Accommodation Options for the George Rude Seminar

Delegates to the conference are expected to make their own accommodation arrangements. There are a number of hotel bookings sites serving Australia, including Trivago (opens in a new window).

Before doing so, however, we advise you to read the following. It could save you a great deal of money.

We are advising conference delegates to book as early as possible if you wish to stay cheaply in Parramatta in the week of the conference.

Parramatta has many accommodation options in or near the central business district, although most are 2-3 kms from the conference venue at Parramatta South Campus in Rydalmere. Hotels are well served by bus links, and buses and trains to the campus can also be found at the Parramatta train interchange.  

The conference clashes with a major sporting event (State of Origin) the major hotels in Parramatta are charging over $400 for the night of 13 July. Rooms are booking up fast, even at these rates, and the major chains we contacted will not budge on price. 

Fortunately there are much cheaper options still available – and these tend to be also the most convenient - but we advise you book them as soon as possible as places are limited.

The budget, on campus option

There is now (enfin!) reasonably priced accommodation available on campus at the Western Sydney University Village on Victoria Road on the Parramatta North Campus. 

Details and booking facilities are at: 

Western Sydney Village - Short Stay (opens in a new window)

Single rooms will be at rates ranging from about $A 60-$A 75 per night (there are discounts on stays of three nights and more); Doubles are in the range of $A 80-90.

Bookings can be made online at this site, or alternatively by phone +61.(0)2.876.00012. If ringing from outside Australia you need to leave out the (0). Staff advise me that online bookings are preferred, so that guests can double-check the correct details of their stay have been registered.

At the time we made contact with university village staff, they had around 40 rooms available across the period 10-18 July, of which about 16 were twins and the others single.

Assuming everyone we are expecting from out of town, other than our keynotes, wants a convenient budget room, this makes about one room per delegate, but we advise you to act fast because rooms for rent at the university village are available to the general public.

Each room forms part of a six-bedroom apartment suite comprising six bedrooms, two bathrooms and  a living area (with cooking facilities). Breakfast is available on site for $7.50 per head. Each bedroom has its own key. Linen and towels are provided.

They have also indicated that if you indicate on your booking form that you are 'with the George Rudé Seminar and would like to be accommodated with other conference delegates', they will try to ensure that the other guests in your 'apartment' are also attending the conference, so this should make for a convivial atmosphere. 

Please feel free to reconfirm all these details with Western Sydney University Village staff.

They have also indicated that Western Sydney University students do not stay in the same hostels as short term visitors. The Australian Association for Literary Studies holds it conference on 11-13 July, so it is also possible that those of you arriving early or for Digitizing Enlightenment may briefly get to share with some of them.

The conference venue is about 10 minutes walk or a short shuttle bus ride away on the south campus on the other side of Victoria Road.

This is also the closest accommodation to the conference venue, and the cheapest available in Parramatta listed on Trivago.

For a map of the campuses, please go to Parramatta North campus (opens in a new window). The large group of unlabeled buildings on Parramatta north campus are (I believe) the University Village and the blue line the Shuttle Bus Route.

Obviously this accommodation will not suit everybody, but I know that most academics love a bargain and have seen the insides of a fair few uni hostels.

Hotels

BUT for those wanting hotel accommodation, we have found that the best, on both price and proximity, is:

Parramatta Waldorf apartments (opens in a new window) at 110-114 James Ruse Drive, Rosehill, has offered us a special rate of $165 per night for the week of the conference. Please quote code GRS16.

The hotel is served by buses and trains (from Rosehill to Rydalmere is two stops on the Carlingford line), but the latter are infrequent, sometimes only hourly.

[NB take care not to confuse the Parramatta Waldorf Apartments with the North Parramatta Waldorf, which is several kilometres further away]. 

We look forward to your feedback on hotels, as we have other conferences to organise soon.