Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Sydney Hotel for Honeymoon

Taking a page from the Australia Honeymoon thread, I have a related question for those of you who know. We are taking our honeymoon in Australia and arriving (from SFO) on May 31st.

I have been browsing the guidebooks and travel websites, and thought I would ask for recommendations for a hotel in Sydney. This will be the first trip to Sydney for both of us, and although we haven't decided how many days to spend in the city (we leave for the States on June 12th), I would be very interested in hearing what you recommend for two honeymooners who will be stumbling, happy but bleary eyed, off of a plane in three months.

Thanks!!!

Danski

What's your budget? There's a number of hotels in Sydney with wonderfully romantic views, but most of them aren't exactly cheap.

If you have the coin, you can't beat the Observatory Hotel.

If you have the coin, you can't beat the Observatory Hotel.

Second the motion! The Observatory!

If you want something pleasant and economical ( but not fancy or with restaurants on premises), try the Darling Harbour Holiday Inn. Next to China Town, near the Paddy's Market.. easy access to the Darling Harbour scene with its restaurants and tourist attractions.

If you are into "gaming" and maybe want to catch a show... Star City is the place to be. ( Hint: mention you are on your honeymoon when you arrive, and that it's your first visit to Sydney ). And it also is very accessible to the Darling Harbour waterfront. ( The Rocks and Opera House are a bit of a ways ).

Renting a car? Some interesting places up in the Hunter Valley and up north, but I've never been there in Winter so not sure about what's all open.

Want to get away from the city a bit? Head to Katoomba and Lillianfels. Now that's a Winter Wonderland!

Congratulations... and have a blast!

For half the price of the Observatory you can stay at the Westin and get tub with a window, separate shower with rainforest showerhead, etc. ... quite nice for a honeymoon (and these are the regular rooms). The Westin is a superb hotel, but does not have a view of Sydney harbour (somehow that view might be a slightly lower priority for a honeymoon). If you really must have the view, the Park Hyatt is generally considered to be the best option (but might not be cheaper than the Observatory, and the Observatory is probably the best hotel in the Southern Hemisphere). Personally I'd pick the Westin, but you can't go wrong as Sydney is full of great hotels (a legacy of the Olympics which required plenty of high-end rooms as a condition for hosting the games).

Thank you for all of your suggestions and comments. As for budget, I am working on our budget for the trip right now. We will basically have one "lump sum" to spend on the trip, so $x more spent in one place means $x less spent in another. Although the trip isn't in the "money is no object" category, we definitely want to make sure we have a great time on this once in a lifetime trip.

The Observatory looks beautiful, I haven't looked at the website for the Westin yet. I have a feeling the hotel choice may be the hardest for the trip. As we travel north from Sydney later in the trip, we will probably have less choice, so I am interested in having a luxurious stay in Sydney for us.

Sydney Harbour Marriott is a 5* on priceline. (Save your $ for dinners and side trips). Check out the reviews for it via trip advisor and check out biddingfortravel for its latest going rates. Can't beat the location. Also wotif.com.au for "last minute" bookings. No bridge / opera house views from the observatory - if that's your thing.

North from Sydney, go the Hunter Valley. If in winter, the ideal place to stay is Tallawanta Lodge, in the Hunter Valley Gardens complex.

Great open fireplaces, chesterfield leather in the lounges, and one of the few decent Italian restaurants on the planet - Lazzarinis.

(I say few decent as I am spoiled....no, ruined with Italian cooking at home - so there aren't many commercial places that come up to scratch).


Easy access to the Vineyard areas, PM me for some more details on those along with your dates of visit, etc.


As for the hotel - I've stayed at all of those mentioned above, and still support The Observatory, particularly for 'romantic' atmosphere on a Honeymoon.

Thank you all for your helpful replies and suggestions. I have a question for you Aussies (and those non-Aussies who know) on timing.

I'm trying to plan the basics of how much time we're going to spend in each place. We arrive in Sydney from SFO early in the morning. Right now I have us in Sydney for that day, plus three full days after that.

That leaves us with 8 full days to spend on the east coast (I think we would like to head up to the Brisbane, Cairns/Townsville/ and/or Port Douglas areas). Is that enough time to get a flavor of Sydney?

Any suggestions for further north? We would like to see the Whitsundays, and get a taste of the reef from one of the northern "jumping off" points (Cairns or Port Douglas).

Danski

Thank you all for your helpful replies and suggestions. I have a question for you Aussies (and those non-Aussies who know) on timing.

I'm trying to plan the basics of how much time we're going to spend in each place. We arrive in Sydney from SFO early in the morning. Right now I have us in Sydney for that day, plus three full days after that.

That leaves us with 8 full days to spend on the east coast (I think we would like to head up to the Brisbane, Cairns/Townsville/ and/or Port Douglas areas). Is that enough time to get a flavor of Sydney?

Any suggestions for further north? We would like to see the Whitsundays, and get a taste of the reef from one of the northern "jumping off" points (Cairns or Port Douglas).

Danski

If budget is no option, stay at the Park Hyatt....absolutely fantastic.

And definitely do not miss the Whitsundays, esp Whitehaven Beach. Absolute best beach I have ever seen in my lifetime. If you have time, do a 3d 2n cruise around the islands. 3 days is more than enough in Sydney to see the highlights (Taronga/Opera House/Botanical Gardens/Bondi/Manly).

Have a great trip.

That leaves us with 8 full days to spend on the east coast (I think we would like to head up to the Brisbane, Cairns/Townsville/ and/or Port Douglas areas). Is that enough time to get a flavor of Sydney?

Any suggestions for further north? We would like to see the Whitsundays, and get a taste of the reef from one of the northern "jumping off" points (Cairns or Port Douglas).

Danski

Forget Port Douglas, it's a dump. Distinctly over-rated (along with the Mirage resort there - seen much better days).

For a Honeymoon in the Whitsundays, you can't beat the Beach Club @ Hamilton Island (worked for us). Easy access to the reef, that big white beach, etc on day tours. Great couples-only venue with access to all the facilities on the Island that are enjoyed by the unwashed.

About a 1.5hr flight from BNE, allow an extra hour or so from SYD.

http://www.hamiltonisland.com.au/default.asp?action=article&ID=3

For half the price of the Observatory you can stay at the Westin and get tub with a window, separate shower with rainforest showerhead, etc. ... quite nice for a honeymoon (and these are the regular rooms). The Westin is a superb hotel, but does not have a view of Sydney harbour (somehow that view might be a slightly lower priority for a honeymoon). If you really must have the view, the Park Hyatt is generally considered to be the best option (but might not be cheaper than the Observatory, and the Observatory is probably the best hotel in the Southern Hemisphere). Personally I'd pick the Westin, but you can't go wrong as Sydney is full of great hotels (a legacy of the Olympics which required plenty of high-end rooms as a condition for hosting the games).
I have to suggest the Westin as well or the Shangri-La (ex ANA). Thumbs down on the Observatory- my two recent stays there were WAY downhill. Enjoy your honeymoon- no matter which hotel you choose make sure you send them a FAX advising it is your honeymoon- you will probably be well taken care of.

Congratulations, whayever you do will be a blast !

The missus and I spent 3 weeks on the east coast on our honeymoon last September and could have spent much longer ! We did Melbourne, Sydney, Hamilton Island and Port Douglas. By far the highlight was Hamilton Island.

We booked in the UK through Trailfinders, and on booked the cheapest accomodation on Hamilton which was a pool view cabin. This turned out to be the best choice as it was quiet and secluded but within easy walking distance of everything. If you want a quiet getaway then this is just perfect. Flights arent that expensive (Jetstar).

In Port Douglas we stayed in the Radisson treetops which again was fun but a little out of town. Plenty of access to the reef, and you dont need to get up as early as if you were in Cairns (which was important to us !)

Sydney we stayed in the Crown Plaza Darling Harbour which was fine but was pretty much the only hotel that didn't give us an upgrade for our honeymoon !

Darling Harbour is great, lots of good food and easy access to the rest of the city. There are quite a few hotels that looked great round there.

Feel free to ask any qns.

I'd recommend the Old Sydney Holiday Inn. Nice, modern hotel and an excellent location in "the Rocks", the original part of Sydney. Close to the Opera House, Circular Quay and many nice restaurants and the rooftop pool and hot-tub have outstanding views of the Bridge and Harbour. There is also a craft market right outside the door on weekends. If you go, make sure to request a room with an Opera House view...

x-g

We enjoyed 4 nights at the Sydney Harbour Marriott. Not the most glamorous or deluxe hotel, but great location and we had an opera house view.

The hotel is on priceline, but we got an even better deal booking online with the Entertainment Book Rate (code: NPR) and using 2 Marriott Premium Pounds (similar to bonus bucks).

Thank you all for your helpful replies and suggestions. I have a question for you Aussies (and those non-Aussies who know) on timing.

I'm trying to plan the basics of how much time we're going to spend in each place. We arrive in Sydney from SFO early in the morning. Right now I have us in Sydney for that day, plus three full days after that.

That leaves us with 8 full days to spend on the east coast (I think we would like to head up to the Brisbane, Cairns/Townsville/ and/or Port Douglas areas). Is that enough time to get a flavor of Sydney?

Any suggestions for further north? We would like to see the Whitsundays, and get a taste of the reef from one of the northern "jumping off" points (Cairns or Port Douglas).

Danski

Actually I would recommend Palm Cove. (Fly into Cairns for any of the three). We found the Outrigger Palm Cove to be quite nice. We booked on wotif.com.au

If money is no object think about the islands: http://www.voyages.com.au/experiences/great-barrier-reef/

Cairns is backpaker heaven imho

Thank you again for all of your suggestions. Building on what I've heard and read (in some of the guidebooks, as well as here), we're looking at about:

3 Full days in Sydney (not counting the day of our 6a.m. arrival)
3 Days in the Cairns/Palm Cove area, including the beaches, the reef, the Kuranda Skyway and the surrounding wilderness area
3 Days in the Whitsundays (perhaps at the Hamilton Island Beach Club)

This is my fiancee's first trip to Australia, and my first trip to the east of Australia (a few years ago I was in Perth, and went northward to Port Headland and Broome).

Any suggestions or comments for or against the above itinerary? Any tips on something to add or subtract? None of the internal flights or hotels have been booked, but I am getting ready to start booking, but am still very flexible on what we see and where we go.

Danski

If you don't mind a bit of uncertainty (you can only book 28 days in advance), the rooms at the Observatory go as low as $255 on wotif.com, and are rarely more than $309, below the Westin and Sheraton.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/results.cfm?cat=hotelsaunzsp lists the best hotels in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific. The Four Seasons and Observatory, respectively, are the top two in Sydney, at #3 and #4 in the region. The Four Seasons is your typical, large, skyscraper hotel, while the Observatory is a boutique hotel. I'd chose the Observatory.

The Conde Nast Gold list (http://www.cntraveller.com/GoldList/2006/) of the top 108 hotels in the world includes a remarkable 7 hotels in Sydney: Swisshotel Sydney, Four Seasons Sydney, the Observatory Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel Sydney, Park Hyatt Sydney, and the Intercontinental Sydney, and the Establishment. Lilianfels in the Blue Mountains also made the cut. W Sydney, now BLUE Sydney, made the list last year, but didn't return this year.

The Establishment Hotel in Sydney is an interesting choice, particularly if you like places that are a bit trendier and great food. http://www.merivale.com/establishment/hotel

If you're into the beach scene (though it will be on the cold side in May), Ravesis in Bondi might be a good option too. Like the Establishment, Ravesis is on the trendier side, so it may not be your cup of tea. http://www.ravesis.com.au/page/stay.html

-Merrick

I know Clinton stayed at Stamford Plaza Double Bay a few years ago when he visited Sydney.

But as they say, Double Bay = Double Pay.

We really enjoyed our stay at the Hyatt. It is a very grand place. The price is high, as is the cost of food, drinks and everything else. The service was excellent. We were on "points, and Diamond" so the cost and breakfast was on a point, not dollar cost. Several activities are nearby, as are dinning options. We had a nice view of the bridge and those willing to take the night bridge walk. There are a number of less expensive, but nice options in Sydney, but it is an expensive lodging city versus what you likely face on the West coast!

It is easy to spend all the 11 days in Sydney, however a flight up to Cairns for a couple of days, a visit to the reef and a couple day tours seem a good compromise. Future trips, often start in Sydney so you can pick up what you miss another time. As for all the islands, well there is a lot to chose from for "drop-outs" with some cash to spend. Maybe that would be appropriate for a honeymoon?

Also think about the weather.

This would be my order, price aside:

1. Observatory
2. Park Hyatt
3. Four Seasons
4. Intercontinental
5. Westin

Port Douglas is definitely worth doing, but definitely depends on time of year. The Sheraton Mirage may need some serious investment of $$ to bring it up to par, but there are plenty of other places to stay! How 'bout the Thala Beach Lodge, though it isn't walkable into town by any stretch. Quaint town, lots of pretty good restaurants. Most famous is Nautilus, quite pricey, I'm a bit fan of On the Inlet.

I second the suggestion for Palm Cove - we stayed there last August at the Sebel Reef House which I can recommend.

Thank you again for all of your suggestions. Building on what I've heard and read (in some of the guidebooks, as well as here), we're looking at about:

3 Full days in Sydney (not counting the day of our 6a.m. arrival)
3 Days in the Cairns/Palm Cove area, including the beaches, the reef, the Kuranda Skyway and the surrounding wilderness area
3 Days in the Whitsundays (perhaps at the Hamilton Island Beach Club)

This is my fiancee's first trip to Australia, and my first trip to the east of Australia (a few years ago I was in Perth, and went northward to Port Headland and Broome).

Any suggestions or comments for or against the above itinerary? Any tips on something to add or subtract? None of the internal flights or hotels have been booked, but I am getting ready to start booking, but am still very flexible on what we see and where we go.

Danski

I think you have a good itinerary for 9 days as above. Sydney is like many other large cities, and although there is much to see, your first 3 plus days visit will give you a good overview of the place. If you have time don't forget http://www.bridgeclimb.com/sydney/ which is great, and there are many other things to do which I assume you would have researched.

If you looking for FF points with AA then you will probably go for QF internal flights, but if not, consider www.virginblue.com.au as they have deals for an hour each day (about midday - Sydney time) and some of the savings on DJ are great. e.g. I am going SYD to Gold Coast in May for AUD$102 return. However, DJ stop in Brisbane if going to Cairns and I understand QF fly direct so you might want to minimise your airport time. Be warned that Jetstar don't have booked seating, so you line up and its first on, first seated.

I agree with others that Port Douglas is okay to visit, but don't stay there, but I highly recommend Hamilton Island, it is very relaxing, and you can easily access the reef direct from the island. You might consider flying direct to Hamilton Island and flying out of Cairns. I do not like staying in Cairns, but love the Palm Cove area, walking along the cobble stone roads, heaps of nice restaurants etc.

It wouldn't matter what you did because its your honeymoon, and I'm sure you would make sure everything was great. Have a great holiday.

If you have time don't forget http://www.bridgeclimb.com/sydney/ which is great, and there are many other things to do which I assume you would have researched.



I have to highly disagree. The views are fine, but the whole experience is a tourist trap.

While somewhat concerned that the heights might get to me and my finacee, it was actually boring and it was ridiculously expensive.

Your time is much better spent imho by getting an all day ferry pass and just hoping on one and seing where it takes you. Sit back and enjoy the trip.

The bridgeclimb is a racket and not worth it.

For the same views for just $8.50 AUD just go up the pylon lookout.

http://www.pylonlookout.com.au/Visitor_frs.htm

I have to highly disagree. The views are fine, but the whole experience is a tourist trap.

While somewhat concerned that the heights might get to me and my finacee, it was actually boring and it was ridiculously expensive.

Your time is much better spent imho by getting an all day ferry pass and just hoping on one and seing where it takes you. Sit back and enjoy the trip.

The bridgeclimb is a racket and not worth it.

For the same views for just $8.50 AUD just go up the pylon lookout.

http://www.pylonlookout.com.au/Visitor_frs.htm

I second that. Bridgeclimb is a waste of $$$. Pay the $8 bucks and go to the pylon, and save your money for a splurge on a nice dinner!

For a little more romantic setting away from the city, yet very close - take a look at Manly Beach which is just accross the harbour. Downtown Sydney is easily reached by either old fashioned ferryboat or the newer jetfoil.

the Manly Beach Hotel which is right on the water is wonderfully situated if not 5* in opulance. Manly is like a small Scottish town, fish & chip places, etc. Great Beach, good seafood, and you can be downtown in 30 minutes by ferry.
Check it out.................bb

For a little more romantic setting away from the city, yet very close - take a look at Manly Beach which is just accross the harbour. Downtown Sydney is easily reached by either old fashioned ferryboat or the newer jetfoil.

the Manly Beach Hotel which is right on the water is wonderfully situated if not 5* in opulance. Manly is like a small Scottish town, fish & chip places, etc. Great Beach, good seafood, and you can be downtown in 30 minutes by ferry.
Check it out.................bb


Manly's great. Take the slow commuter ferry there and back. Take the bus to the spit bridge and walk/hike/bushwalk there.

Please disregard, posted some thoughts in the wrong forum.

Is there a generally regarded "best way" to get from SYD to the downtown hotels (this will be with several pieces of luggage)?

Danski

Taxi - don't even think about the train route.

As for buses, that means dealing with bus people. No thanks!

last time i was there, i stayed at holiday inn coogee bech. i think it is now a crown plaza. nice hotel across the street from the ocean. get a room with balcony overlooking beach and ocean. there is an office at syd airport where you can buy city bus passes. they also offer good bargains on hotels. sometimes, you can get really good deals on this hotel. this hotel is on a bus route that drops you off at circular quay. bus pass is best way to see sydney. this hotel did have a shuttle bus to airport. you can thank me later. and congratulations.

There are a half-dozen hotels located on Sydney beaches. Staying there is a very different experience from staying near the CBD. Being across the street from a beach has its good points (in fact on my last trip to Sydney I got a day room at the beach despite staying at the W). It does take an hour or two to get from the beaches to other interesting parts of Sydney (which is fun the first couple of times you make the trip, but would be boring to do every day). I guess there is a good reason that there aren't very many hotels located on the beach in Sydney.

I second this. for location the Park hyatt is probably one of the best in the world, but expect to pay through the nose.

If budget is no option, stay at the Park Hyatt....absolutely fantastic.

to me, it is the beaches that make sydney such a special place.