“Birthday event at the Paradiso Cafe & Bar Ground Floor Metro Hotel”

 

I organised the above for 16 friends on Tuesday 17.7.12...Blicash was fanastic in ensuring the evening was a great success. I had the tables at the back of the Cafe which gave us a the feel of a private room. The food was excellent - compliments to the chef.

I would recomment organising a function at Paradiso Cafe & Bar...anytime...it's central near Sydney Town Hall. Menu/wine...interesting & varied. Thank you to Bilcash, his wife Prabha & the chef! Sally Rippingale & delighted friends Gaelic Toastmasters Club.

Stayed July 2012, travelled with friends - Reviewed 18 July 2012

Metro Hotel Sydney Central, NSW - 4 Stars on TripAdvisor By ABDUL RAHIM M, June 6, 2012

1) I stayed at the hotel from 30/5 until 4/6/12. Here are my comments:
a) the room was clean and was made up every day.
b) it will be much better if there are more lights in the room but since we didnt have the time
do much reading, it is okay.
c) the lifts were fast.
d) the location is superb : easy access and near to many of the attractions of Sydney.
e) will definitely stay there again.
2) For muslim travellers, there are 2 halal restaurants nearby : Cafe Kasturi on George St
which serve Malay food (closed on Sundays and the Christmas period) and an Indian
restaurant at Paddy's Market. There is a halal Chinese restaurant (Neptune Palace) at
Circular Quay.
3) If you want to go on a day trip ie to Canberra etc ..........it is much cheaper to book the tour
in Sydney itself rather than by booking it online, which is very strange indeed. For examples,
a) I booked a day trip to Canberra by online and it cost me AUD 155. A fellow traveller only
paid AUD 100 when she booked it at the travel agent near the YHA which is located nearby.
There is nothing exciting in Canberra except for the guided tour of the Parliament House.
Along the way we stopped at the beautiful small town of Berriwa which is an absolute gem.
I booked by online a tour to the Blue Mountains and it cost me AUD 155 (inclusive of lunch).
A similar trip cost only AUD 138 if the booking is done in Sydney. If you travel to Katoomba
by rail and then take the Hop On Hop Off bus there, the cost is even less.
4) From the hotel, walk to Central Station and take a train on the North Shore Line to Milson's
Point. There you can get a picturesque views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
Then walk across the bridge to The Rocks. The views are breathtaking.
5) The cheapest place to buy Australiana souvenirs is at the Paddy's market, within easy
walking distance from the hotel. The cheapest perfumes can be found at the shops of
Discount Chemist. I found one such shop at Bondi Beach. The prices were much cheaper
than those at the duty free shops at the airport.

Review of Metro Hotel on Pitt by Max Llewelyn, Editor of The Holiday and Travel Magazine

Thanks for organizing my stay at the Metro Hotel on Pitt. It exceeded my expectations, as I was not sure what to expect after reading the rather negative reviews of it on TripAdvisor. 

The room size, cleanliness, quietness, comfort of bed, decor, friendliness and professionalism of staff were alI great. 

My wife was jealous that she did not stay with me at the Metro Hotel on Pitt after I told her how good it was. I crammed too much into my the day and a half in Sydney,(seeing and reviewing the Maritime Museum. Wildlife Sydney, Sydney Aquarium, Museum of Sydney. and Aida at the Opera House).  

I had passes to see Madame Tussauds and The Sydney Tower, but ran out of time to see these, so I hope to see them on my next visit to Sydney. I reviewed the Sydney Tower Buffet, Selah Restaurant, and City Extra at Circular Quay, and even though they were  good, I preferred the Paradiso Cafe, Bar & Restaurant at the Metro Hotel on Pitt. 

The food was good and better value for money, Lawrence the owner more friendly, and the atmosphere suited my lifestyle more. This is the place I will take my family to breakfast, lunch of dinner if we ever all go down to Sydney together. I arrived home yesterday afternoon in time for my night shift at work, so I will write and post a positive article on the Metro Hotel on Pitt today Thanks again for arranging the review oppotunity of the Metro Hotel on Pitt

Best regards,
Yours Faithfully,
Max Llewelyn
Editor/Travel Writer,
The Holiday and Travel Magazine,

“Clean, Great Service” - Metro Hotel Miranda

Great Location, Clean motel, friendly and helpful staff, well appointed rooms

Stayed March 2012, traveled as a couple

View Metro Hotel Miranda on Trip Advisor

View the Offical Metro Hotel Miranda Webpage

TripAdvisor Reviews: Malicious, Bogus, Vexatious says AAA

One of Asia Pacific’s largest accommodation lobby groups says dealing with powerful review website TripAdvisor has become a huge issue for its 2000 members with the “possibility for abuse” having the “strong potential to undermine a business and damage it”. The Accommodation Association of Australia says operators regularly complain of “malicious”, “bogus” and “vexatious” reviews they feel powerless to stop.

“It is here where there is a strong concern that the process is weighted against operators, with their responses more likely to be moderated than those of the reviewer,” wrote Michael Georgeson, Manager National Operations for AAA.

“In a recent case presented to us, the site was used in a personal attack on a property manager via a review where the manager was accused of inebriation (amongst other complaints) whilst on duty.

“In this case, the property was able to identify that the reviewer was the disgruntled former partner of the manager.  Despite having this fact pointed out to TripAdvisor, the site refused to remove the review.

“The property was fortunately able to go directly to the reviewer and have the listing removed. However, this case underscores the lack of control and severity of attack that is possible.

“The possibility for abuse can mean that TripAdvisor has the strong potential to undermine a business and damage it quite substantially.

“This potential has been realised quite acutely in at least one UK case, where a targeted campaign was launched by an individual posting negative bogus reviews on a restaurant they had not even visited.

“Whilst it is unfortunate that this is not the only example, it is amongst those which have led to legislative changes in the UK.

“The issues are not limited to these negative reviews and the potential for attack either – even the positive reviews have pitfalls which may be questioned.

“Ghost-writing opportunities are available for the posting of reviews, in some cases specifically identifying TripAdvisor and the process to generate numbers of reviews from multiple profiles.

“To date, the advice of the Accommodation Association to members has been to attempt to respond to reviews through TripAdvisor.

“However, the consistent feedback from operators is that getting a response from the site operators is difficult, and when successful, responses to reviews can be heavily moderated, with one member saying the final response allowed was almost pointless.

“It is here where there is a strong concern that the process is weighted against operators, with their responses more likely to be moderated than those of the reviewer.

“Regardless, at this stage a measured response via TripAdvisor seems the only productive means of engagement with reviewers.”

(Source: Travel Trends News)

TripAdvisor Reviews: Malicious, Bogus, Vexatious says AAA

“Standing Ovation” - Metro Hotel on Pitt

I spent 4 days in the Metro Hotel to lodge my mother who came to visit after several years of not seeing me during our short stop at Sydney. I wanted to impress her but the budget was limited so after careful consideration of several hotels, I chose Metro thinking it average-to-good, but fairly priced and a bit wary after reading a few very negative reviews. I was VERY surprised when I found out the spacious room, super-comfortable beds, pleasant decor and top-notch cleaniness. 

Moreover, I managed to catch a free WIFI offer and I couldn't believe how reliable and fast it was (not to mention unlimited,) I don't even get such a good Internet at home paying premium for it! As others have said, it's also conveniently located in the middle of the CBD with the Opera House on walking distance.

The only complaint was a rather ugly but not too big faded stain in the carpet which I guess is what people who post negative reviews get hung on?

If you are paying over $300 in a 5-star hotel that might be a valid concern, but when you are getting such a great value for your buck (4-star quality for under $120 a night!) you shouldn't mind secondary details like that. Old lifts were ugly and slow but I got there right when they were replacing them, now they are state-of-the-art which shows that even being on top of their game they strive to improve even further. I just hope that won't affect their prices because I'm planning to keep lodging there for all my future travels to Sydney!

Room Tip: If Internet is important to you, watch out for the free WiFi offers, or pay the extra cost if necessary. As opposed to most other hotels' free Internet, it's super fast and reliable, all in the comfort of your own room.

Stayed: April 2012, traveled with family 

Value 5 out of 5
Location 5 out of 5
Sleep Quality 5 out of 5
Rooms 5 out of 5
Cleanliness 4 out of 5
Service 4 out of 5

Total Rating: 5 out of 5 Edgar L (Melbourne)

View Metro Hotel on Pitt on Trip Advisor

“Great Value, Great Location” - Apsire Hotel Sydney

Darling Harbour is a great place to stay. This hotel is in a quiet residential street within 5 - 7 minutes of the tram and monorail stop, 5 minutes to the Powerhouse Museum and Paddy's Market. The rooms are large and well appointed, beds comfortable, good clean bathroom with plenty of hot water, and a hair dryer - nice ! Air conditioned, but also a lovely balcony door with an insect screen so I could have fresh air which was wonderful. 

I'm not sure what people are expecting for a budget hotel price but it was certainly well within what I wanted. No bells and whistles - I don't care about digital TV and DVD players, I'm not going to be sitting in my room ! It doesn't matter if the decor isn't the latest, as long as it fulfills the function, and you don't need to have food on site.There is a very nice all day breakfast cafe 2 minutes away with a wonderful menu, and several other cafes in the area. I would definitely recommend this hotel for anyone on a budget and it will be my hotel of choice the next time I come to Sydney. 

Stayed February 2012, traveled with family

• Value 4/5
• Location 4/5
• Sleep Quality 4/5
•   Rooms 4/5
• Cleanliness 4/5
• Service 4/5

View Review on trip advisor