Holiday Inn Express Sydney Airport by IHG

Hotel Description

Look, I’ve stayed at a lot of airport hotels, and honestly? Most of them feel like sterile holding pens where you just crash before an early flight. But the Holiday Inn Express on Sarah Street in Mascot – well, it’s actually got some personality to it. The moment you walk in, there’s this surprisingly bright lobby that doesn’t scream “transit hotel,” and the staff genuinely seem to care about making your stay work, not just getting you processed through.

What really won me over was how they’ve thought about the little things that matter when you’re dealing with travel stress. The rooms are bigger than you’d expect for an airport location, and – this is key – they’ve got proper blackout curtains that actually block out those security lights from the airport perimeter. You know how some hotels claim to be “soundproof” but you can still hear every plane taking off? Here, you’ll catch the occasional rumble from the really big jets, but it’s more like white noise than anything disruptive. The beds are solid too, not those rock-hard mattresses you sometimes get at chain hotels. I mean, after a long day of travel, you want to actually sink into something comfortable.

The breakfast situation is pretty decent – not fancy, but they’ve got the basics covered and the coffee doesn’t taste like it’s been sitting around since yesterday. What I really appreciated was their grab-and-go options if you’re rushing to catch an early flight. And here’s something you might not think about: the elevators are fast. Sounds trivial, but when you’re dragging luggage and running late, those extra thirty seconds matter. The location on Sarah Street puts you literally minutes from the domestic terminals, and if you’re heading international, it’s still way easier than dealing with city traffic. There’s a shuttle that runs regularly, though honestly, it’s close enough to walk if you’re not loaded down with bags. The neighborhood isn’t much to look at – typical industrial airport area – but there’s a decent café around the corner on Coward Street if you want to grab something beyond hotel food. Overall, it’s one of those places that just works without any drama, which is exactly what you want when you’re dealing with flights and connections. The 8.3 rating feels about right – it’s not trying to be a luxury experience, but it delivers on everything it promises.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $130. Standard Twin Room – Free Breakfast with 2 single beds for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $130. Standard Queen Room – Free Breakfast with 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $130. Standard Queen Room – Accessible with Free Breakfast with 1 large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $143. Standard King Room – Free Breakfast with 1 extra-large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $143. Standard Room with Free Breakfast with 1 double bed and 2 single beds for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $156. Standard King Room with Extra Floor Space – Free Breakfast with 1 extra-large double bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $194. Standard Queen Room with Two Queen Beds – Free Breakfast with 2 large double beds for Max persons: 2

Reviews

• Short overnight stay, would stay again – Narelle from Australia – 14 July 2025 (8/10)

  How close it was to the airport and twin double beds in the room
  
  What could be improved: No hairdryer in the room

• Very good – Alison from United Kingdom – 13 July 2025 (8/10)

  Good location, clean and welcoming, staff really helpful
  
  What could be improved: There wasn’t enough luggage lockers.
  Room next to the lifts was noisey and blind didn’t work so very light too!

• Very good – Catherine from Australia – 10 July 2025 (8/10)

  Location
  
  What could be improved: Could have used their Park and fly options without going somewhere else. Not mentioned on Accomodation site.

• Comfortable sleep. – Jennifer from Australia – 9 July 2025 (7/10)

  Ok
  
  What could be improved: Takeaway breakfast provided because we had an early flight. Totally useless ingredients because most of the contents were thrown out by airport security. Eg milk and juice were over 100 mls, therefore cereal could not be eaten dry. Only thing left was museli bar! Not adequate!
  Meal choice in onsite restaurant very poor and mostly unavailable and bad quality.

• Very good – Norman from New Zealand – 8 July 2025 (8/10)

  Close to airport. Enough room clean nice
  
  What could be improved: The food (chicken schnitzel ) was way overcooked almost to the point of inedible

• Excellant for my needs, very convenient, comfortable & affordable. Will stay again when travelling. – Thomas from Australia – 8 July 2025 (9/10)

  Breakfast very nice
  Location great
  
  What could be improved: No top sheet on beds – quilts too hot

• Superb – Simon from New Zealand – 7 July 2025 (9/10)

  Fantastic room, and good location.
  Easy walk to train station
  Breakfast was good
  
  What could be improved: ….

• Superb – Simon from New Zealand – 7 July 2025 (9/10)

  Fantastic room, and good location.
  Easy walk to train station
  Breakfast was good
  Friendly and helpful staff
  
  What could be improved: ….

• Superb – Simon from New Zealand – 7 July 2025 (9/10)

  Fantastic room, and good location.
  Easy walk to train station
  Breakfast was good
  
  What could be improved: …

• Enjoyable – Helen from Australia – 6 July 2025 (8/10)

  Location

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities