The first thing that hits me when I get to the ADGE hotel is the riot of colour. She’s no shrinking violet, and I love that about her. The chairs in the lobby are arranged around low tables with draping plants on shelves and towering cacti. It’s modern but not in that cold and severe way we see all the time now. It’s clear that someone had a lot of fun decking this one out.

I’ve driven here and parked in the subterranean garage ($60 overnight rate), but it’s an easily walkable location from Central and a quick bus stop situation if you want an even shorter jaunt. Check-in is easy and efficient, and even the journey up from the car park is a joy, with a giant dragon keeping me company on the lift before depositing me onto oversized terrazzo-flecked floors beneath soaring ceilings.

After a speedy check-in, popping up to the room (there are 245 of them) is an exercise in colour theory. The vividly hued walls lead to hallways that feature brass lamps lighting the room’s number and providing a bit of sophistication to the zeal. My King Room, number 901, is a compact 28m² with kaleidoscopic carpets that swirl their way past large windows with scads of natural light. The toilet is less of a ‘room’ than it is a separate pod with a sink and shower enclosed in a tangerine-tinted capsule. There’s a TV, a Nespresso-style coffee machine, a cherry red Smeg mini-fridge and, of course, that big comfy bed. If you want a workspace, be sure and ask for it, as not all rooms include one – mine didn’t.

You’ll find all the amenities that are important to most working travellers; free Wi-Fi, concierge and laundry service, as well as robes in the room and a dining facility, Soul Deli (not affiliated with the hotel) onsite. If you decide to give it a go, and I suggest you definitely do, order the Jeju green mandarin tea and the outstanding Korean Chicken Porridge – both are absolutely chefs-kiss. It’s open from 7 am to 3 pm, so get there for breakfast or lunch.

It’s a bit off the beaten path this one, and you know what that means, right? Less crowds, less noise and more of the stuff we all love, like personality and (dare I say?) … charm. Even so, the location scores a perfect 100 on the public transport index and puts you at the doorstep of 250 dining options within half a kilometre of the hotel’s front door. It’s also scored a 2023 Travellers Choice Award on TripAdvisor and is rated within the top 5% of value hotels in Surry Hills. If you’re travelling with a group, or just want to treat yo’self, book the light-drenched two-bedroom residence or the two-bedroom loft and make a weekend of it. Rooms start at a very reasonable $199, with the larger residences at $499. There are also wheelchair-accessible rooms, which we consider a must.

Adge Hotel + Residences 212 Riley Street, Surry Hills, NSW +61 2 8093 9888 https://adgehotel.com.au/

Ivy was a guest of ADGE Hotel + Residences, but all opinions remain her own.