*Todays Blog Post – The Best of Sydney on a Budget is a guest post by Aoife O’Carroll and now I so want to visit Sydney! We used to live there and never really appreciated what we had around us!
Sydney: Home to such designers as Sass & Bide (beloved by the likes of Kate Moss and Sarah Jessica Parker) and the impossibly svelte denizens of Bondi Beach. So how do you enjoy a stylish holiday in Sydney rubbing shoulders with the beautiful people when your budget is tighter than a pair of leather hotpants? You rent, you never pay full price for anything, and, where possible, you don’t pay anything at all.
It is possible to live like the rich and famous when staying in Hotels without paying too much money!
The Best of Sydney on a Budget ::
The hotel
You won’t catch (Sydney native) Hugh Jackman in a hostel, so you aspiring A-lister are not going to stay at one either. You need somewhere appropriately elegant, but you’re not going to pay the rack rate (the hotel’s standard price for a room without discounts). The secret to this is advance planning.
Book your holiday in Sydney months ahead, preferably during the winter, or midweek when hotel rates are up to 50 percent cheaper. Contact the hotel and ask for the exact day its low-season rates start. Enquire about package deals, promotions, and special discounts for pensioners, students, or Automobile Association members. Be tenacious (think of the money you’ll save!) and don’t accept the first-rate you’re given.
The Views From Sydney Opera House!
Set your sights on somewhere like the Park Hyatt, temporary home to a steady stream of celebrities, heads of state, and global jet-setters. Rooms offer breathtaking views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, and service is impeccable. Rates normally start at $500, but remember – even if you don’t end up staying at the Park Hyatt, you can always have a gourmet burger in the lobby and act like you’re waiting for your bags to be brought up.
The threads
Okay, so you arrived on a budget flight – there’s no excuse to look cut-price. All you have to do is rent your designer gear before you arrive, and you’ll have the paparazzi wondering just who they might have missed. You may only have that couture outfit for a few days, but most celebrities never wear an outfit more than once anyway!
The Shops
If you’d like more permanent inclusions in your wardrobe, you won’t have to go downmarket to save money. Sophisticated Sydney shoppers target the boutiques of Paddington for original Australian design including Dinosaur Designs, Collette Dinnigan, and Akira Isogawa in neighbouring Woollahra. For real discounts on high-end desirables, try the designer outlets
The markets are great places to search for lightly worn designer cast-offs. Get to the Kirribill Market in Bradfield Park by 7.30AM when the vendors are just unloading their stock. The eagle-eyed can find designers including Zimmermann, Sass and Bide, Lisa Ho, and Alex Perry.
Dress Like You Are Rich n Famous ~
By Shopping at the Bargain Places!
Eating & Drinking
Even if you’re trying to fit into your new designer purchases, there’s no need to starve yourself just to save money in Sydney. Opt to have your main meal in the middle of the day, and you can eat at some of the city’s finest dining establishments without resorting to bread and water for the rest of your stay. Marque is one of Sydney’s best restaurants, but its Friday prix-fix menu is probably the best value lunch in town. Top chef Mark Best pushes the boundaries to deliver inspired dishes.
You can enjoy similar value at Assiette, where leading young chef Sorren Lascelles serves up affordable decadence in an elegant setting. Enjoy some of the most creative cooking in Sydney at Bentley Restaurant and Bar, where the money you’ll save on the five-course degustation lunch (available Tuesday to Saturday) means you can indulge on the wine list.
Going Places
When the time comes to leave your celebrity lifestyle behind, make one final glamorous statement on your journey to Sydney Airport. After all, you really should depart in the style to which you have become accustomed. Forget buses or taxis and rent a car. But not just any old car: Most rental companies now provide luxury cars for hire, so you can arrive at the airport in a gleaming convertible and have those paparazzi in a flap all over again!
About The Author ::
Aoife O’Carroll is a staff writer for Nova Car Hire, a convenient website for arranging car rental in 26,000 locations worldwide, including Sydney Airport car hire
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Thanking you Aoife for your guest blog post! We used to live in Sydney (David and I) many moons ago and never thought to visit the best of the best on a Shoe String Budget! Cant wait to get back down that way and take in the gorgeous sights.
Have You Thought of Going To Sydney and Visiting the Places Mentioned?
Cheers
Lisa
Friday or Sunday nights are typically the cheapest nights to stay at 5 star hotels – great to get a bit of luxury at an affordable price…
Danya Banya recently posted..Butterfly
Hi Danya,
Never realised that Friday or Sunday nights are cheaper. Thanks for the hint 🙂
Cheers
Lisa
You are a legend – thanks for sharing this guest post .
I didn’t know half this stuff and I’ve lived in Sydney all my life (till January).
Trish recently posted..I heart my body
Hi Trish,
We are the same – we didnt realise how much there was to see in Sydney! And now we cant wait to go back – the guest blog post sure has opened our eyes to whats right there!
Cheers
Lisa