This hotel is in a great location and is quite comfortable. I would recommend it to anyone visiting Sydney. Rooms are a decent size, adequate linen and amenities. I stayed here with my friends Dirk and Andrew Bogden in early 2019 we stepped out of the elevator on our floor and all we could smell was the stench of death. It turned out someone had died and we could smell it. We asked for a free breakfast in return for having to deal with the stench of death. They wouldn’t even give us a free meal and in fact denied that there was even a smell or a body. There were two police officers standing outside the room that the stench of death was coming from, so they weren’t fooling anyone. They moved all of the furniture out and put some kind of noisy machine in there. It was an upsetting experience but the room was otherwise comfortable, entirely adequate for Andrew Bogden to stretch his back in the dark. Once again we did not receive free breakfast. Edit: In response to the response of the owner I would like to say that it was at the start of 2019. This is likely not an issue anymore. Also it was a three star review which is not bad, it would have been at least four even with the stench, had I received free breakfast.

Great location in a busy area, conveniently accessible to Darling Harbour. The tram stop is right at the doorstep, just opposite the main entrance of the hotel. This tram can take you to almost anywhere you want to go. Additionally, a short walk will lead you to the Central Station, which offers excellent connectivity to various destinations in Sydney. The rooms are well-equipped with all the necessary facilities and maintained in a clean and tidy manner. The ground floor pub is a vibrant hub that offers a unique experience with a mini casino featuring poker machines. It is also a bustling restaurant known for its value menu and generous portions of delicious food. It's definitely a must-visit destination for both hotel guests and locals alike.

Great location - 3 mins walk from Central station. Great price, great pub/restaurant downstairs! I stayed last night and we were evacuated at 5 am due to a fire. The staff were calm and professional and handled the whole situation so well. Would definitely recommend!

Although I knew of this hotel, I had never stayed here. That changed a few weeks ago when our usual "go to" hotel in the city became greedy and wanted over $1000 for two nights. Too steep for a basic 3 star hotel, that doesn't even have a pool! Anyway back to The Great Southern, location is excellent virtually a 2 minute walk from Central Railway Station. Light Rail stop right outside the door as well. The rooms are comfortable, though a little small, but you're only in there to sleep. Bathroom was bright and quite roomy compared to some other hotels. Then to top it off we got two nights here, for the price of one night at our usual greedy 3 star! Added bonus of staying in a little museum. Can also recommend the breakfast special in the restaurant, very nice. We also dined in the restaurant for dinner Friday night, food was very good too, order in the bar. Will stay here again!

Great location, clean rooms, comfy beds and pillows. I was very surprised at how quiet the rooms are for location. I was expecting to hear sirens and noise all night going off what I could see from my window but there was no noise and I had a great sleep. Check in and check out was prompt and efficient. The staff were friendly. Loved that the room was not dark and dingy for a historical hotel. Plenty of light coming in and block out curtains If you like it dark.

I’ve visited Sydney from interstate a dozen times now, and this was by far the worst hotel I’ve stayed at over here. I had booked this more so because I was extremely tight on time (same day booking) and the other hotels I’m familiar with were already booked out. So it was rather embarrassing when my 2 other guests didn’t believe me when I told them this was indeed a 4 star hotel. Had to pull out the booking confirmation to prove it! I don't blame them, I started thinking it myself. It was all the expected of a typical lower star hotel - dirty sheets, unclean carpet, terrible soundproofing, cigarette stains and odour, sink drainage not working.. and so on. Just very unpleasant and disappointing for the money paid. Perhaps out of their control but there was also a strong cigarette stench coming from what we believed was a neighbouring room. Alongside very loud s*x noises from a neighbouring room during the day... Mind you this was only a 1 night stay on a weekday for us. I’m rating this hotel a 2/5 ONLY because all the staff I spoke to were all very kind and professional. I also felt bad that they got verbally abused by a drunk/mentally ill (?) man in the lobby. It’s a pity the hotel itself doesn’t reflect the service from the staff. I wouldn’t ever return here, and urge people to consider booking elsewhere if you’re truly after a 4 star experience.

Like it for its great location. It’s just a 4mins walk to central station and light rail is just across the street which is super convenient. Chinatown and Market City which houses a food court is just around the corner too. The room is comfortably sized - 2 single beds and be arranged to form a queen size bed. Although I’d have preferred a warmer heater in the rooms, but guess it’s Australian’s standard as there are smoke or heat control in all rooms. It also comes with a ceiling fan. Receptionists are helpful and provided whatever toiletries we needed and additional blankets too : the rooms aren’t serviced, and I’m fine with it. Restaurant downstairs served good bfast. I would be happy to return to this hotel again for my next trip to Sydney.

Every trip we do to Sydney we always stay at the Great Southern Hotel! They are the best value accomodation in Sydney. Located right in Central and in walking distance to everything. Clean practical rooms with nice view’s. The BEST restaurant down stairs, absolutely delicious food. Very Kid friendly and happy helpful staff. 10/10 recommend!!

While the hotel isn't fancy, it's a great option for staying in Sydney on a budget. The room was large, comfortable and very clean. I had no concerns about safety as a woman staying there alone. The location is amazing- there's light rail just across the road that gets you most of the places you'd want to go as a tourist and Central Station with trains to the airport, other parts of Sydney and other cities is a block away. My only small dislike was the poor water pressure in the shower. I'd stay here again

Honestly had the best experience at the great southern hotel. Will definitely be using this hotel when we are back in Sydney. The prices were amazing, the food, bar and pokies were right there . Food and staff were amazing. Highly recommend. Central station is super close and your right in the heart of the city. Great location

Reception staff were great. However, shower was not cleaned it had hair and shampoo on walls, the bed was in usable! I slept on the floor! No view in room, windows didn’t open… there was a domestic in the room next door late at night… save yourself and pay extra go elsewhere.. iv slept on more comfortable park benches. Ruined our holiday… BTW, my partner booked, I wouldn’t have chosen this as a preference in first place..

Nice building. Rooms are pretty good for a budget hotel. It is very clean. Much better than the budget hotels that I stayed in before. The receptionist is a lovely lady and check in was very simple.

Hotel is in a great central location. Great value for money. Nice bar downstairs. Nice Thai restaurants nearby. Market nearby is great value. Happy to stay again soon.

Love to sit outside swallowing beers with the George Street traffic fumes. But it's close to Central if your making tracks!! Live in Sydney so I've never stayed there, but I always drink there after I've been working in the Haymarket area or on my way out of town on a train - kind of a habit really. Good beer and service normally.

The location is certainly the stand-out as my favourite feature of this hotel - it is an excellent launching pad for everything Sydney has to offer, being a short walk from Chinatown and Darling Harbour, as well as a stone's throw from Central train station and having a tram stop just across the road. The room was perfectly adequate, although I didn't spend huge amounts of time in it, preferring to explore the city. The hotel itself offers a friend breakfast for 12 dollars, which was quite reasonable and offered various bar food and drinks during the day/evening. If I had any issues, all I needed to do was give reception a call and someone would be on their way to assist.

If you are travelling to Sydney on a tight budget, this is the place to go. Check in and check out is a very efficient process. The rooms are nothing special, but what you pay for, they are very good. There is a small fridge, desk and TV in each room. The hotel is in a good location, close to Central Station, Paddy's Market, Darling Harbour and all the famous landmarks are a short light rail trip away. My only complaint was that breakfast was not available despite being advertised as available on their website.

This is a lovely heritage hotel. The room is not too big but comfortable enough and clean. Enjoyed the light from the window. The location is great. The staff is friendly. 4 stars because sometimes the noise from outside can be a bit too much. Overall, i enjoyed staying here.

We stayed here for 5 nights, our room was small and no windows, only a skylight in roof, bathroom was very small, shower was a good size though. There was hair on the bathroom walls when we arrived, not as clean as I would like it. The toilets down by the dining room were very dirty, not been cleaned in days. On the upside friendly staff and nice breakfast. Best of all very good location, close to everything you need.

The Barely Adequate Southern Hotel would be more accurate. First, the good: The room was clean, the shower was good, plenty of power points, and the reception staff were nice. However, the bed was lumpy and uncomfortable, the barely functional air conditioning does not go below 21 degrees (not enough on 30+degree Sydney days) and cycles on and off loudly enough to wake you from sleep, the lifts are constantly out of order, and the toilets flush so weakly that paper and (cough) other things do not go down. I've stayed in student hostels better than this, and barring an emergency will not stay here again. You can do much better for the money.

Stayed here last night and had a wonderful stay. Loved the heritage ambiance of the hotel and the location was perfect being within walking distance to Central and Chinatown. Room itself was clean and modern with adequate amenities and the staff were attentive and polite. I accidentally slept past the check out time and when reception rang to enquire they were very polite about it. Overall, fantastic value for money. Would definitely stay again. Cheers!

Superb check in staff, very friendly. Room was fine, nothing fancy but clean and quiet. Much nicer than I expected it to be based on the price we paid. Location was difficult to maneuver- no obvious place for curbside pick up or drop off, so our uber left us around the corner as he was unable to drop us at the door without blocking traffic. Even around the corner he stopped in a driving lane to let us out, but there was no traffic there. It's fine if you are on foot or train, but in a car with multiple bags it was a hassle. It was close to MANY restaurants, and very close to shopping and the theatre.

This hotel is a good deal usually price wise. It is in convenient location and part of the history of Sydney. All rooms are comfortable with shower. Great for at least few nights. I stayed here many times over past 15 years.

Beware, they will demand your licence, and take a copy, even when the room is prepaid with a credit card. "It's a condition", they said, although I was not advised of that when I paid online. As it was late and pouring with rain I gave in, to my continued regret. Otherwise it was a lovely place to stay - a sanctuary in the city - and I would give it 5 stars if they were not harvesting id documents, without prior warning. I will not be returning.

Useful location. Short walk to China town and transport. Quiet, clean, simple. Small bathroom. Bad WiFi. Not that comfy. Affordable. Get what you pay for. Would rather sleep at home.

Great location, helpful staff, on site bar downstairs with a happy hour. Can walk to most locations from here if youre fit. Rooms are pleasant, well maintained and lift access available. No complaints, would return.

Worst experience ever.. booked this hotel through Booking but had to cancel it. For the refund they tried to take card details from me, including photo of the 3 digits from the back! Even though I said it’s a sensitive data not allowed to be provided they kept asking for this. After involving Booking in the whole situation (and hotel said that they can’t do normal card refund because of some card problems-guess what, I checked with my bank and everything was ok from our side) today I got “great news” that they will proceed with refund to my account (provided them with acc.number and swift) wow! After 3 weeks of telling them that they can do it! And now another “up to 30 days” of waiting to have money back on my account. Like Seriously, maybe the hotel itself is pretty and everything but the refund service and card details??

This place is so convenient and well priced! Close to the station and light rail, rooms are small but comfy. My go to when I want a city break

My wife and I booked a week at the hotel based on online reviews. We couldn’t have been happier. Nice room, ideal location and 100 yards away from the light rail station. Easy access to the Circular Quay ( Sydney Opera House, harbor and bridge), Paddy’s Market and most of the Central Business District (CBD). If we ever come back, we are staying here again.

Rooms alright. Nearly clean but had mad fruit flies buzzing around my room. My real qualm with this place is the sound proofing. Great stay, if you don’t like sleeping. Might as well install an intercom in the room playing the sounds from the lobby

They are one of my new clients. It's a really lovely old hotel and the staff are all really fantastic and polite. The place is in a great location. It's hard to beat.

We stayed at this hotel for a week long Sydney adventure and we loved it! The location is probably the best part. Close to everything and just a few steps from the Haymarket station and one block from Central Station. At our arrival staff was very polite and super accommodating. We interacted with them a few times and they were always a pleasure to speak. The structure is an old building but very well maintained and very clean. Rooms are a bit small for USA standards but this was expected. They were clean and everything worked. We will definitively stay here again for future visits and recommend to travelers.

The great Southern Hotel is the heart to the arteries of a transport industry, train, light rail and bus less than 150 m from the hotels entry. From this position within the city, you can travel 75 km north west south and lift to the east. For those of you coming from afar, there is excellent information at War five circular Quay to plan your travels and also Shane for Station. Hotel,, it’s self offers to my experience, the best value in the city. I have stayed before and will stay again. Enjoy your travels. Best Hugh.

Really good location, close to Central Rail Station and the Haymarket light rail stop. Close to China Town and a few minutes tram ride to Circular Quay. The decor in the room was tired and dated and the bathroom cleanliness was only just acceptable. Very noisy as the walls are quite thin. Not cheap and a bit disappointing. Would not stay there again.

The location is great. The foyer and bars very nice art deco style, although a little noisy. There’s where the nice part of the hotel stopped. Our room was very much below standard. The bed was very uncomfortable as it was very old and seemed to have lost its padding. The pillows were lumpy and flat. The blanket hard and scratchy. The carpet was disgusting with patches, stains and very worn. The carpet in the hallway leading to our to our room was just as bad. The bathroom was ok but the shower is very much on need of a decent clean. There was mould and slime in all the crevices. We have stayed here before and our room was much better. This hotel now charges over $200 a night and for this price the very least I expect is a comfortable room. Not a room that is very much in need of an urgent makeover!

Not a flash hotel but it's clean, friendly and excellent location. Just accross road from central station, short walk to China Town. Lovely cooked breakfast included. I've stayed here several times and will stay again. An excellent basic hotel. If you want all the flashy stuff go somewhere else. If you want clean friendly hotel at excellent price this is it ...

Very courteous staff on check in. Hotel is is ideally located in the CBD and close to central station. Room was well appointed and clean but for the one exception of mould in the shower. Discounted breakfast offer in the morning was much appreciated. A very good hotel for overnight stays close to many CBD attractions.

We enjoyed an overnight stay before joining a cruise. Old historic hotel but refurbished and spotless. Very comfortable room and bed. Lots of good eating close by. Light rail across the road to Circular Quay! Perfect!

I was one of the unlucky people to have caught covid. It’s NSW public health ie the government. That prevents you from being able to get a second vaccine. This is due to the natural immunity, and you’re unable to get it for 6 months. You are given a permit, which explains this from a doctor. Stating that we have the same right as double vaccinated people and actually have zero chance of passing it on for these 6 months. This again is government approved and stamped. I explained this to them, as you aren’t allowed to reject people who have had covid during this 6 month wait. They rejected me anyway and clearly need to make more effort to educate themselves during a pandemic. I find it embarrassing and offensive that they couldn’t be bothered to spend 2 seconds to research the facts.

Only had dinner, nice meal. The amenities were clean. Dining & bar staff were good, before we visited the Vivid art & light show in various parts of the city, will check out the accommodation, next time I'm in NSW.

The food has always been excallent here & very reasonabley priced,ive opted for the steak the last two times & the steak was juicy & tender & the salad & mushroom sauce was beautiful. Very quick service,very friendly & good prices,cant say a bad word about them.

Hotel staff were great. Unfortunately didnt take responsibility of complaint with staff at bar. Stay at the hotel great but last time i will spend any money at bar and restaurant. Had a better time last visit. Maybe the pandemic had created rudness. Probably think twice next time

It's good location. However, I don't like the fact that they block half of footpath.

Affordable city accommodation in a great location.

Had a lovely lunch here today. Steak was cooked to perfection, well cooked large servings. Friendly staff, clean restrooms

Easy check in Polite staff decent rooms at reasonable prices. Thank you great Southern hotel

Really lovely room and there was a really lovely and awesome gentleman on the front desk who was so accommodating for my partner and I. Would absolutely recommend :)

If you're travelling to Sydney on a budget this is a great place to stay. The room is a little dated but I was so happy with the location. It's within walking distance to Central which connects to the airport and you have all the attractions, restaurants and shops close by. Perfect for walking around and then coming back to rest throughout the day. A lot of hotels have slow wifi but it was fast enough that I could stream my shows on my laptop. The room was clean and the staff were really nice. I couldn't hear any noise from my room. Only feedback would be I wish there was a bigger shelf storage in the bathroom for toiletries, but it's really not a big deal because it's such good value for money. Will be back for sure!

Absolutely great art Deco style accommodation. Has all the little comforts of a motel. Like all older buildings, it is a bit of a rabbit Warren, but that adds to the character. Nice and centrally located and also a reasonable price for a night.

This is a great value hotel. Great for public transport, great for food options and well priced. It's comfortable and clean and the staff are friendly and helpful. A very good package!

Nice historic hotel! Clean and comfy for the most part. My only 'issue' was not being able to make the room as cool as I like. Service at reception and the restaurant was wonderful! Location was also very convenient! Definitely recommend!

We visit this hotel during our lunch break. The food is always good and never disappoints. The place is very busy and bit too noisy. But this could be only because of my age. It becomes quieter after lunch crowd leave. They have nice selection of wines and beer is always cold.

Stayed here while working in Sydney, it's a very easy location or public transport as everything comes through that area. The rooms are of decent quality and customer service is very good. The restaurant down stairs does great dinner food, but huge downer that they don't do breakfast. All in all, good value for money.

Great city pub with good food options and friendly staff. The front bar is my favourite area with plenty of character (the dining area behind, while in the historic hotel, feels more like a refectory). The toilets in the dining area are better than those off the front bar though.

I really love my stays here when I'm in Sydney & genuinely look forward to it. Everything about it is really good - front of house staff, rooms, the cleaners are nice [& work hard!], then location{x3}, some nice heritage & Chinatown is out the back door. Use their App to book so that booking.com don't take a slice. It's often cheaper too.

Shout out to Julian who went above and beyond for our stay. We were scammed for one of our rooms and payment was not sent and Julian could not have been more helpful if he tried. Customer service was 10/10. This hotel is in a great location to get around Sydney with central station outside and the tram which can get you around Sydney. Breakfast was a good price and really nice as was the pub downstairs and friendly staff. Rooms are clean and basic well worth the price. We will be staying here on all our Sydney trips

It's a no frills kind of hotel. Rooms are basic but clean. Walls are thin. Bed is reasonable. However the location and price more than make up for the basic room. If you just need somewhere to sleep at night and a base close to everything you really can't go wrong.

Brilliant place and phenomenal food all around. The carnivore breakfast gets you started for the day and all of your needs are catered for in an above average service. Chris and Julian are absolutely brilliant and go above and beyond to make you feel welcome and well. First class service.

Great price, great location. I was able to check in early. Only negatives were the fridge kept freezing everything, the humming noises coming from the outside buildings and lack of toilet paper in the room and when I asked a cleaner for more they wouldn't give me any. But the positives definitely outway the negatives for me.

Monday special was burger and chips with a beer. Tried it out and was absolutely blown away. Patty was thick and mind you its double patty. Juicy and moist.Chips done fresh. All hymns and praises. Well done. One of the best burgers from a pub.

This hotel is not up to standard. Our first room was dusty and musty smell. The shower and toilet are long overdue for an upgrade. The staff are wonderful. Very friendly and cooperative.... they moved us to another room. It is a very central position but l didn't feel safe. They're are very dodgy, sus people around. I walked into 3 young guys pushing around an elderly gentleman at 8.00 am on a Sunday morning. When l told them l have just called the police.... they ran off. Quite depressing environment. I would not recommend this place.

So close to everything, Central Station, Light Rail, Paddy's Market, China Town. We caught the train from the Central West to Central Station and wow everything is close and/or accessible! Beautiful old furniture, comfy bed spotless bathroom, all you need for a place to sleep and see the sights, with public transport at the doorstep. Nice Bar and lovely bistro meals and a $12.00 breaky. Will definitely stay here again and again.

Just stayed here for a girls night away . Great location can catch light rail at virtually the door. Lovely, helpful staff ,nice dining options,great clean rooms. Would highly recommend. Thanks for a pleasant overnight stay