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Pensione Hotel Sydney Australia

Small Rooms but Great Central Location Sydney CBD

When I entered my (first) hotel room at the Pensione in Sydney, Australia,  my heart sank: It was one of the smallest hotel rooms I had ever seen! I had booked online for 7 nights over two weekends, and could not imagine staying that long in such a tiny room! But I asked for and got larger rooms for the rest of my stay and was a happy camper.

The Pensione Hotel occupies 4 floors of two heritage buildings. It brings to mind the types of hotels found in Europe: Small, quirky, long corridors, multi-levels on the same floor, confusing hallways. Some people find these types of hotels charming, others find them confusing. I am somewhere in the middle:-) It has entrances on George Street and on Sussex Street.

I recommend this hotel for its good points: Central location in Haymarket, near CBD and Central Station, good rates, helpful staff, guest lounge with cooking facilities, onsite washing machine and dryer, and nicely appointed (renovated) rooms with fridge, iron, coffee and tea. Have a look at my photos and details below.

Pensione Hotel Sydney - My First Room Pensione Hotel room in Sydney Australia. single bed, private bathroom, small desk and window.

Here's a picture of my first room on the third floor at the Pensione in Sydney.

It was so tiny that this is the best photo I could get, standing in the open doorway.

The flat screen television is mounted near the ceiling at the foot of this single bed (over my head in this view).

I moved the table (where my backpack is) to the other side of the door opening to the bathroom so that I could sit on the bed (no chair).

My Second Room at the Pensione : Better Layout, Headboard, Chair, DeskPensione Hotel room in Sydney Australia. single bed, private bathroom,small desk and window with single bed but better layout

Here's the 4th-floor room I was moved to after I told staff I couldn't stay in the first room (the smallest room in the hotel).

With a better layout, this second room a desk and chair.

This room was my favourite, mainly for the square-ish layout that made for better furniture placement.

None of the rooms, though, had any room for luggage. I kept my closed suitcase on the chair under the desk.

My Third Room at the Pensione in Sydney: A Double Bed  My third hotel room at the Pensione in Sydney Australia CBD, with double bed, celing mounted television and large window.

Here is a picture of my third room at the Pensione, a double, and also on the third floor. The only way the bed would fit in this room was to have it facing the windows.

With only about 8 inches between the foot of the bed and the outside wall, it was awkward to keep walking around the bed to get to the desk, kettle, fridge, etc on the other side.

At the time of my stay, only the third and fourth floors had been renovated.  I looked into some unrenovated rooms on the first and second floors, and I really cannot recommend them.

Bathroom in the First Room at the Pensione Bathroom at the Pensione Hotel in Sydney nicely renovated with small ceramic tiles, glass shower enclosures.

The bathrooms in all three of these renovated rooms were similar, though this first one had no place to put toiletries.

The bathrooms in the other two rooms had a small shelf near the sink.

Note, too, that some shower enclosures have a very narrow fixed opening.

This shower door in the first room was only 18 inches wide.  I had to turn sideways to get into it and I am not especially wide :-)

Hallway Third Floor Pensione Hotel Larger than Room! Large hall area with seating in Pension Hotel Sydney, third floor.

Here's the hallway outside my first room. It's very wide and has nice seating.

If you are sharing, it's a place for one of you to sit with your coffee and read the free newspaper while the other gets ready.

I spoke to a couple who were in a room across from my first room.

We met in the hall, they asked me in to see their room and I showed them mine.

They had a double and a twin bed in their room, so were able to keep luggage on the single bed.

None of the windows in their room opened, though, and they found it stuffy.

Summing up the Pensione Hotel:

I think that the Pensione's good points outweigh the not so good.

  • Location, location, location on George Street in Sydney's CBD (Central Business District)
  • Good value for money (under $100/night for single)
  • If you don't like your room ask for another one; do ask for a renovated room
  • If you stay 3 or more days, you get a lower rate
  • It's an easy walk to the area attractions (Darling Harbour, Paddy's Market, Hyde Park etc)
  • Free Sydney Shuttle (daytime) to Circular Quay stops at the hotel
  • Lots of restaurants, pubs, (cheaper) internet cafes etc in the area
  • A few blocks walk south to Central Station; about 5 blocks north to Town Hall
  • Cooking, laundry, eating area in second floor lounge
  • FWIW, open-air smoking lounges on each floor
  • The Airport Shuttle picks up here

While I was walking around I made note of other hotels in this area (listed below) but in general, to find a hotel in this central location, look for those on George Street, or CBD, Town Hall, Wynyard station, Darling Harbour.

  • Vulcan Hotel is another boutique hotel in this area that a friend recommended
  • Aaron's Sydney Hotel is another boutique hotel in this area.