You know what really struck me about the Excelsior Apartments when I first walked up Bridge Road? It’s got that perfect Glebe vibe – sort of tucked away from the main tourist chaos but still close enough to everything that matters. I mean, you’re literally a five-minute walk from Glebe Point Road with all its bookshops and cafes, but the street itself is actually pretty quiet. No buses rumbling past at 6 AM, which honestly made such a difference to my sleep.
The apartments themselves feel more like staying in a friend’s well-appointed flat than a typical hotel – and I say that in the best possible way. The kitchen actually has everything you need (I’m talking proper knives, not those useless hotel butter knives), and there’s this nice little balcony where you can sit with your morning coffee and watch the neighborhood wake up. The furnishings are modern without being sterile, if that makes sense. Clean lines but still comfortable enough that you want to sprawl on the couch after a long day exploring the city. What I really appreciated was the space – these aren’t cramped hotel rooms where you’re living out of a suitcase on the floor. You’ve got proper closets, a dining table where you can actually spread out a map or work on your laptop, and the bathroom has one of those rainfall showers that doesn’t make you feel like you’re in a phone booth.
Location-wise, this is where the Excelsior really shines. Glebe is one of those Sydney neighborhoods that feels genuinely local – you’ll see the same faces at the weekend markets, kids heading to school, people walking their dogs along the foreshore. It’s about a 15-minute walk to Circular Quay if you’re feeling energetic, or you can hop on a bus from right around the corner. The Saturday markets are basically on your doorstep, and honestly, the bread from that German bakery stall alone is worth the stay. Plus, you’re close enough to Darling Harbour for all the touristy stuff but far enough away that you don’t feel like you’re drowning in cruise ship crowds. I spent one evening just wandering down to the water at Jubilee Park – it’s this little pocket of green right on the harbor that most visitors never find. The staff were genuinely helpful too, not in that over-the-top hotel way, but like actual people who know the area and can point you toward the good coffee (go to Badde Manors, trust me) or tell you which ferry to catch for the best harbor views. Check-in was smooth, parking was sorted without drama, and when the air conditioning started making weird noises on day three, they had someone up to fix it within an hour.
You need to let the property know what time you'll be arriving in advance.
