The Hornsby Inn

The Wentworth Hotel is a local pub on Parramatta Road at Homebush, in Sydney's inner west, with rooms offering shared or private bathrooms. Rooms have flat-screen TVs with cable channels. Some have private bathrooms and others share, so ask which you'll get when you enquire. The pub itself suits most kinds of visit, with a sports bar for watching the game over a beer or a cocktail, a bistro for family meals, a kids' play area and function rooms with free wifi. Guests often praise the fresh, tasty food and the friendly, attentive service.

Strathfield Hotel is a pub opposite Strathfield station in Sydney's inner west, with rooms offering shared or private bathrooms. Trains get you to the CBD or Sydney Olympic Park in under ten minutes. Rooms include tea and coffee making facilities and daily housekeeping, and guests mention air conditioning, a TV and a small fridge. The pub has a public bar with big screens for sport, a lounge bar, a dedicated TAB bar, a bistro and a shady beer garden. Reviewers often describe the rooms and shared bathrooms as clean and comfortable, and several found them fairly quiet.

The Australian Heritage Hotel is a long-running pub in The Rocks, Sydney, with seven guest bedrooms and shared bathrooms. Known as The Aussie, it calls itself one of Sydney's oldest pubs, and the accommodation is decorated with original artworks. The bedrooms suit singles, couples or groups, and guests share a drawing room as well as the bathrooms. Circular Quay is about a seven-minute walk and Wynyard around ten. The bar stocks only Australian beer, including a long list of craft brews, and the kitchen turns out pub classics and pizzas. A rooftop bar looks out to the city skyline, and dogs are welcome throughout. Guests consistently praise the friendly, helpful staff and the food.

Blacktown Tavern is a family-friendly pub on Kildare Road in Blacktown, in Sydney's west, with guest rooms that have private bathrooms. Each room has air conditioning, a flat-screen TV and tea and coffee making, with housekeeping every day and free parking at the hotel. The tavern has a bistro, a bar and lounge, function rooms and live music. Reviewers often describe the staff as welcoming and helpful, and Westpoint Blacktown is within about a 20-minute walk.