The Old Clare Hotel, Sydney

The old Clare is an amazing boutique style hotel, with fantastic heritage on display throughout. Its industrial stylings mixed with modern charm make it a unique place to stay. Located in a cool part of town with lots to wander around and see, great cafes and restaurants it made for a perfect weekender for us.

The room we had lacked a few things, no cutlery at all which was a problem to cut the lemon for the Gin and Tonic (first world problems!) Honestly though a few more basic items in the room would have been helpful, but it didn’t detract from the overall experience

Comfy bed, great location, upgraded room

Bath tub was dirty, strong cigarette smell in Lobby

Fantastic location and loved the room layout

Beds were incredibly soft which left me unable to move my neck for 3 days. Dirty dishes were left outside our room from previous guests for almost a day. In general the amount of dirty dishes left in the hallway for several hours was not ideal. Something else to be aware of is the rooftop pool is actually a bar that is open to the general public, so may be busier than expected.

The design of the whole hotel, the front desk staff and the location.

There were some small details in my room that could have been a little bit cleaner (toothpaste on the wall) and the beds were saggy in the.middle.

Good location, excellent breakfast.

Dirty water in pool

Great hotel! It’s stylish clean and organised. Fabulous little lane behind with food and cocktails in the evening. We had breakfast at the hotel,? The chilli eggs were delicious! The staff were really helpful. Especially (Olivia) I hope that’s her make because she deserves recognition! She was on the desk when we arrived and was Brilliant in helping me find the hotel parking when I was stressed.

Parking needs better instructions down to the actual level. Got in ok but couldn’t find the way down to the next level, definitely needs better signs.

Very central Breakfast was delicious Room was spacious Staff were good Close to many restaurants and Surry Hills

Understand it is not the hotel, but the constant bin collections throughout the week - started at 4.00am one morning - maybe some double glazing on the windows would help??

This hotel is such an amazing experience. Loved every part of our stay.

The glass bathroom

Bed were good. Shower was good but more privacy would be nice. For couples it would be fine but friends not so much.

Pool was average, it was shallow with a poor entry and exit. The aspect would make it freezing cold if it was 35 degrees plus. Feel like you are on parade in the pool with the seating down the side.

Quirky Hotel walk everywhere nice rooftop

Bar area needs upgrade

Really lovely quirky hotel .Staff friendly and helpful .Brilliant location

Check in. Receptionist very friendly.

Shower recess needed a thorough clean. I don’t stay in hotels very often and I found the price very very high. But I realise others just don’t worry about this .

- Nice hotel with nice and huge rooms. Cozy and super clean. - the rooftop with bar & pool is wonderful!

The bed is a little bit too soft, but no worries.

Nice trendy hotel. Reception staff were helpful. Rooms nice and large with comfy beds. Very convenient for main station and for travelling around,

Hotel could be cleaner and tidier - e.g. room service plates left outside rooms uncollected, generally didn't feel quite as clean as could be. Pool area on roof was average as is quite small and next to the bar. Was really hard to find in the car as instructions and address are not super clear and loading bay not very clear.

The hotel is really very good located close to all main sights and it is surrounded by many nice places to eat.

We hvae booked 2 similar rooms but they were very diiferent. One room was excellent, big and comfiortable. Another one was small and not very clean. We have asked to change and they have changed to a better one but still very diiferent. It meams you do not know what kind of room you will get at time of booking.

Service, room size & decor

The mattresses had had it.

Excellent quirky hotel, rooms modern clean and comfortable in a great location.

Lovely breakfast (and kind staff at the breakfast room!). Nice position. Spacious rooms.

Windows glasses were quite dirty. Not enough staff during the day (eg. in the pool bar in late afternoon, dirty glasses / used towerls remained on the pool tables until the following day. In general, there is a lack of attention to details.. that I would not expect from a hotel of such level.

The property is really well appointed and in a great location.

Some of the facilities are starting to show their age e.g. the pool area which is quite worn / unused. The parking arrangement is ok. The arrival and parking instructions / signage could be improved. The lack of both (clarity and availability) made the arrival process pretty stressful and slow for us. Tradesmen were parking in the unload area which meant we had to illegally park elsewhere. They were operating on a skeleton staff.

Really nice place to stay. Big rooms beautifully furnished. The location was fabulous. Right outside the door there was a lane filled with restaurants and bars, including Spice Lane. Loved it

The hotel has a funky vibe and the rooms are spacious and comfortable. It's very different from the cookie cutter chain hotels. The rooftop pool is excellent. We used the free bikes - so fun to explore!

The rooftop pool and bar is not always open as private functions are held there. There was a function on the night we stayed - no pool access and loud music into our room till 10pm. Unfortunate but not a deal breaker.

The location is fantastic! Easy to walk to all main attractions, great eateries close by. Beds were super comfy. Public transport is awesome.

It could have been cleaner. The drinks at the bar were very expensive.

Excellent big bath tub, under floor heating which would be nice in winter, the pool was nice although the pool and area were smaller than appeared in pics, the pool was mostly shaded in the afternoon which was lovely to not worry about getting sunburned. Nice restaurants near by, accommodating lovely staff.

The room we were in was a little dark, window didn't have the best outlook.

Loved the style of the hotel and the location

The car park directions given by front desk staff very confusing. Asked to pay by eftpos to avoid credit card charges so I inserted card but still got charged fee. Annoying all facilties cashless. Pillows were very uncomfortable

Great room, Abercrombie room was one of the best ins any I believe.

The housekeeping could have been more efficient. When I checked in there were champagne glasses left at the door - also in front of other rooms. The rooftop pool could also be cleaner - understaffed possibly.

The location, amenities, the unique design of the hotel and also accommodating early check-in and late check-out. A lot of places to conveniently eat close by and close to train station.

The fact that we couldn't order food as room service, we didn't get the food credit for not asking staff to clean our room on our 2nd day of stay as what was written. No dental kits provided (it's a standard of hotels to provide such). The rooftop pool didn't really look like how it is in the photo (it's actually 1.2m deep and small. The photos made it look big).

Breakfast

Bed and pillows. Light shades very dusty

Loved the location of the breakfast room on the alley. The chef was great, yummy food and great coffee The hotel itself was very interesting and arty and historic. We loved the different entry points and the location of the Hotel is just awesome

You said you were doing your bit for the environment and said to hang up your towels if you want to reuse. We did that but they were still changed 🤷‍♀️ There was a code to scan for in room orders but it said that service was not available, so we went out for dinner and used downstairs for breakfast. We noticed other people managed to get room service

Dry eclectic, loved the industrial feel. Small and staff helpful and friendly. Pool area a nice gathering spot.

Found the rooms hot and stuffy even with aircon set down at 17.

Lovely receptionist Maya who was very obliging & helped out a lot by helping me get into a room early after a red eye flight & super helpful to my American friends. Special mention too to Julia in Toch restaurant who went above & beyond to help out.

Rooftop pool was gorgeous but could do stairs more sun loungers & a lick of paint

Super convenient for central Sydney and the Surry Hills. Right next to the train station too. 10-15mins from the airport. The hotel is really well presented, has many amenities and the staff were a delight.

The gym could’ve been bigger and better equipped. The pool also lost the sun by early afternoon. Small things only

Been meaning to try for ages! Great location and use of the space. Excellent staff.

Even as a long-term couple… the COMPLETELY open bathroom was an adjustment. Some very light frosting would help and wouldn’t reduce any sense of space.

Chic, modern, architectural and funky. Fantastic location attached to a great bar. Even though it was an "internally facing room" it seems a real effort was made in the construction to get some natural light.

Only a very minor suggestion... it was a stupidly hot day, so it would have been a a nice to have the a/c in the room turned on prior to getting there

Rooftop pool, decor and wall hangings were interesting and added a cool vibe to the hotels lively rooftop atmosphere. Great location next to spice alley! Free cookies at reception were a treat. Staff were wonderful and accommodating.

NA

Lovely central location with quiet but surrounded by lively laneways and eateries. Building has so much character, don't need to leave or if you do, no need to go far with shops and restaurants a stones throw. Breakfast was amazing, a la carte, and included in our rate. Rooftop pool is a vibe on a hot Sydney day too!

There was a musty smell in our room despite being clean and refurbished, my understanding is that after heavy rains the building (being a heritage building) can sometimes show it's age. The housecleaning team were helpful and apologetic.

Loved the industrial cool vibe along with plush comfort. Unique.

The shower could've been a little cleaner but it was ok.

Everything; ammenities, service, feel of the place, location.

its Unique

Its a little pricey

beautiful room, nice location to central station

noisy pub next to room

Friendly staff Really comfortable bed

Nil

Very cool architecture, very quiet, spacious room.

Bed was a bit soft!

Loved the roof top pool and bar . The big beds very comfy and room was lovely and dark . Peaceful Open bathrooms so beware if staying with friends . Staff friendly

On arrival I was shown to the one toilet by the bar and I thought I’m not staying here if rest of place is like this . Totally awful ! Luckily it wasn’t like that . But seriously that cannot be a first impression . Shower area in room was a little bit grungy . Needed regrouting Toilet could have done with more privacy in room.

My favourite Sydney hotel. Super cool, beautiful facilities, comfiest beds

Was on the first floor this time so closer to the street level — less private, more noisy, more lights. But then I did book one of the cheaper rooms

Arrived after 1am cancelled flight. Staff very welcoming and helpful

Quirky decor - good quality renovation of an interesting building with lots of art. Great location in a lively area close to lots of restaurants and a short walk to the central station. Friendly and helpful staff. The rooftop swimming pool was lovely.

Breakfast service was slow and a little chaotic.

A pitty there was no cupboard in the Showroom suite

Location, rooms and friendly staff. Beds were very comfortable!

The pool area could have been cleaner after an event in the morning.

The room was lovely and bed was comfy. Location was great, near central station so easy to get around.

There was a yucky smell coming from the toilet in the bathroom. Staff weren't overly willing to help with requests.

I always love the rooms and the location.

The staff seemed a little disinterested and disengaged this visit. which was a little bit disappointing. But everyone has bad days.

The location was great. Close to restaurants and galleries. The train station was a short walk and the opera house is a nice 45 minute walk. The beds were fantastic and comfortable. Loft suite was large and very funky.

The property needs a major deep clean. Housekeeping was average at best. Area rug was filthy and carpets were stained