Matt and I were flying from Sydney airport early in the morning so we decided to stay overnight at an airport hotel. We had done that before and I had found the best hotel available and so I thought I would simply book that one again.

I said to Matt “I wish there were hotels at airports that you could open the windows. I like to be able to access the outside world and I’d love to sit outside and watch the planes flying, from the room. A nicer pool and a better restaurant than this one would be good too. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a hotel with verandahs where you could sit outside and it didn’t have so many storeys, that it was more boutique. A hotel that wasn’t on that busy main road to the airport would be nice too. But this one is a nice hotel and I do love they have a shuttle bus and comfy beds.”

I went on-line then and tried to book our usual place but it was all booked out. I thought that was weird. It’s never been totally booked out, it has floors and floors of rooms! It’s a big high rise hotel. I laughed to myself then “IBIS it is”. Then I noticed another place suddenly pop up. The Branksome Hotel and Residences. That was most definitely not there last time I booked I thought. Weird. I looked it up. It was a 5 storey boutique hotel in a leafy suburb just behind the other hotel. Every room had a verandah! Every room! And it was super colourful which I loved. Red, orange and blue outside. Very arty! It also had a huge indoor heated pool and a restaurant with a bigger menu.

So I booked!!

When we got there we realised that our room was facing the runways and we could sit and watch the planes taking off. Even better these were apartments so there was a little kitchen where we could make ourselves a snack to eat as we watched the sunset and the planes do their thing. We arrived as early as checkin would allow so that we could enjoy the room and the facilities. Later we ordered room service from the restaurant downstairs and the food was the best ever. There were all the things I love to eat on the menu and my meal really was delicious. One of those meals you remember as one of the best you’ve ever eaten. I was really laughing by then. How does it get better than this. After that we went up to the roof-top bar which was awesome only being 5 storeys up. You could sit and watch the planes and see the lights of Mascot twinkling. Then we went out for a walk before bed and it really was in a pretty little street full of trees and an amazing cafe coffee shop on the corner. I had manifested super well. 

And of course it had a shuttle bus and a super comfy bed. When you say what you want you really can have it all.