Ardmore House Sydney

If you dislike warmth and elegance and shun comfort and convivial company; if you prefer not to be treated as a friend and to feel as at ease as you do in your own home; if being a little pampered and made to feel rather special offends you: then Ardmore House is definitely not the place for you!

My partner and I stayed at this homestay in cosmopolitan Newtown over the New Year period and enjoyed five of the most pleasurable and memorable days of our travels so far around the world. From the moments of first greetings at Sydney Airport by our hosts, Declan and Peter, we knew we had made the right choice of accommodation; you really could not wish to meet kinder people, possessing a generosity of spirit matched only by their fabulous breakfasts. Their old worldy colonial style home and semi-tropical garden is simply beautiful and exhudes an air of calm and tranquility; a lovely place to return to after the hustle and bustle of a day out in Sydney (only a short bus or train ride away) set back in a quiet, picturesque street and near a friendly pub serving an excellent range of cuisine at very reasonable prices.

The location could not be better, five minutes walk from the heart of Newtown where you will find an array of shops, bars, cafes and restaurants as well as a gym (if you are the working out kind) and of course a vibrant nightlife. On our first day our hosts took the trouble to show us around the local area, which incorporated a stroll through an old graveyard containing some fabulous tombstones of some very distinguished early pioneers as well as that of one Eliza Emily Donnithorne, whose tragic tale of being jilted at the alter on her wedding day Charles Dickens used in the creation of his fearsome character Miss Havisham in "Great Expectations". Who would have thought it?!

If you are making a trip to Sydney and you want to stay somewhere rather different and infinitely more special than your run of the mill B&B I would highly recommend that you choose Ardmore House; this is the place for you. We are already planning our return!

I stayed at Ardmore House in Newtown at short notice after finding many other inner city hotels booked out.

My hosts were delightful - civilised, friendly, hospitable and extremely welcoming.From the time I arrived, I felt as if I had been welcomed into the home of old and dear friends. Brewed coffee was served after I had settled in and coffee or tea according to preference was served after waking in the morning.

Ardmore House itself is quite delightful - a charming nineteenth century terrace in a quiet street in a historically interesting part of inner metropolitan Sydney. The house is tastefully decorated - the rooms elegant and comfortable. On my first morning, a delicious and very substantial breakfast was beautifully served in a delightful leafy courtyard garden. That night I was invited to join my hosts for a superb dinner offered at a remarkably modest additional cost to the base tariff.

I had a small comfortable bedroom with access to a private balcony and immediately adjacent to excellent bathroom facilities. Quality of presentation was high and my room and all facilities were meticulously clean and inviting.

While there is no off-street parking, I was able to leave my car safely in the local street.

When I expressed an interest in the Newtown area, my hosts volunteered to take me on a walking tour of the local streets and landmarks and to explain the significance or special interest of notable public buildings, houses and the remarkable and historically important cemetery a couple of streets away. A very interesting and informative walk ended very pleasurably over drinks shared in one of the local pubs.

I greatly enjoyed my unexpected short stay (two nights) at Ardmore House. Apart from the charm and comfort of the house itself, my two hosts offered a warm, friendly and sincere welcome with a pleasant and unobtrusive interest in ensuring my stay was as pleasant and as comfortable as possible.

I am delighted to recommend Ardmore House as the quintessential home away from home.

I have never been anywhere quite like Newtown. Its a hybrid of Union Street in San Francisco with a touch of Castro, Georgetown Washington DC. The Village New York, with a few up-town boutiques thrown in. King's Road London, as it was in the "70"s &:80:s and Melrose in Los Angeles, with coffee equal to that offered on Via Veneto or Rue St Germaine. The food on King Street (the main street in Newtown) is sensational.

Where to stay?That's easy..... Ardmore House,r ight in Newtown's heart. This B&B has more style than you can poke a nicely whittled stick at. I stayed for six nights and then returned for an unscheduled two nights stay on my way home. I have encountered and sometimes endured scores of B&B's on my travels, and this is one to be relished. Check it out

A satisfied traveller NY.NY.

My partner and I stayed a six nights and had a FABULOUS time.

It was my 40th.and we decided to go to Sydney to celebrate.

Found Ardmore House through Q"Beds.and after we had clicked on the site,clicked on your link and read the reviews.

Dec and Peter made us really welcome and gave us a Champagne Breakfast on my birthday.Cant say enough about the house. ,and Newtown is a real buzz.Havent been there for years, but really ,it goes.

There is an atmosphere of London, Kings Road and Notting Hill, San Francisco, Castro St and New York, Greenwich Village. Just loved it. Highly recommend Ardmore as a place to stay and loved the dog.

I have stayed at Ardmore House twice.the first time as a friend of a friend of the genial hosts. I went for a lunch that turned into a weekend that turned into 6 weeks and I would have stayed for ever if I could.

I couldn't recommend it more highly. Declan and Peter will do everything for your comfort in their beautiful home. They will welcome you as an honoured member of the family but if you want to be left in peace -well, that's ok too. In addition their country property, a charming cabin set in 150 acres of bushland, gives a real - but comfortable - taste of the outback, which any visitor to Australia should see.

Declan is a very good cook and there is also an excellent restaurant right across the street.

I found that Newtown gave very easy access to the city centre with good transport. Taxis were cheap -especially for anyone used to the exorbitant fares in London - and easily obtained. I certainly hope to make many more visits.

My partner Brian and I have just spent seven fab days at this wonderful B&B

We got the address from IGLTA and checked out the web Its well worth the effort.

Have a look.

They have a very friendly dog ,who is a bit intimidating at first ,but soon becomes a real friend.We found the pick up and drop off service really good, as we had not been to Sydney before and didn't know our way around.

Declan is a wonderful cook,better than my mother.

The house is very beautiful as is the garden.

We both agreed that if we ever return to Sydney ,this is where we will stay .Cannot praise this B&B too highly. Absolutely Awesome. Mike and Brian

This is a real find because there aren't many nice places to stay around Newtown, despite its being such a great area, near the city and importantly for me, walking distance to Sydney University. My friends booked us in to this fairly new B&B for a night last weekend because everything else was booked out for the Newtown Festival. Our room was a lovely double and shared a bathroom with the single. Declan and Peter are friendly but not obtrusive - if you feel like a chat, they will be happy to oblige. The room was charming (see the website) and had its own balcony with table & chairs. $140 for two included a big breakfast, more than I could eat. The single is only $90 with breakfast & looked very nice with its own balcony at the back of the house on the first floor. I agree that Tara the dog becomes your best friend once Declan introduces you. Ardmore's website is at -------

Newtown is a vibrant and interesting part of Sydney with great restaurants and shopping - also plenty of nightlife if you have the energy and inclination. This B&B is in a quiet location within an easy walk of the main strip and close to the trains and buses. There's no on-site parking but I found easy untimed parking within 100 yards.

I'm very pleased that I followed up the suggestion to try Ardmore House. The house is a spacious, elegant terrace. There are two rooms available - a double and a single. These rooms share a very clean bathroom. Both rooms have their own balconies. The rooms are upstairs, and the shower is over the bath, so it may not suit people with mobility problems.

I stayed in the single room. The room was very attractive - light and airy with a leafy outlook from both windows. The bed was pristinely clean and comfortable. Little touches like a morning wake-up call accompanied by a cup of tea (complete with a hand embroidered linen napkin - classy!) made me feel very welcome and spoilt.

I fell in love with Tara, a goddess disguised as a Rhodesian Ridgeback/ Boxer who appreciates a pat and appropriate homage. Hosts Declan and Peter were wonderful - really welcoming and charming. They know Sydney and the area very well and even gave accurate advice on how to find an obscure shopping item. We had a lovely lingering breakfast in the garden - including proper coffee plus lots of laughs.

As a woman who travels alone quite frequently, I really appreciate a place that is safe, clean, comfortable, friendly and stylish. This was like staying with treasured old friends and beats a soulless hotel room hands down.

My partener and I tried this out because it was recomended by some friends.

We had only just met them in Goulburn and as we were going to Sydney for some business we stayed with them.

It is a beautiful old Terrace house, right across the road from a wonderful pub that does lunch and dinner ,really good food. 7 days a week.

The owners are a couple of older gay guys, but that is not a problem for my girlfriend and I,They certainly know their stuff about the history of Newtown, where to go, and what to see. They will even take you

The rooms are great very clean , comfortable beds. You share a bathroom with their single room but there was no one in it when we were there.

Breakfast in the garden, bacon and eggs potatoe cakes ,juice coffee. Wowo.

We also did the country package, because although we live in the area ,we are quite a long way from the Caves and have never been there. Quite an experience.

Will be definitely giving this the thumbs up to all our o.s. friends whenever they come.

My partener and I stayed for ten days. We did their country package as well.The rooms were great.My partener was a little afraid of the dog at first but later became great friends.

The rooms and balcony and garden were beautiful.

The house is sooo comfortable we hated to leave .Will be recomending it to our friends. PS The food is fantastic