20 Jan Travel review – Grand Medina Sydney

Located on the corner of Bathurst and Kent Street Sydney is the Medina Grand Sydney. With car parking on-site* and self contained suites that include full kitchens, washing machine, dryer and a separate bedroom with television, they are the perfect choice for families with kids.

We have two boys 16 weeks and three years and the one bedroom was a good choice for us. Stealing a clever tip from my sister-in-law we tucked the travel cot into the second bathroom and had an instant bedroom for little Maxi. For master three, we installed him in our luxurious king size bed and then simple moved him to the couch each night. It worked well, both boys had a place to sleep where they didn’t wake each other or us. Awesome as Ruben would say!

The hotel is centrally located at the base of the Darling Harbour bridge fly over, around the corner from a mini-mart, diagonally opposite a medical centre and only five minutes walk from the mall and major shops.

There’s plenty to do in and around the hotel.

The first day the boys and I took a 15 min walk up to the Australian Museum’s Dinosaur exhibit. On our last day we discovered the awesome playground outside Darling Harbour McDonalds and of course there’s the aquatic centre at Darling Harbour.

For grownups there’s plenty of culture and nightlife to take in. I got some grown up time out (thanks Uncle Andy!) at the Sydney Opera House taking in Tim Winton’s new play Signs of Life showcased by the Sydney Theatre Company. Not as good as his classic Cloudland but still pretty enjoyable.

I followed up my cultural interlude with a progressive late night treat trail along the Sydney Harbour foreshore. A glass of bubbles at the Opera Bar, coffee, chocolates and macarons at Guylan Desert bar, before a slow stroll back to the Medina Grand.

Did I mention that the Grand also has a heated pool, sauna and gym? Ruben was loving the pool. I was loving the cafe at the bottom of the Medina.

The cafe catered for breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks. It was fast service and at very reasonable price. It was great. It meant I could phone, order and duck down and pick up a coffee or a snack while the kids slept or on the way back from a trip into town. Perfect.

All in all Medina Grand is a great stay for those who are driving into town that want to be able to do some self catering and be close to all the action of the city. It’s not too bad in price but keep an eye out for the specials by subscribing to their bulletins or checking on wotif or one of the many great discount accommodation sites.

*Car parking around $30 per day unless included in accommodation offer