tripadvisor and felt that all things considered, this hotel should meet our budget and needs quite nicely.

And we were not disappointed.

Checking in was swift, and the concierge, prompt and knowledgeable. There is also an ATM and a public phone (which allows you to make int'l calls inside the hotel lobby). More importantly, both were working.

The hotel also kindly met our request to have a room on the higher floors (we were given one on level 10 - brilliant!).

The room itself was clean, bright and cheery. Towels were aplenty and clean. The housekeeping staff we met during our stay there were polite and enthusiastic. So it may not be a bad idea to hang the "Do not Disturb" sign on the door, just to be sure you won't be disturbed by the housekeepers when sleeping in.

F&B wise, the bar and restaurant looks great and cosy. The buffet breakfast we had at Shipley's on our final morning there (as usually, we would prefer to try all kinds of food out there) was quite good, despite the usual choices. There was also a refreshing blend-your-own-fresh fruit juice counter, and free flow of cappucino, expresso and lattes. The buffet queue was manageable due to the limited seats.

So be warned that the morning breakfast crowd, coupled with the limited seats in this cozy Shipley's restaurant could mean a short wait before you are ushered to your table. Plan your time well to avoid unnecessary itinerary slippage.

The three passenger lifts worked well and fast, minimising any time wasted on waiting for them.

During our stay there, we also requested for a late check-out to accomodate our flight time and it was granted readily with a smile.

Finally, to reach this hotel from the airport, you can take the Kingsford Smith Transporter airport shuttle service, which has a counter at the arrival hall. A return trip costs a reasonable AUD$22 per pax. The KST shuttle also picks up passengers from the hotel every 30 mins. We had no problems whatsoever with this arrangement with our own transfers.

Location wise, Chinatown is right behind on the next street and Paddy's Market is just right outside the hotel. Lots of cheap and good Asian cuisine available from these places till late at night. Capitol Theatre (where we caught Billy Eillot) is also a 10 mins stroll away.

Lastly, there is also a Macdonald's just across the road at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in case this is important to you. There are a smattering of convenient stores around the hotel but the nearest 7-11 is two streets away.

For more upmarket dining choices, the happening Darling Harbor is a mere 5 -10 mins walk away, taking you on a lovely stroll across a park.

To reach the City Centre quickly, you can take a bus (AUD$1.80) from George Street - which is mere minutes from the hotel.

At the bus stop in front of the hotel, you can board the Sydney Explorer Bus. If you desire something more direct, I notice that a taxi or two is always parked perpetually in front of the hotel.

If you wish to stay in Darling Harbor but do not mind not having a harbor view, this is an excellent value for money choice to consider.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Darling Harbour for four nights as a city stop-over. We choose the Darling Harbour HI because we liked the sound of the location (Darling Harbour!) and the Trip-advisor reviews were pretty good. We had previously stayed at the HI Potts Point (which is actually in Kings Cross) so decided to give the other hotel and location a try. I would describe the hotel as average through and through, from the check-in experience, rooms, facilities and staff. The biggest disappointment however, is that the hotel is NOT on Darling Harbour ! The hotel is actually on the edge of China Town and about a 10/15 minute walk (crossing a main road) to the closest bit of Darling Harbour. Good points include easy access to the city bus services which stop just outside the hotel and a good range of excellent restaurants in China Town. If I was going to Sydney again I would try to stay in "The Rocks" part of town but wouldn't write off the HI Darling Harbour - just remember it isn't on the harbour !

The hotel was nice enough, but I was there with my significant other and they gave us two twin beds. When we called down to get it resolved the first girl we talked to was NOT helpful and pretty much an airhead.

The gentleman who helped us with our bags was MUCH better! He noticed the situation, went down and spoke to the manager on our behalf and they moved us immediately to another room. Although the room had a view of a cement wall at least it had a double bed.

The location is within a 5 min walk of Darling Harbour.

We arrived May 25, group of 10 but only 3 rooms ready, other 2 were not. We were assigned to level 1 rooms, which for some structural/architectural design were sunken from the corridor. Bathrooms were level with the corridor. a little bit small for my comfort but sufficient otherwise. Rooms were clean, beds were neat, bath was standard ok. There were no complimentary slippers. Aircon controls were simple & accurate.

There were NO electrical outlet for foreign electrical gadgets. We ask for an adopter from the front desk, but unfortunately, it was very very loose and wont work unless you hold it with both hands. Since the hotel had no more extra/spare I had to buy from a store which was pretty stiff at Aus$7.

The breakfast buffet was nice & sufficient. what i find rather nice & extra-ordinary was that they provided a juicer so you can make your own fresh apple, pineapple, cellery, carrots, melon juice.

The hotel was located near Chinatown so lunch/dinner was a matter of choices & more choices. It is also very near bargain shopping & the Darling harbour area.