47. Marriott Sydney Harbourside
Marriott Circular Quay
Sydney Australia
3 nights points redemption
Operahouse View Suite Upgrade
We arrived at the Sydney Marriott and were promptly checked-in. The agent noted our Platinum status and was excited to share with us we have been upgraded on the house to a Operahouse view suite for our loyalty with Marriott. Awesome! Not a bad start for our first time in Sydney. We were on the 25th floor and were given lounge access to the concierge lounge on the 30th floor. For our check-in amenity, we selected some toasts, olive oil, and a bottle of wine to be delivered right away for immediate consumption.
We got up to the room and were very impressed with this modern, comfortable space. It was the first time I think I have ever had a room where the bedroom had no windows. This was done to squeeze in the room with an Operahouse view. And it worked fine based on the way they created the suite.
Lobby of the Marriott Circular Quay.
Upgrade city, here we were. Room 2523.
The "living room" of our suite.
The bedroom as taken from the "living room"
The beautiful and comfortable bathroom
Shower pressure was awesome.
The view of the quays, operahouse, and from another angle the bridge were spectacular.
The toasts and wines promptly arrived.
We were bittersweet to be in Sydney. On one hand, this was our last stop on our Trip of a Million Lifetimes. Yes, 10 weeks had elapsed already. Incredible. On the other hand, we were in a beautiful place on a beautiful spring day. An old friend of ours from Atlanta was coming to meet us and take us out and about. And we had the trip home to look forward to of getting back to Charlotte and getting back into our "nest".
Overall the room was excellent. The two big screen TVs were used for watching some American Baseball playoffs and NFL action. We slept like babies in the dark cavern of a bedroom on a very comfortable bed. And we really enjoyed the views from the room of the city on three sides.
Breakfast in the concierge lounge was great. We took advantage of this each day. When we reflected on it, it is amazing the number of high-caliber complimentary breakfasts we enjoyed on this trip. The tab for just this perk on our entire trip easily would be over $2,000 had we not had status with each of the hotels we stayed at.
The juice and cereals at the Marriott Harbourside concierge lounge
The grains were great. I got greedy on it and went with some
pain au chocolat and sticky buns each morning.
There were plenty of sliced meats, cheese, nuts, and other awesome garnishments like fresh mozzerela.
Bacon and eggs per usual.
View of the modern comfortable feel of the lounge.
We also enjoyed the lounge on each night for the evening cocktails and snacks. I had been craving some popcorn and the lounge delivered with a big giant self-service bowl of some salty popped kernels. They had free booze from 5:30PM - 7:30PM which we used for some beers while catching up with our aforementioned American friend.
As we ambled around Sydney we discovered the hotel was in an exceptional location. Right the heart of everything with easy walking or public transit and ferry access to all the outlying areas we wanted to get to. This hotel was a Marriott Category 7 and set us back 35,000 Marriott points per night. With rates easily topping USD500 while we were there, not to mention what our complimentary suite upgrade would cost, we received exceptional value for our 105,000 Marriott points spent on this property.
I couldn't help but share this photo taken from the bathroom of the Sydney Fish Market. It depicts the appropriate toilet usage configuration. I guess some people like to stand on them or just squat next to them on the floor when it's time to do their business. Nevertheless, this had me cracking up!