The Sarah by Urban Rest

Let me list the ways this place is terrible: #1. We were supposed to receive check-in instruction 48 hours before my arrival. We did not. I hadn't received them 24 hours before my arrival. When it came to the night before my arrival, I finally tried to contact Urban Rest to find out how to get into the place, but no one answered. I finally reached out to ******* (who I had made the booking through) and they were able to get a hold of someone, who then e-mailed me the instructions. #2. There is no parking near the location. Fine. My issue is when I asked about parking no one knew anything. Q: Can I park on the street? A: We don't know. Q: Is there a parking garage nearby? A: We don't know. #3. It was 38 c (98 f) in Sydney when we checked in. The room, which had been closed up, and has no temperature control in any way, was even warmer. It had to be over 40 c (100 f). There was a small AC unit, which we plugged in immediately, and quickly found out, that it did not work. So the situation was this: we check into a room that is over 40 degrees and there is no way to cool it down. I reach out to Urban Rest and the woman I spoke with told me that she will try to get another AC unit. I soon hear back from her that another unit isn't available and to use the fans in the room. There are no fans in the room. Her final response is that the temperature is expected to be lower tomorrow. So in essence we are told that you'll be miserable today, miserable tonight, but you may be a little less miserable tomorrow. I tried to call the Australia number repeatedly after that because the room was unbearable, but no one answered. #4. The code to unlock the door didn't work most of the time. We were left standing at the door entering it repeatedly until it finally worked, which was usually 5 or 6 times because there are no employees to help you. #5. I can deal with a small room, but this was tiny. So small that you had to shuffle around the perimeter of the bed and the sink couldn't even fit in the bathroom, so it is out next to the bed. #6. I don't know what the confusion is with the cafe on the first floor, but it was very disorganized. The staff were friendly enough, but they didn't seem to even know there were people staying upstairs. We were given vouchers for breakfast claiming a "mouth-watering menu from 8 am - 2 pm." But when we went down for breakfast at 9:00, we were told that the person who makes food wouldn't be there till 9:30. Which was when we had to leave for the airport, so we didn't get any food.

Started out promising, went downhill fast. I jumped in the shower after my arrival to discover that the drain didn't drain and the shower just filled up like a bath. In my irritation I also realised that there was some simple things missing one being a little shelf in the shower to put your toiletries on or even a hook in the bathroom to hang your towel up. Perhaps your clothe as there is no basin or bench in there. There was one towel rail however if you were staying with a partner, there would not be enough room for two towels and aside from that there was no where to hang the bath matt that was soaking wet. The room was tidy enough, but not clean if that makes sense. The day before my departure I arrived home late to discover the room service had been had taken the towels and had not replaced them. When I rang and spoke to urban rest I was told that the problem couldn't be sorted until tomorrow and I would have no towels until after my checkout time. Essentially telling me that I couldn't shower before leaving. When I asked if I can make a complaint to management. I was advised to send an email and they would assess whether it needed to be escalated. So I guess I'm going to have to go out early and buy a towel so I can come back and shower before leaving. Pretty crappy end to a trip. I will be sending the email with a bill.

The Sarah was definitely one of the most interesting Sydney stays I have experienced. Based above a cafe (which you walk through at any hour to get to your room), there is a feeling of Parisian exclusivity and privacy. As a self-proclaimed introvert, I loved this! The room itself is small, but at no point is it advertised as anything other and, as long as you're conscious of where you're throwing your clothes and rubbish, it's not an issue. It's incredibly stylish and comfortable, with effective aircon and sound proofing. All provided technologies (television, kettle etc.) worked as should, and to good effect. While I enjoyed my stay, that is not to say it was perfect. For the price point I was paying per night, I feel some additional creature comforts could have been provided. Slippers would not go amiss, especially considering the purely hard flooring in the room, and the fact that packing light is a strong suggestion given the size of the space. The room was also sorely lacking a full-length mirror, which I consider to be a must-have in ALL rooms I stay in (I even stood on a stool to get a look at myself in the mirror above the basin), and the bin provided was far too small and was quite literally overflowing for every day I stayed. Ultimately, I enjoyed my stay, and would considering staying again, especially for shorter stays.

Very cute room with lovely toiletries. I was able to book at short notice and the location was convenient - arnica a cafe, next door to a Mexican restaurant and a street up from a bar, grocery store and wine shop