Now I had not walked around in Central for many, many years, so when an offer came to check out the newly refurbished Mercure Central Hotel, I jumped at the chance.
A bunch of travel writers were given a tour of the hotel, plus a guided walk around the area – another post on that to come.
I used to be around Central a fair bit, catching trains, meeting people from trains and walking from Darling Harbour to Chippendale, Surry Hills and surrounds.
Well, it’s changed a lot in the past 20 years I can tell you.
But back to the Mercure, it’s also changed a lot. All 517 rooms have been refurbished and the entire hotel has had a face lift. The hotel serves a mix of business and leisure travellers, and below I’ll make a few points about how it caters to families.

But first, a glam shot of the upgraded hotel. Note the ‘high diving board’ feature running up the front.
The Mercure Central For Families
Well, the hotel is a 4-star hotel. Prices vary depending on the time of year but it’s generally going to be a much more economical option that hotels on the harbour or at Darling Harbour.
Central is so central: the hotel is right by the station so getting around the city is made very easy.
Darling Quarter with its great playground and cafes is just a short walk away… plus all the other delights of Darling Harbour of course.
Chinatown is also just a short walk away.
Standard rooms have either a queen bed or two doubles. So if your kids are little and will fit in a double, that’s the one for you.
The De Luxe rooms have a queen bed and a sofa bed so can also work well for families too.
The hotel has a swimming pool and gym on the top floor, and family-friendly cafes and restaurants.
The lovely Prince Alfred Park is very close by, with its snazzy swimming pool and delightfully eccentric playground.
Here follows some photos of the hotel – all the glam ones were provided by the hotel… as if you wouldn’t guess that.

Central Station is just there. Central used to the transport, retail and hotel hub of Sydney. The Station was build it 1908.
So if you’re looking for a place to stay in Sydney, do check out the Mercure Central. It won’t break the bank, especially if you take up one of the Family Fun Offers. It’s close to the city’s transport hubs and just a short walk from many attractions.
Hope you enjoyed the nosey around this Sydney hotel. I‘m hoping to bring more posts like this to the blog next year.
Which Sydney hotel would you recommend for families?
Happy travelling
autismmum
ooohh..this looks very nice. I love the purple, and the gym..and pool and that playground. My kids also love brekky and its the safest meal out for kids with allergies (no nuts in bacon and eggs!). I don’t really know Central very well, I should check it out one day. As far as Sydney hotels, I stayed at The Grace last year. Its a beautiful historic hotel in the middle of the city with a really interesting history. General Macarthur was stationed in the basement for a time during WW2.
Seana Smith
Thanks so much, good to hear from you. It was a real pleasure to go back to that area and have a look around… and it seems to have inspired in me a mad urge to go back to uni… UTS is right there and they have some great courses… but not rushing into that one, will see how next year pans out. That area is so lively now and full of life and colour and interesting wee places… it couldn’t be further from the 1980s houses and cul de sacs of the leafy Sydney suburbs where we live.