Make a meal of it

Did you know that on York Street between Wynyard and the Queen Victoria Building there are 24 places where you can buy a cup of coffee? To paraphrase that droll New Zealand-born comedian, John Clarke, if you work on York Street and don't sell coffee then clearly you are being a fool to yourself and a menace to society. UGG Classic ShortWith such an excess of coffee and breakfast eateries it is hardly surprising that The York by Swiss-Belhotel does not offer breakfast, although in most of its 120 apartments the cooking facilities are so comprehensive you could feed half the commuters at Wynyard Station. In my apartment there's a dining table with four chairs, a substantial kitchenette with full-sized refrigerator, hotplate, microwave oven, dishwasher and plenty of crockery and cutlery.As luck would have it, as I was checking the cheap rates for The York by Swiss-Belhotel on wotif.com several months ago, I found, with digital flames leaping from the prices, deluxe one-bedroom apartments for the "ridiculous rate" of $170 a night with free parking thrown in. Not bad for accommodation for two in a roomy one-bedroom apartment where you can gaze down on the traffic roaring across the Harbour Bridge and enjoy views north across the bridge. Ugg Boots SaleThe apartment's lounge area is spacious and comfortable; the bathroom, while not large, is elegant and includes a bath and shower as well as a state-of-the-art basin and mirror; the bedroom, separated from the lounge and kitchenette, is big and the queen-sized bed is comfortable. The designers, perhaps under the influence of Ken Done, have painted the feature wall in the lounge room and the main wall in the bedroom a blindingly bright Sydney yellow and there is enough attention to detail to make this feel like a place designed for relaxation.Its location is hard to fault - only a short walk to George Street, and The Rocks and Circular Quay are about 10 minutes' walk away. Access to Sydney transport - the railway at Wynyard Station and the bus termini at Wynyard and Town Hall - is only a few minutes away. UGG Ultra ShortAdd to that the proximity of good Japanese restaurants - the Sagano is downstairs and provides a "room service menu" - and a number of nearby restaurants listed in the Good Food Guide make this is an ideal location for committed foodies.You could stay for a week and dine out in style without ever having to walk for more than 10 minutes. The fact that the meal might cost more than the accommodation should give rise to nothing more than a wry grin.But the real appeal of the location is in its proximity to the harbour. When I stay in Sydney and have a few spare hours I head to Circular Quay with no aim other than to hop on a ferry and mooch around the harbour. UGG Classic Mini 5854 Take the ferry to Cremorne Point and follow the superb harbourside walk around Shell Cove and Mosman Bay and the old Athol ferry to Taronga Zoo. The walks to Sirius Cove and Bradleys Head from the wharf at the zoo are some of the most tranquil retreats on the northern shore of the harbour.Easy access to the harbour and the city's finest restaurants makes The York by Swiss-Belhotel well-priced and rewarding for a weekend break.