If you are looking for a lovely restored Victorian house in a funky neighborhood about 15-20 minutes from the heart of Sydney by bus, Trickett's is a great choice. The house has been lovingly restored by Liz Trickett and her son Bruce and then filled with antiques and original art.

One reviewer complained that it wasn't the Sheraton. Absolutely true. If you want the Sheraton, stay there. If you want a genteel B&B in an eclectic neighborhood (Glebe) crammed with ethnic restaurants, Trickett's is hard to beat.

Liz has lived all over the world and has many stories to tell. She is a native Aussie though, and can give you plenty of advice about what to do in Sydney and beyond if you like. Her son Bruce handles the breakfasts, which includes his going shopping for fresh fruit every morning, a large bowl of which is the centerpiece of breakfast. But there is also cereal, rolls, yogurt, etc., and fruit juice and coffee or tea, of course.

The bedrooms are quite comfy and the bathrooms are large and modern. The beds are very large and comfortable and there is plenty of drawer space for your clothes in the room.

There is an immense living room stuffed with all kinds of things. You could probably spend a rainy afternoon just exploring the living room. If you would rather read your e-mail, the wireless Internet can be received anywhere on the property.

If you are looking for a looking for a fancy hotel with bellboys in bright red jackets with shiny brass buttons, stay downtown. But if you want a lovely, romantic old house full of antiques and art in a funky neighborhood with a good bus connection to Circular Quay, this is an excellent choice. It is very good value for the price, too.

We had never expected that finding accommodation for four adults in Sydney for New Year 2006 (coinciding with the final Ashes test!) would be easy. We were disappointed though at the number of hotels shamelessly cashing in on this by demanding minimum stays of 1 week or tripling their rates. We were therefore delighted to finally secure rooms at Tricketts, which – whilst pricey for a B and B – looked lovely and came highly recommended. We decided to treat ourselves to a bit of luxury and booked it .Our stay at Tricketts was at the end of a four week holiday in Australia where we had enjoyed some fantastic hotels – clean, spacious, efficient and with all mod cons. Tricketts was therefore a bit of a disappointment.

Staying in an old house in a family run business can be delightful, but it’s still just as important that the proprietors get the details right as it is for the hotel chains. Comfort to the weary traveller means being able to relax, which is hard to do in a house crammed full with antiques, knick-knacks and original art pieces. Whilst the décor is in keeping with the charm of the property it does have the effect of making it feel cluttered and musty. The rooms were cramped as a result of the clutter in them. Piles of magazines dating back to 2002, big traditional dressers, pots of pot pourri and doilies – all very twee but not with a guest’s needs in mind. We were very aware that we were living in someone else’s home. For example, having no tea and coffee making facilities in the room we had to go into their kitchen if we wanted one. Whilst this is in the spirit of a B and B, there needs to be privacy for both proprietor and guest (especially when the guest is paying!).

Also little consideration seems to have been given to common traveller’s dilemmas e.g. where to store suitcases if people have to check out before returning to airport, alternative breakfast arrangements to suit peoples itineraries (breakfast 8am – 9am is far too rigid – especially when it’s only a continental breakfast). Less attention to fuss and a better understanding of what people want is required.

This was by far the most expensive accommodation of our holiday but sadly the least enjoyable. Tricketts needs to decide what it wants to be. The homely, olde-worlde charm approach is fine, but don’t charge boutique hotel prices….that’s just not cricket!!!

We stayed for a total of six nights at this venerable location. The property is a thoughtfully restored Victorian mansion in the heart of the eclectic area of Glebe. The owner, Liz and her son Bruce provided a warm welcome and were always on hand to provide advice and information whilst overseeing delicious breakfasts.

The Glebe area provides an excellent base for sight seeing in Sydney, with an excellent bus and rail service taking you into the heart of Sydney in 15 minutes. The Glebe area is also full of a pleasant range of restaurants and cafes which are perfect eating out in the evening.

We stayed at Tricketts for 4 days and it was wonderful.
What a lovely home. Bruce did a great breakfast each morning before we started off on our daily adventures.

The location was so handy, the bus being across the road and the light rail about a 5 minute walk away.
We would recommend that you listen to the travel tips provided by Liz as these proved to be invaluable to my husband and I.

The best bit, if you have time to linger in the morning is to meet others also on their travels across the breakfast table. There are so many people with interesting stories to tell. Liz has a great job!!!

Sue and Mark, Wiltshire, England.