Kirketon Hotel Sydney

Great location

Amazing customer service, rooms are cozy. 5 mins walk from Kings Cross

The basic rooms are very basic. And very small. The bed only just fits in the room so If you need room to do anything other then sleep then get the upgraded rooms. The bed in my room was very hard. The website said there was a mini bar but all that was in my fridge was an old melted ben and jerry's and the fridge didn't work.

**Disappointing stay and equally disappointing customer service** I stayed one night in an Executive Room at Kirketon Hotel Sydney and unfortunately the experience did not live up to either the room description or the price paid ($249 AUD). The room itself felt small and poorly ventilated. The windows were sealed shut and the air-conditioning vents appeared heavily dusty. After turning the air-conditioning on my allergies flared up, which made it difficult to relax or sleep comfortably. The bathroom was particularly disappointing. The shower grout showed significant dark staining that appeared to be mould, the sink basin had a visible chip, and the shelf above the basin protrudes so far that I actually hit my head while washing my face the following morning. The shower also used separate hot and cold taps and it was almost impossible to maintain a comfortable water temperature, constantly changing between very hot and very cold. The bedding was uncomfortable and, combined with the stale air, resulted in one of the poorest night's sleep I've had in a hotel. The minibar fridge was almost completely filled with hotel items, leaving very little room for guests to store their own food or drinks. The listing also advertises "rainfall showers in stylish bathrooms", which did not reflect the bathroom in the room we were provided. One positive is the hotel's location, which is convenient for exploring Darlinghurst and surrounding areas. The most disappointing part of the experience, however, was how my complaint was handled. I contacted the hotel directly after my stay and received no response. It was only after I lodged a complaint with NSW Fair Trading that the hotel eventually replied more than two months later. After I responded to their email, communication ceased again and the matter ultimately remained unresolved. I understand that older boutique hotels have character and won't be perfect, but cleanliness, maintenance and responsive customer service should still meet a reasonable standard. Unfortunately, that was not my experience. I hope this review helps future guests make an informed decision before booking.

Location was fabulous - so close to Kings Cross for easy transport to and from the airport, and also in a super cute, artistic part of town. However, the room was minuscule! And not as clean as you’d hope. My main problem, though, was the service. It said to leave towels on the floor if you wanted clean ones. So we did. Only to come back and have… no towels? To top it off, no one was at reception when we called and then went down to ask if we could please have more towels. Bed wise - horrendous. The smallest “double” I’ve ever seen in my life and soooo squashy and soft it was impossible to sleep through the night. The bathroom was adequate, but the sink was poorly designed and didn’t drain, and there was no switch for a fan so it just came on and off sporadically through the night. Look, for what we paid ($250 for two nights) in Sydney it was probably good value. But I just didn’t love the hairs we found on the sheets and not being provided with clean mugs to make our tea. It’s fine - that’s the best I can say.

I would like to express my disappointment with the condition of the hotel. I had to change rooms three times because the air conditioning wasn’t working, and the facilities are in very poor condition with obvious lack of maintenance. I came here to study and rest, but that was impossible due to the constant room changes and ongoing issues. I don’t blame the staff, but the hotel management. Additionally, the hotel does not have a restaurant, even though the photos and information on the website led me to believe it did. Overall, the experience was far below my expectations.

Update (23 June 2026): I initially contacted the hotel directly on 15 March 2026 regarding the issues below and received no response. It was only after I lodged a complaint with NSW Fair Trading that the hotel responded on 25 May 2026. I replied to their response and, as at 23 June 2026, have again received no further communication. The matter remains unresolved. I stayed one night in an Executive Room at Kirketon Hotel for $249 AUD and unfortunately the experience did not match the expectations set by the hotel's advertising. The room felt small and poorly ventilated. The windows were sealed shut and the air-conditioning vents appeared heavily dusty, which triggered my allergies shortly after turning the system on. The bathroom appeared dated and poorly maintained. The shower grout showed significant dark buildup that appeared to be mould, and the sink basin had a visible chip in the enamel. The shelf above the basin also protrudes quite far and I hit my head on it while washing my face. The shower temperature was extremely difficult to regulate, constantly fluctuating between very hot and very cold water due to the separate hot and cold taps. Sleep quality was poor due to the stale air and uncomfortable bedding arrangement. The minibar fridge was almost completely filled with hotel items, leaving very little space for guests to store their own food or drinks. The hotel also advertises "rainfall showers in stylish bathrooms", which did not reflect the bathroom provided in our room. Parking was another disappointment. The listing referred to secure underground parking, however the parking facility was located approximately a 10-minute walk from the hotel, which was not what I expected when booking. While the location itself is convenient, the room condition, maintenance standards, and handling of my complaint did not reflect what I would expect from an Executive Room or from a hotel charging this price point. Rooms: 1/5 Service: 1/5 Location: 4/5

We had a terrible experience at this hotel. Upon arrival, we encountered significant cleanliness and maintenance issues, including cockroaches, mould in the bathroom, extensive dust, and exposed insulation. Due to these conditions, we did not feel comfortable staying at the property. We were also relocated to a smaller room that did not match the standard of our original booking. Although hotel staff advised us that we could request a refund for the unused nights, our experience afterward has been equally disappointing. While a refund was eventually processed for some of the nights, the hotel has refused to refund the first night despite the unacceptable conditions we encountered and the fact that we did not stay. What has been particularly frustrating is the complete lack of communication from management. We have sent multiple follow-up emails seeking an update and a resolution, yet several of our communications have gone unanswered. Being ignored after raising legitimate concerns about the condition of the property has been both unprofessional and disrespectful. The condition of the hotel was unacceptable, but the way our concerns were handled afterward was even more disappointing. We made every effort to resolve this matter respectfully and directly, but the lack of responsiveness has left us feeling that customer concerns are simply not taken seriously. Based on both the condition of the property and the hotel's failure to engage with us regarding our refund request, we cannot recommend this hotel.

Unfortunately, our experience with the front desk staff was very disappointing. The staff member was rude and unfriendly throughout our interaction.So we had confusion regarding parking we thought its included but its not actually for that my husband was interacting with the man at service desk he was literally so rude had no sense of interacting with guests. When we mentioned the possibility of cancelling our booking, he appeared more interested in cancelling it than in addressing our concerns. This level of customer service was unacceptable and significantly impacted our stay.

Disappointing stay overall. Their website claims they are a 4‑star boutique hotel — in reality, this is far removed from that standard. No elevator, which makes luggage difficult as rooms are accessed by stairs. Room was smaller than expected, with awkward power points, no safe, broken bathroom tiles, and visible dust (which aggravated my asthma). The bar fridge was faulty and not fixed after reporting. Walls are thin, though it was relatively quiet at night. No room service, and breakfast is extra via a nearby café. Staff were friendly and the location is convenient with plenty of nearby dining options. Overall an average stay, but not worth the price.

Great hotel if you want a bed bug infestation and don't feel like being able to move your face for a few weeks because of bites. Absolutely appalling.

The location is fantastic. Everything is within walking distance. It's a maximum of 35 to 40 minutes to the harbor or 25 minutes to the Tower Eye and business district. The hotel room was very spacious, 20 square meters, with a clean bathroom and a window. The service is very friendly and attentive, and there's an airport shuttle bus from Monday to Saturday for 25 AUD. Breakfast was very good and cost on average around 18 AUD per person.