I recently took the kids and my parents to Sydney and when it came to finding a place to stay I was faced in a conundrum.
I needed reasonably priced accommodation for 3 adults, a toddler and a baby within walking distance of Chinatown, ideally with kitchen facilities and separate rooms for everyone (as the kids go to sleep any time from 6-7pm).
Someone suggested Airbnb, a website for travel rentals which is more like a community of people opening up their homes to strangers. On Airbnb I found the perfect place for us – a terrace house in Ultimo which Lady AB still refers to as ‘Rebecca’s House‘.
Rebecca let us stay in her bright, colourful, neat and well-furnished terrace house for $350 a night, which was cheaper than any self-serviced apartment or hotel room that we would have had to book with so many people in tow. It had three bedrooms, a bathroom and separate toilet/laundry, an open plan kitchen, dining room, two living areas and a lovely courtyard.
It was in a really convenient location for the Powerhouse Museum, the playgrounds of Darling Harbour and restaurants of Chinatown yet still in a leafy, quiet neighbourhood.
I never met Rebecca but she welcomed us with fresh flowers, a stack of fluffy towels, free rein to her fridge and pantry (within reason of course) and a stack of material for suggestions of places to eat and things to do.
We had smoothies and French pastries from Le Depot, coffee from Mecca Espresso, Malaysian hawker food from Kopitiam, yum cha at Marigold and babycinos and bacon and egg rolls from Quarry Street Cafe.Â
The best thing was that Rebecca was able to lend us two cots (a big one for Lady AB and a portacot for Baby 2.0), a change table stocked with baby wipes, a baby bath, a high chair and loads of toys and books. Not having to cart any of that gear on the plane with me was a godsend.
I think that my parents and my kids would agree that staying in Rebecca’s House was one of the highlights of our trip to Sydney. I would definitely stay there again and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it if you’re travelling to Sydney as a family and need somewhere spacious and welcoming to stay with lots of kid-friendly facilities and amenities included. I’d also use Airbnb again to find child-friendly accommodation in other locations.
And if you sign up to Airbnb using this link then you’ll save $28 AUD on your next trip (and I get credit too)!
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