Macleay Lodge - Sydney, Australia 

I was due to stay at the Macleay Lodge between 1 January to 12 January and had paid in full in advance based on the information on rooms on the web-site. On arrival I found the room was not as advertised, being grungy and in urgent need of refurbishment and infested with a cockroach despite the receptionist stating that each room was treated and they usually don’t have a problem. I asked for a room similar to the one I had agreed when making the booking to be told that nothing was available. I checked out the next day and obtained only a partial refund, despite the hotel being fully booked and filling the room I vacated the next day. Better options abound in the Kings Cross area of Sydney and I would commend anyone to try elsewhere first.

Macleay Lodge is cheap, and the folks running it are cheerful: However, the room we stayed in was like something out of the 1950's: It was very, very drab, very small, and very, very noisy. The noise came all night from traffic in Macleay Street, and it was both loud and disturbing. Bathroom facilities are down the hall, and mirror the quality of the room. (e.g. most of the door to the shower recess was missing; the shower mat was an external 'Welcome' mat.) The room we stayed in was a complete surprise to us: we had no idea that a room of such poor quality could be offered as accommodation in Australia. Spend some extra money and go elsewhere.