Accommodation prices in Sydney can certainly be on the pricier side. But when there’s a long weekend? They soar. IKEA is turning the tables on holiday home fees by giving Sydneysiders the ultimate staycation opportunity in a designer residence, without the hefty price tag. Across 3–8 June, guests can spend the night in an architecturally stunning inner Sydney home furnished with some of IKEA’s new PS 2026 collection. The best part? It’s just $19.95 a night.
“A night away in Sydney over a long weekend can easily cost hundreds of dollars, so opening an extraordinary designer home for $19.95 is intentionally disruptive and a big nod to our core values of affordability and cost-consciousness," said Patricia Routledge, Head of Communications at IKEA Australia and New Zealand.
The nightly rate is an homage to the year IKEA PS first launched, 1995.
IKEA are furnishing an architectural home with their new PS 2026 collection.
The collection comprises 43 pieces.
The home
Sydney-based practiceDownie North reimagined a former corner store building into a modernist home in Camperdown, utilising a materials palette of exposed brickwork, burnished concrete floors, timber panelling and hand-painted steel windows. The light-filled home sleeps up to six guests across three bedrooms, making it perfect for a family staycation or a night with friends. There’s plenty of space, with two bathrooms, kitchen, laundry and sunny courtyard with lush plantings.
IKEA’s PS 2026 collection
IKEA’s PS 2026 collection will add bold, Scandi flair to each room, showcasing that you can easily incorporate affordable, practical and stylish design into your own home.
“The IKEA PS 2026 collection delivers that ‘wow, I didn’t see that coming’ moment, something surprising, optimistic, playful and brave, while always staying affordable," said Routledge. “This collection brings playful functionality to life through small, smart ideas that can brighten everyday moments. That’s why we’ve created IKEA Staycation, so people can experience the joy and functionality of the collection in a real-life setting, at an affordable price for so many."
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AI Prompt
The modernist building was conceived by Downie North.
The home features a chic kitchen and dining space.
There are two modern bathrooms onsite.
The home sleeps up to six guests.
Enjoy a relaxed evening in the courtyard.
The 10th iteration of the collection will be available in stores from 4 June and comprises 43 playful, multifunctional designs.Key pieces include a retro inflatable chair, lounge chair that folds out into a bed, hidden-storage furniture, rocking bench and bold textiles and glassware.
The staycation offers a unique chance to stay in a high-end property without the price tag and leave with some fabulous design inspo.
How to book
Bookings open from 9:00am AEST on Wednesday 27 May via IKEA Australia, with bookings strictly limited to one night.
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Rachael Thompson is a freelance travel journalist. With a background in design and travel media, Rachael is dedicated to curating content that is as much informational as it is beautiful. She began her career at Belle magazine, before taking up editorial roles at Homes to Love, Bed Threads and Australian Traveller/International Traveller. When she's not writing, editing or optimising content, Rachael enjoys exploring the city's newest restaurants, bars and hotels. Next on her Aussie travel wish list is Lord Howe Island.
This winter, these secret Sydney harbour suites are the staycation we’ve been looking for.
Whether it’s the crisscrossing ferries or the white sails of the Opera House rising out of blue depths, Australia’s biggest city lives for its harbour. But while locals might glance at that watery expanse on their daily commute across the Bridge, it can still be hard to truly connect with Sydney’s maritime soul. The secret: seeing the harbour eye-to-eye, right at water level. And what better place to submerge yourself in that energy than sleeping there? That’s where Pier One Sydney Harbour comes in (and with new all-inclusive bed and breakfast benefits, there’s even more to love).
All-inclusive VIP benefits
Book in for the all-inclusive VIP treatment.
The hard truth is that it will be very difficult to tear yourself away from your ultra-luxurious harbour home-away-from-home to explore the city. If you want to make leaving even harder, opt for Pier One’s all-inclusive VIP treatment.
The Bed and Breakfast with Suite Benefits package turns up the volume on what is already the ultimate staycation, with complimentary valet parking, daily breakfast for two and turndown service. The biggest perk? Enjoy a bottle of French champagne every day during your whole stay
Pier One Sydney Harbour
Step into a piece of history with all the modern comforts. (Credit: Dave Wheeler)
The five-star Pier One Sydney Harbour is quite literally old Sydney through and through. Built on what was once a working cargo wharf and the passenger terminal for those heading to the North Shore before the bridge was constructed, the heritage building sits right between the tangle of cobblestones, pubs and alleyways of The Rocks and the historic docking zone of Walsh Bay – at the centre of the city’s old sea trade.
If knowing the hotel’s history isn’t enough to get your sea-longing going, the interior design certainly will. As soon as you step up to the concierge desk in the lobby of the restored building – which underwent a $15 million redevelopment in 2019 – you’re immersed in Sydney’s seafaring tale. Weathered wood panelling and white marble floors surround you, while loop lighting installations hover above the bar island just beyond, ringed with stools ready for intimate, martini-tinted conversations. Steel rivets and timber beams speak to its past, and glass-walled views anchor you firmly in the present-day life on the harbour.
Pier One Suites
Enjoy incredible views from your suite.
Across the 189 rooms and suites built on and over the water, the maritime theme continues. Sculptural aged brass fittings, exposed girders, colour schemes that evoke shifting currents, and mirrors that reflect ripples that – depending on your booking – sit just metres from your pillow.
United on theme yet unique in set-up, each room or suite is different. On the ground floor, dog-friendly rooms with direct access to the pier are all prepped for pampered pups, while others have views and even balconies overlooking Walsh Bay, the Bridge and the Harbour.
But the 19 suites step things up even more. Gaze out through floor-to-ceiling windows, or get even closer. Your private balcony is made for sipping a Nespresso coffee on as the sun comes up – or soaking in the bathtub of the Admiral Suite on the deck, a drink from the locally stocked mini bar in hand. This mini bar was recently completely transformed, so you have more Aussie favourites to choose from, including alcohol and snacks.
Dining at Pier One
Settle in for an afternoon of good drinks and views.
Once you’re checked in, start your afternoon with a spritz at PIER BAR – or arrive by boat via the private pontoon if the occasion calls for it – and settle into one of the cabanas. Weekdays bring Happy Hour (or ‘sunset hour’ at Pier One); weekends bring the DJs. After an even sweeter experience? The Everyday Creamery and Matcha Kiosk is slinging mango and vanilla soft serve – classic and those spiked with Midori and gin alike.
PIER Dining is an ode to contemporary Australian flavours across the terrace, pier and dining room. On its seafood-leaning menu are Sydney rock oysters from Merimbula, potato scallops with salmon roe and crème fraîche, chicken with melting sundried tomato butter, vodka rigatoni with Shark Bay prawns. And the ‘Pierlova’ – that’s pavlova with chocolate, dulce de leche and banana is worth saving room for. Make sure to ask for the wine list – it’s 100 per cent Australian drops.
Around town
Explore the neighbourhood during your stay. (Credit: Destination NSW)
If you’re strong enough to polish off just one last pastry from the breakfast buffet and walk out the door, we applaud you. Luna Park across the harbour beckons with its wide grin, while a glance upward might spur you to climb the Bridge’s famous iron arches. The Opera House – just across Circular Quay from the Museum of Contemporary Art – sings out for a concert.
You’ll want to book ahead for those hot-ticket performances at Sydney Theatre Company and Sydney Dance Company, just a few minutes’ walk south of the hotel. Ten minutes further brings you to the waterfront bars, restaurants and clubs of Barangaroo, or the karaoke, gardens and dim sum of Chinatown further afield.
Keep the mellow of your weekend getaway going with a stop at Barangaroo Reserve, watching the yachts go by – all before returning for that Sydney sundowner at Pier One.
