{"id":43366,"date":"2017-04-26T16:11:58","date_gmt":"2017-04-26T06:11:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/?p=43366"},"modified":"2018-05-14T05:00:53","modified_gmt":"2018-05-13T19:00:53","slug":"ovolo-1888-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/ovolo-1888-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you ask a Sydneysider which part of our city they\u2019d pick for a staycation, chances are Darling Harbour<\/a> wouldn\u2019t be their number one choice.\u00a0It\u2019s not that it doesn\u2019t have its perks; it\u2019s just that it\u2019s got a reputation for being more targeted to tourists than locals.<\/p>\n

However, my interest in a Darling Harbour stay was given a boost when I heard Ovolo Hotels had a property in the \u2018hood.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Having already checked out their other two Aussie hotels \u2013 one in Melbourne<\/a> and the other in nearby Woolloomooloo<\/a> \u2013 I knew these guys would bring instant street cred. They didn\u2019t disappoint.<\/p>\n

Arriving on a sunny Saturday afternoon – after an exhausting 5km commute from my apartment, on the other side of the Bridge \ud83d\ude09 \u2013 the hipster exterior makes the hotel instantly recognizable.<\/p>\n\n

Hot tip: The hotel doesn\u2019t have on-site parking, but there is a parking lot across the road. Get your ticket validated by the reception team on your way out to enjoy a discounted rate of $39 for 24 hours.<\/em><\/p>\n

Check-in is friendly and smooth, and we\u2019d be on our way to our room immediately if it wasn\u2019t for the temptation of the #selfieframe hanging in reception. It\u2019s a fun way to transition to your cheesy holiday self and nab an Insta-worthy post in the process. Who can say no props?!<\/p>\n\n

Speaking of Insta-worthy, you may need to hold yourself back or risk being unfollowed. Every feature of the hotel has been carefully thought-out, showcasing the signature playful-yet-polished Ovolo personality. It\u2019s a social-media-lovers\u2019 dream.<\/p>\n\n

Converted from an old wool-store, the designers have done a great job of showcasing the building\u2019s historic charm while adding a modern twist, making the most of the space.<\/p>\n

Feeling peckish, we head to Ovolo\u2019s bar, Lo Lounge. It buzzes with a weekend crowd enjoying drinks and snacks, and doubles as the hotel\u2019s well-stocked breakfast spot the following morning.<\/p>\n\n

Upstairs on level three, our room is compact but well-laid-out and most important in a touristy area, it\u2019s quiet!<\/p>\n\n

A colourful feature wall, funky artwork, an iPad complete with hotel and local area info, comfy bed, and a rainwater shower with Biology toiletries all get a big tick of approval from me.<\/p>\n\n

However, my eyes are particularly drawn to my favorite kind of welcome treat: dessert and not just any dessert – a pretty chocolate one with edible flowers!<\/p>\n\n

But that\u2019s not the only freebie to make Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour<\/a> stand out from the pack. Like the other Ovolos I\u2019ve stayed in, the minibar is free! We\u2019re talking beer, red and white wines, sparkling water, soft drinks, and orange juice. A \u2018Loot Bag\u2019 holds savoury and sweet treats, including popcorn, peanuts, chocolate, and lollies and there\u2019s complimentary wi-fi, which is always a nice touch.<\/p>\n\n

I may not have talked-up the area much, but there really is a lot to like about Darling Harbour. Hubby and I rise early the next day for a beautiful run over the Pyrmont Bridge, down to Barangaroo, and through to Circular Quay.<\/p>\n

The Star<\/a> \u2013 home to beautiful restaurants and the Lyric Theatre\u2019s great stage shows \u2013 is an easy walk away. Nearby attractions like the National Maritime Museum<\/a>, Madame Tussauds<\/a>, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo<\/a>, and SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium<\/a> are popular for a reason. And the Chinese Garden of Friendship is perfect for a peaceful stroll.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour<\/a> that will have me heading back to this part of Sydney time and time again. Who knew a night away just 5km from home could be so recharging?!<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you ask a Sydneysider which part of our city they\u2019d pick for a staycation, chances are Darling Harbour wouldn\u2019t..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":43369,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[4622,2395,4623,197,106,4251],"acf":{"credits":[{"name":"","label":"","full_url":""}],"enable_review_score":false},"posts_api_cpm_point":{"name":"","description":"","thumbnail":"","address":"139 Murray St, Pyrmont NSW 2009, Australia","latitude":"-33.8726709","longitude":"151.1970516","icon":"\/images\/icons\/marker.png"},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43366"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43366"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43366\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43376,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43366\/revisions\/43376"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}