The Erko Hotel

Hotel Description

You know what? I wasn’t expecting much when I first pulled up to The Erko Hotel on Erskineville Road – honestly, the neighborhood’s been changing so fast lately that I figured it’d be another cookie-cutter place trying too hard to be trendy. But there’s something genuinely comfortable about this spot that grows on you. The building itself has this understated charm, sort of tucked between the mix of old terraces and new developments that makes Erskineville feel like it’s caught between two worlds. When you’re checking in, you can actually hear the trains rumbling by (it’s the airport line, so not too frequent), but I found it oddly soothing rather than annoying – reminded me I was staying somewhere real Sydneysiders actually live, not some sanitized tourist bubble.

The rooms are what you’d expect from a solid 3-star place, but they’ve clearly put thought into the details. The beds are actually comfortable – I mean, properly comfortable, not just “hotel comfortable” – and the bathrooms have decent water pressure, which honestly matters more than people admit. What I really appreciated was how they’ve managed to keep things clean and functional without trying to be something they’re not. The staff seemed to genuinely know the area too, which is refreshing. When I asked about coffee, they didn’t just point me toward the lobby machine but actually recommended Bodhi Bar a few blocks down on King Street, which became my morning ritual. Speaking of King Street, that’s really what makes staying here work – you’re a five-minute walk from one of Sydney’s best strips for food and drinks, but you’re staying somewhere quiet enough to actually sleep.

I’ll be honest, the 7.2 rating feels about right – this isn’t luxury, but it’s not trying to be. It’s the kind of place where you can dump your bags, take a proper shower, and head out to explore without worrying about whether you’re missing some amazing hotel experience. The neighborhood’s got this great mix of young professionals and longtime locals, so you’ll see people heading to work in the morning and groups wandering back from dinner at night. Parking’s actually not terrible if you’re driving (there’s street parking, though it gets tighter on weekends), and if you’re flying out, the airport train stops right at Erskineville station – takes about 15 minutes, no transfers needed. What really sold me on the place was this: I left my phone charger behind, called the next day, and they not only had it but offered to post it to me without any fuss. That’s the kind of no-nonsense service that makes a 3-star hotel feel like it’s punching above its weight.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $117. Double Room with Shared Bathroom with 1 double bed for Max persons: 2

Reviews

• Easy, comfortable, welcoming. – Tamsin from Australia – 22 February 2025 (8/10)

  Big room, comfy beds, easy to find the central location. Staff were terrifically nice, super friendly.
  
  What could be improved: Shower could have been a bit cleaner.

• Good pub room – Peter from Australia – 2 December 2024 (8/10)

  Very friendly greeting and easy checkin process. The room was clean and spacious.
  
  What could be improved: Some of the furniture looked a bit tired and damaged. The main critique was that despite the ceiling fans and small mobile cooling unit the room was very stuffy and hot which made for an uncomfortable nights sleep.

• Convenient location for concert at Enmore Theatre – Linda from Australia – 24 November 2024 (8/10)

  Great location
  
  What could be improved: Enjoyed the stay – except no hot water when I used the shower.

• Very good – Jennifer from Australia – 8 November 2024 (8/10)

  Great location, very clean room and amenities
  
  What could be improved: Nothing

• Friendly, interesting pub in a relaxed, cool neighbourhood. Minute from the train station. – Beverley from United Kingdom – 27 October 2024 (8/10)

  The Erko is a lovely, friendly pub. Fabulous location. Staff were great. Bed and bed linen very comfortable.

• Very good – Alison from Australia – 19 August 2024 (8/10)

  Love the location and staff are super helpfully
  
  What could be improved: It is a pub so there can be noise . Staff were so nice helping down a quieter room

• Will be looking to stay again, if I need a place in inner Sydney👏 – Troy from Australia – 16 May 2024 (8/10)

  Great location, well stocked Kitchen for breakfast.
  
  What could be improved: A chair & table in the Kitchen, or somewhere else to sit and eat would have been handy.

• Great location and great value – Deborah from Australia – 13 April 2024 (8/10)

  Our 4th stay here, as it allows us the option of a one-night stay on a weekend in a fun inner west location- not possible with Airbnb – and at a good price, also not available with Airbnb. It’s also clean and comfortable.

• Was a lovely stay and had a great time – Lyndl from Australia – 1 April 2024 (7/10)

  Loved how close it was to the train station made transport so easy, the staff were very welcoming and friendly, beds were nice and comfy, the toilet in our bedroom was very convenient and having the fridge in the kitchen to put drinks in.
  
  What could be improved: The shared bathroom wasn’t the cleanest and didn’t smell the best but definitely usable and decent for a nice little trip. Also the free wifi did not work on any of the tvs and had to use own data to use YouTube or Netflix which was a bit of a bummer. Other than that we loved everything! 🙂

• Great location and easy going staff – Philippa from Australia – 30 March 2024 (8/10)

  Great location. I love Erskineville. The pub is great and the staff let me have a very late check out.
  
  What could be improved: The room are a bit airless

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities