Bondi Beach. One of the most popular beaches in Australia known for its history and great surroundings, it should be on the bucket list of a traveler heading to Sydney. Easily making its way into the top 10 of almost all lists of Australian beaches, it is common for travelers to desire to stay at least a couple of days within proximity of Bondi Beach, taking in the glorious sun and doing some surfing. Hence, there is a need for a quality lodging place and today, we bring you a review of the Adina Apartment Hotel at Bondi Beach, a 4 star accommodation that has impressed many and even won the Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence Award in year 2015. Though the Adina Apartment Hotel name might not sound too familiar to many, it is in fact a part of the TFE Hotels group, which also manages several other prominent hotel brands such as the Rendevous Hotels and Far East Hospitality hotels. Adina Apartment Hotel is not to be belittled and without further ado, let us delve in to find out what staying at this serviced apartment really is like.
Date of stay: April 2014
69-73 Hall St, Bondi Beach
NSW 2026, Australia
The hotel is set in what seems to be a “quaint little town” with hardly any skyscrapers noticeable. The surrounding is peaceful and tranquil on most days, instantly making Adina Apartment Hotel a good choice should you want to stay in a quiet area. One of the biggest selling points of Adina Apartment Hotel Bondi Beach is its close proximity to the popular beach. Bondi Beach is highly accessible from the hotel and is located just a 10 minutes stroll away.
For guests visiting this area of Sydney the first time, Bondi Beach is a must-go-to place, as it is truly the heart of all activities. The sea makes for an excellent surfing spot for all tourists, especially beginner to intermediate level surfers, and the clean beach makes for a perfect place for children to play at, or for adults to just lounge at and enjoy the strong Australian sun. To add to the fun, there are numerous rental shops that you can patronize it is generally affordable to rent equipment such as surf boards for a couple of hours. Pop by the beautiful beach on Saturday to experience an authentic Australian farmer’s market where you can purchase fresh ingredients. Visit again on Sunday and you will realize that it has transformed into something like a flea market, where flowers, crafts, antiques and clothes are peddled by the locals. Prior to travelling, tourists should go online to check if their trip coincides with any festivals at Bondi Beach. During festivals or events such as Sculptures by the Sea, the beach is transformed into a beautiful sight and gets filled with people, tourists and locals alike, and it creates a truly exciting and fun-filled atmosphere.
Adina Apartment Hotel Bondi Beach is located right along Hall Street, which happens to be one of the most happening streets in the area. As a result, a myriad of bars, restaurants, cafes and eateries are lined all along the street and guests of Adina Apartment Hotel do not have to worry about their daily meals. The hotel is linked to a relatively small but nonetheless adequate 2 floored retail complex, with food and beverage options and shopping choices.Dining options range from bakeries to health foods to seafood and to complement the nice weather there, most eateries offer Al Fresco dining options and having a meal near the hotel is indeed a great way for guests to take a breather, unwind and just have a good time. Guests can also take a walk to Bondi Junction, where there is a market open every Thursday and Sunday, with food stalls serving up local delicacies and snacks. It is a great place for tourists who wish to experience some of Australia’s authentic tastes!
Tourists looking to pick up some local goods and souvenirs can also do so conveniently as the area around the hotel is home to plenty of such shops. Take a stroll along Hall Street and you will discover many of these shops housed just along the road. However, I must add that most of these shops are small and their offerings are limited. Hence, do not go shopping in hope of picking up the latest technological gadgets or designer clothing and jewellery. There also a few small supermarkets and convenience shops located along Hall Street, making it easy and convenient for hotel guests to pick up necessities. Personally, I though that the supermarkets and convenience shops offer cheap groceries, serving well those who wish to prepare their own meals in the apartment and those who wish to pack some snacks and drinks to the beach.
Adina Apartment Hotel is relatively accessible by public transport and guests will not find it a hassle to travel around by public transport. For instance, the hotel is a mere 5 minute walk away from the nearest bust stop, where a 6 minute bus ride will take you to Kings Cross Station. For travelers who rent their own car, parking is a breeze as well as the hotel does offer overnight parking for its guests.
Now that I have covered the exciting area surrounding the hotel, I must say, the location of the hotel is not as desirable to those wishing to travel around the entire Sydney or to business travelers. This is because the hotel is not exactly close to some of Sydney’s iconic tourist hotspots and its CBD area. For instance, Centennial Park and the Sydney Opera House both require the use of a car to reach, and are located about a 10 minute drive away from the hotel. Sydney’s CBD area is also a good 20 minutes drive away and that is not the most ideal travelling time that most business travelers would prefer. Furthermore, take a look around the neighbourhood and unless you are a shop owner in the Bondi Beach area, chances are you will not find any corporate offices nearby. With that being said, Adina Apartment Hotel is not a serviced apartment where any traveler to Sydney should and would consider. This hotel is geared towards providing a comfortable and excellent lodging option fro guests who specifically wish to visit the iconic Bondi Beach  as it offers supreme convenience and accessibility to the beach.
The min entrance of the hotel lies just along the side walk of Hall Street, and is very noticeable. Though the main facade is nothing special, look past it and the wavy glass structure that house the apartments is rather eye catching and prominent, making Adina Apartment Hotel stand out along Hall Street. The entrance is a no-gimmick simple glass door, without all the grandeur of 5 star luxury hotels that you will often see in the main town area of the city. That being said, the entrance and lobby of Adina Apartment Hotel Bondi Beach is in no way shabby looking or run down, and it is obvious from the first look that the hotel is a well-managed one.
Despite the small size of the lobby, I was very impressed with the interior. For starters, Adina Apartment Hotel has one of the most welcoming and coziest looking lobby. When I first stepped in, I was immediately reminded of a warm family home and the feeling felt just great. The textured stone partition wall and the warm lights gives the lobby a homely feel and the large couches make for a good resting and waiting area. To top it off, the neutral toned decor and furniture pulls everything together well, making it an impressive greeting place to welcome residents. I felt that the lobby was well designed as the homely theme seems to be much more suitable given that Adina Apartment Hotel is essentially a serviced residence and residences should exude a warm, welcoming theme above a grand luxurious theme. No doubt, the lobby of the Adina Apartment Hotel is no less impressive than what you will experience in a luxury hotel, albeit in a very different manner.
The minute sized hotel lobby also offers various seating configurations and amenities to suit the needs of guests. Those travelling as a small group can lounge together on a small corner around a wooden coffee table while those travelling in bigger groups can make use of a larger seating configuration. Guests who do not mind mingling with others can opt to rest or wait at the central seating area where huge comfortable couches are placed. While waiting to check in or rest, there are adjustable lamps beside some of the couches that guests can make use of to aid in reading or browsing a magazine. Also, do not let the size of the lobby fool you as there is even a small computer station with two iMacs for guests to surf the net! The only issue that I had was that the chairs for surfing the net paled in comparison to the other couches and stools in the waiting area in terms of comfort. The hard wooden stools makes it hard to sit there for long and bigger sized guests will probably find it a lot worse than smaller sized guests. This makes me wonder if the computer station was just a rash and poorly planned decision, but I must still commend that the management tried their best and did a pretty good job of even providing such a service within the limited space of the lobby.
The check in process was a breeze for me and the polite and friendly staff made it an enjoyable one as well. Furthermore the staff are all pretty knowledgeable about the surrounding area and when asked, they are capable of making good dining recommendations and giving accurate directions to the train station or to nearby attractions. However, the service, though good still does not compare to that of many other luxury hotels. The staff at Adina Apartment Hotel Bondi Beach are excellent when it comes to performing their duties but somehow still seem reserved when it comes to going the extra mile. They are glad to help when asked to, but it did not seem to me that they would often take the initiative to help before being asked. Then again, the service provided was in no way bad at all and I am sure that many guests will also be pleased with the hospitality they receive, just that there is definitely still room for improvement.
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