Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - SYD Hotel recommendations

I'll be visiting SYD over Christmas this year.

I've never been before and would appreciate any hotel recommendations. No real budget (willing to spend $$ for the right property). Any locations better than others?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Sydney is full of great hotels costing about AUD250 per night. Many hotels were upgraded for the Olympics and there are almost no bad hotels. Some have a superb view, others have nicer rooms or location. The Four Seasons is a good choice and has the best pool in the city. If you want the very best hotel, it is still the Observatory (expensive but worth it). Otherwise the Westin can be good (but no harbour view). All of the starwood hotels in Sydney are excellent, but so is the Park Hyatt (probably the best PH in the world). You really can't go wrong.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by auggie doggie:
I'll be visiting SYD over Christmas this year.

I've never been before and would appreciate any hotel recommendations. No real budget (willing to spend $$ for the right property). Any locations better than others?

Thanks in advance for your replies.</font>

I've got a feeling that the Hilton should be back in action by Christmas [closed for 12 months for a full refurb].

Otherwise you can't go wrong with the W hotel or the Holiday Inn at The Rocks.

The Hilton won't open before 2004. So that's not an option. I agree that if you are not after a certain chain the Observatory is really the best hotel in town. The rooms are very European and cosy. The only downside of the hotel is the location. It's in the Rocks area but on the other side facing away from the main harbour area. But if you don't mind a 10minute walk or short taxi ride it's a great hotel. I would also rate the Park Hyatt as the top hotel in town but it comes with a slightly higher price tag. If money is no object and you want the best location in town then this is probably your best bet. I like the pool area on the roof (nicely heated in winter and cool in summer with the outdoor spa). Make sure you get a room with Opera view as that is all this location is about. Have a great time...

I found the 4 points good value, in a good location (next to darling harbour, walk to the main city shopping mall, etc). Around A$149 if you call them directly. Rooms are refurbished. If you have SPG Gold or Plat you'll get upgraded to a harbour view room or a suite.

The Westin is nice as well, in a good location, the lounge isn't too bad. Agree re Four Seasons. Observatory (about $295/night on wotif) is a little out of the way. I'm unsure of the quality but you could try the Sir Stamford Circular Quay(formerly the Ritz Carlton - it is on Wotif), the Inter Continental (it's avg), the Park Hyatt has an excellent location. The Shangri-la (formerly ANA) grand harbour view rooms have arguably the best views in Sydney.

Sydfly is right, Hilton definitely won't be open till Mid 2004. Skip their referred hotel of the Grace Hotel. If you are prepared to spend the $$ you can look elsewhere. None of the Marriott properties really caught me as being that great. W hotel is too awkward a place to bother with. Rydges Jamison may be worth considering, it was formerly the Le Meridien.

If you are keen on the older part of sydney - the rocks location and in the heart of it, the four seasons is at the beginning of it, the Holiday Inn Old Sydney (formerly the Parkroyal) is in a good area, don't know whether the rooms are ok and choosing a local Bed & Breakfast in and around the rocks could be an option.

If you want to have the beach at your footsteps, don't look any further than Bondi Beach's Swiss Grand (currently running at $129/night on Wotif).

I've always been intrigued by the "L'Otel' in Darlinghurst, but never stayed there as I live in Sydney, but give it a look at on Wotif.

Their site (but with much higher rates is: http://www.lotel.com.au/room.asp)

Give these sites below a go once you've decided, some good rates there (14 day or less bookings):

http://www.wotif.com
http://www.lastminute.com.au
http://www.needitnow.com.au
http://www.quickbeds.com
http://www.dingoescape.com

The Hyatt is indeed Grand, if not one of the most expensive places to stay.
We could watch the bridge walkers from our room. Costly place to eat too. Really great service. budget $$$$

I've stayed at both the Four Seasons and the Park Hyatt and, while I'm generally a Four Seasons fan, I thought that the Park Hyatt is a better choice in this instance. Two reasons. 1) The Hyatt's views on the harbor side are magnificent. Far superior to the Four Seasons. 2) the Four Seasons (rebranded from Regent) is much larger and has the bustle and feel of a large business hotel. The Hyatt is more intimate.

Neither is a bad choice and colleagues who've stayed at the Westin speak well of it.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kawoh:
I've always been intrigued by the "L'Otel' in Darlinghurst, but never stayed there as I live in Sydney, but give it a look at on Wotif.

Their site (but with much higher rates is: http://www.lotel.com.au/room.asp)
</font>

I've never stayed at L'Otel but I live nearby and often walk past there, and I am always struck by the extraordinarily loud music coming from the bar facing onto Darlinghurst Rd. Unless all the rooms are on the other side of the building, I can't imagine that it would be the most peaceful place to stay...

Other boutique hotels of interest in that neighbourhood are the Kirketon - www.kirketon.com.au (http://www.kirketon.com.au) - and Medusa -www.medusa.com.au - both run by same company but very different in style.

I was really fond of the Intercontinental.

I tend to stay away from the larger name-brand hotels and opt for boutique hotels.

We stayed at the Blacket (http://www.blackethotel.com.au/) in Nov 2002. New, smaller hotel in the middle of the CBD. Service was good. There were 4 of us so we booked the 2-bdrm unit. We were pleasantly surprised that the unit had a full bathroom plus an additional 1/2 bath which was not mentioned on their website.

The new(er) W Hotel (http://www.starwood.csuprisedom/whotels/search/hotel_detail.html?propertyID=1295) at Woolloomooloo Wharf looks very nice but have not stayed there. I was surprised at how nice that area has become since my 1998 visit.

I have stayed at the Park Hyatt and while the views are amazing, I feel it is very over priced.

In general, I try to stay near Hyde Park. Convenient to almost everything and ample transportation during day and evening hours. Easy walk back if you tend to stay out late and enjoy the nightlife on Oxford St.

Eric

[This message has been edited by swflaboy (edited 07-08-2003).]r

[This message has been edited by swflaboy (edited 07-08-2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by swflaboy:
I tend to stay away from the larger name-brand hotels and opt for boutique hotels.
...
The new(er) W Hotel (http://www.starwood.csuprisedom/whotels/search/hotel_detail.html?propertyID=1295) at Woolloomooloo Wharf looks very nice but have not stayed there. I was surprised at how nice that area has become since my 1998 visit.
</font>You would be disappointed by the W. The building is fantastic (reclaimed wool shed) but the hotel room construction is shoddy (much poorer quality than the apartments that are at the other end of the same building). Service is typical W though (whatever, whenever) but the hotel really needs a refurbishing (I stayed in one of their duplex loft suites, and if that was shabby I wonder what the regular rooms are like)? The other Starwood hotels in Sydney have nicer rooms. But the Observatory is still the best for quality.

Any recent reports on the Shangri-La?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Droneklax:
Any recent reports on the Shangri-La?</font>

unsure, this is the old ANA, there are some very very good deals on the moment now with shangrila - check out the latest issue of Inside Flyer.... they are giving away free nights, meals and extra miles, etc... not sure if the shangri-la sydney is part of that promo...

last time i was there was in 2001 and it was very nice, the views are spectacular, the rooms are modern, clean as would be expected of a japanese hotel. i'm not sure if they've made any improvements since then though.

[This message has been edited by kawoh (edited 08-18-2003).]

Have you looked into the Avillion? 4-star service at 3-star rates.

We really LOVED the Park Hyatt. The view of the Opera House and the Harbour is fabulous. They even had fireworks while we were there. You can lie in your bed and open the curtains with the remote control and enjoy the view. The staff couldn't have been nicer.

If anyone wants/needs a Hilton stay, the Grace is acting as the stand-in offering points and miles (yes, they even post!) Best rates seem to be offered through travelweb.com. They upgrade Hilton Golds.

I spent a week at the Sheraton Four Points on Darling Harbour. I missed not having a swimming pool, but other than that, everything was great. I was traveling solo and the hotel staff was great in helping me create an itinerary based on my interests. They even got me 30% off the Harbour Bridge Climb, which was incredible.

The rooms are very modern and trendy and I had a great view.

Very nice stay.

I stayed at the Observatory for a week last August. Loved it! Found some specials on the website: www.orient-express.com (http://www.orient-express.com)
They let us do a combination of specials. Spa package one day; dinner package the next; very accommodating. I emailed their in house reservations a number of times for information before booking through AMEX Platinum (plus we got daily buffet breakfast - delicious - and a room upgrade).

Actually what made me choose the Observatory was the fact that the staff was so helpful and friendly during this pre-booking process. BTW, complimentary session in their Flotation Tank upon arrival for international visitors. I didn't find the location too "out of the way". It's only a few steps to the Rocks. If anything, it's nice & quiet there. (We left for a few days to check out their other property - Lilianfels in the Blue Mountains & then onto the Park Hyatt in Canberra : both very good)

We looked at the Park Hyatt and got the front office to show us a room. FYI If you don't secure an "opera house" view, you may be staring at the wall under the Harbour Bridge. Half of the rooms have this view. My boyfriend wants to stay there next year (mostly for the view) but the Observatory was so great that it would be hard to give up a "known level of service" for an unknown.

Have fun!

Another question - we (myself, wife, and young infant) will be flying SFO - SYD next year and want to spend the day/night in Sydney (to refresh) before heading up north to visit the family.

I would like to be able to check-in on the morning of arrival. What are the best options for this (e.g. a hotel day rental followed by a night...)?

Thanks in advance.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by jprim:
I would like to be able to check-in on the morning of arrival. What are the best options for this (e.g. a hotel day rental followed by a night...)?</font>It depends on the hotel, some will let you check in early (e.g. 10 am) if they happen to have empty rooms ready -- without charging extra. There is a glut of rooms in Sydney post-Olympics which makes this easier, but it is not guaranteed. The only way to have a guaranteed room is to pay for the previous night; I've never found that to be necessary. On my last trip to SYD both the W and the Observatory were able to provide a room early in the morning and with no extra charge. If traveling with your family you might like the Four Points in Sydney.

We landed on a UA flight at 6am last September and were at our hotel, The Quay West by 7am. They let us check in at that time with no hassle or extra charges. We asked ahead of time.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by RK7:
We landed on a UA flight at 6am last September and were at our hotel, The Quay West by 7am. They let us check in at that time with no hassle or extra charges. We asked ahead of time.</font>

RK7 - Thanks for the advice. How was the Quay West?

[This message has been edited by jprim (edited 09-17-2003).]

It was very nice. It's actually what I'd call an apartment-hotel. Public areas are fairly spartan but the rooms are great because you have a separate bedroom and kitchen. It was not too bad a hike down to circular quay but I'd probably stay somewhere a little closer to the water next time. I used http://www.wotif.com/?country=1 to book.

A few posters have mentioned the Four Points as a good hotel choice. How is its location, though?

Is it convenient to most of the attractions in Sydney (without a car)? Is it a good place to use as a base if we choose to rent a car and explore the areas outside the city?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by DCAview:
A few posters have mentioned the Four Points as a good hotel choice. How is its location, though?
Is it convenient to most of the attractions in Sydney (without a car)? Is it a good place to use as a base if we choose to rent a car and explore the areas outside the city?</font>It is ideal for both these things. Darling harbour has a lot of family attractions (aquarium, cinema, museums, shopping, etc.) and this is the closest hotel to it (also with a nice westerly view). And the roads are easy access. Less well positioned to get to the beach or the CBD. Its location is better than average.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by number_6:
Darling harbour has a lot of family attractions (aquarium, cinema, museums, shopping, etc.) and this is the closest hotel to it</font>

Have the Novotel and Ibis disappeared (as hotels)?

Four Points is on the cockle bay side, Novotel, Ibis and Mecure Grand are still very much there and of course Star City Casino Hotel which is up the road in Pyrmont. The Goldsborough (old woolshed building) also has serviced apartments on the novotel/ibis/mecure grand side. And there are other hotels in or around that area - ie novotel opposite the entertainment centre, holiday inn chinatown, crowne plaza.

transferred from the Hyatt board -- in answer to "Best view from a Hyatt":

I am writing this from the Park Sydney (on a Gold Passport stay) -- and in this morning I pushed the little remote control buttons and opened the drapes and the sheers and got a full view of the Opera House without getting out of bed. This is living . . . and a VIEW.