It’s a very good thing this is a blog instead of a podcast because I imagine it would be very hard to talk with my tongue in my cheek.
It’s a struggle to write this post and let everyone know about this little gem, but I guess sharing is why I actually do this.
Glenferrie Lodge is located in Kirribilli across the bridge from downtown Sydney, Australia.
We stayed there for four nights in January 2018 and it was a particular standout from our 42 nights spent in hotels during our whirlwind tour of French Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii.
It is quiet here
It’s deceiving to be within walking distance of all the activity yet feel like it’s a world away. There’s no hustle and bustle. It’s a residential area that is quiet all day until people come home from work and take their dogs or kids for a walk. It’s three doors down from the Prime Minister’s residence so I would wager it’s a pretty safe neighbourhood.
A room with a view
We stayed in a double room with balcony and shared bathroom. It was small but we don’t need much space and there was a mini fridge, closet and a desk. I enjoyed the three or four flights of stairs getting to and from our room but not everyone would. We splurged on the balcony part and had an amazing tree out front. It was visited by noisy flocks of Rainbow lorikeets in the morning, Sulphur-crested cockatoos in the afternoon and flying foxes and possums in the evening.
A backyard and plenty of parks
If you’re not too busy playing with pups (it’s pet friendly) you can see the Sydney Harbour Bridge from the back yard or wander to one of the many nearby parks where you can even spot the climbers as the sun goes down.
There’s also a great view of the Opera House from this side of the bridge.
So many options for exploring
If you want to go out exploring from here, you have many options for where you go and how you get there.
- Milsons Point Train Station is less than 1km walking distance.
- It takes less than 5 minutes to walk to the Kirribilli Wharf ferry terminal.*
- Or if you want you can even walk the 2.4 kms over the bridge to the Rocks (Sydney’s oldest neighbourhood).
* One thing to note if you are arriving by ferry – The area is a little hilly and those with mobility issues might find it difficult to walk uphill to the hotel, especially with luggage in tow.
There's even an amusement park
Luna Park is an easy walk from Glenferrie Lodge and well worth a visit. It originally opened in 1935 and is one of only two amusement parks in the world that is protected under government legislation.
Don't miss out on the breakfasts!
If you book directly through the hotel they include a hot buffet breakfast in their nightly rate. It consisted of cereals, juices, fresh fruit, toast, several different kinds of eggs, sausages, bacon, baked beans and even more. Yum! It truly was one of the best breakfasts we’ve ever experienced short of an all-inclusive resort. We weren’t the only ones who thought this and had to protect our plates from some very bold Kookaburras if we sat on the outside patio.
Cosy common spaces
This was the final stop in Australia before flying to Hawaii. It was nice to be in one place for a few nights. The common spaces of this hotel were an excellent place to sit and soak up the last of our time there. It actually didn’t feel like a hotel at all. We even took advantage of the guest laundry facilities.
Apparently, at this point in the trip, I stopped taking pictures of the inside of our rooms. I believe that’s a good enough reason to go back someday soon and stay again.
For now you can check out the Glenferrie Lodge website or HotelsCombined.com (which is where I actually found the hotel in the first place). Booking directly through the hotel will be in Australian dollars whereas booking on Hotels.com can be done in your own currency.
Interested in seeing what else we got up to in Australia? Check it out here.
Sounds like an ideal place to stay.
It was but you really don’t want to stay there (wink, wink).