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Four Points (Darling Harbour), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia [Master Thread]

Four Points (Darling Harbour), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia [Master Thread]

Old Jun 8, 2006, 11:08 am
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by upup&away
Depends on what you consider a short walk, but IMHO it is a very LOOONG walk from Manly to the Atlantic Ocean. A walk to the Pacific Ocean on the other hand is quite short from the Manly ferry terminal.
Well spotted!
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Old Jun 8, 2006, 7:55 pm
  #17  
 
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You're point is taken, though I thought Manly was the town that you walked through to get to the beach from the ferry..

There is also a nice walk along the coast line from Bondi Beach to Cogee... It's a few miles and takes an hour or two. Plenty of ups and downs, some loose terrain, but not bad overall if you're up for these types of things...
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Old Jun 9, 2006, 6:59 am
  #18  
 
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[QUOTE=DZMAN]You're point is taken, though I thought Manly was the town that you walked through to get to the beach from the ferry..

Yes indeed, you walk thru Manly from the ferry terminal, most likely on the shop and cafe strip "The Corso", to reach the beach on the east side
of town.
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Old Jun 9, 2006, 9:30 am
  #19  
 
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Whenever we need to stay in Sydney we stay at there. We were even able
to get two rooms for New Years Eve for 3,000 points each. As a gold we've been upgraded to either a harborview or a balcony harborview.

Also we've had good luck with early check-in.

There's a food court at the Darling Harbour shopping center within walking
distance as well as lots of other restaurants.

My wife would go to Sydney just for the ferry ride to Manly. We have a time
share there and she loves to go back and forth to the city.
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Old Jun 9, 2006, 11:59 am
  #20  
 
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only Gold upgrade I ever got...

was 4pts Darling Harbour. Nice view too!

Decent hotel, upscale compared to many North American 4pts, imho

Darling harbour is great, and most destinations, Manly, etc, are walking distance - I find a good walkabout after a long light and then a snooze really helps the jetlag.

Have fun!
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Old Jun 9, 2006, 12:04 pm
  #21  
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Originally Posted by Christian
and most destinations, Manly, etc, are walking distance
You cant walk to Manly from the 4P SYD. You can either take the ferry from Circular Quay or drive up there
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Old Jul 13, 2006, 5:20 pm
  #22  
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Sometimes the 4Pts is cheap and sometimes it is expensive (almost the same price as the Wesin!); seems to vary a lot by specific date. At half the price of the Westin it is worth considering, esp. for those who are platinum. The 4Pts was built as a Nikko and has the japanese room sizing -- a dozen different room sizes and the smallest is half the size of the largest (unlike most hotels where the rooms are similar in size). An unupgraded lowest category room in the 4Pts will be very small and with a grim view; while the best of the Plat upgrade suites are 5x the size and have a fine view of Darling Harbour.
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Old Jul 13, 2006, 7:42 pm
  #23  
 
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4 Points

At the 4Pts, I have always been upgraded to a junior suite because of Plat status.

But when I was staying there as mere Gold, they gave me one of the small rooms.

The 4Pts is 2 minute walk to the Monorail station.
kelakwek is offline  
Old Aug 15, 2006, 12:50 am
  #24  
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The nearest station to the hotel would be St. James Station if I take public transportation from the airport?

I do not mind to walk some metres.
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Old Sep 23, 2006, 5:42 am
  #25  
 
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Currently staying at the Four Points, and although I haven't stayed at the other ones, I would stay at the Four Points again! I love the rooms, and it's fairly close to mass transit and good food
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Old Oct 9, 2006, 3:16 pm
  #26  
 
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Four Points Sydney - an unpleasant stay

I just returned from a one night stay at the Four Points in Sydney and it was a very bad experience.

I had e-mailed the hotel in advance that I would like to be accomodated upon my 11AM arrival as my wife and I had taken an overnight flight. Obviously, I shouldn't expect a room to be given to me unless one was available. When I checked in at the front desk, I was incorrectly recognized as an SPG Gold (I am actually Platinum) and was told that no rooms would be available until 3 pm. When I asked "are you certain there aren't any rooms available in the entire hotel?", the woman said, "come back in an hour or two".

After sitting down for a couple minutes, I decided to stand on line once again and check in with a different agent. He was able to accomodate me immediately and explained that there was plenty of availability. He only granted me a Gold upgrade and upon arriving in the room, we noticed that the room was extremely worn down and small.

After calling reception again, the operator arranged for reservations to call SPG directly to confirm my Platinum status. Finally, around 1PM, I was given a proper room. I have stayed at numerous Starwood hotels, and this stay was by far the worst. I was not given a Platinum amenity or even an apology for this terrible lapse in service.

In retrospect, we should have stayed at a Sydney airport hotel since we had a flight the next morning. However, I assumed that we would be treated better at this hotel.

I completely understand that the Four Points Sydney usually takes care of its Plats (suites are usually automatic), but I needed to share this instance.
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Old Oct 9, 2006, 3:39 pm
  #27  
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It is a quirk of Starwood's reservation system that your status at the time th reservation is made is sent to the hotel, and not your status at the time of stay. Of course this works to your advantage when your status drops. Also some hotels have their own computer system which records your status from your last stay at that hotel (even if years ago) and uses that instead of the SPG status. Very quaint system.

The Sydney 4PTs was built as a Nikko, in the japanese hotel style. This means there are a dozen different sizes of rooms (to fit the Japanese social hierarchy), and half the rooms are pretty awful. The smallest room is 1/4 the size of the largest room, a size range that is rare at other Starwood hotels. Plats normally benefit from this, getting the nice and large rooms, while those with no status find this hotel to be far less nice.

If it is any consolation, all of the hotels near SYD airport are pretty awful (and very over-priced), so you probably were better off.
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Old Oct 9, 2006, 3:43 pm
  #28  
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Originally Posted by nymets
I just returned from a one night stay at the Four Points in Sydney and it was a very bad experience.

I had e-mailed the hotel in advance that I would like to be accomodated upon my 11AM arrival as my wife and I had taken an overnight flight. Obviously, I shouldn't expect a room to be given to me unless one was available. When I checked in at the front desk, I was incorrectly recognized as an SPG Gold (I am actually Platinum) and was told that no rooms would be available until 3 pm. When I asked "are you certain there aren't any rooms available in the entire hotel?", the woman said, "come back in an hour or two".

After sitting down for a couple minutes, I decided to stand on line once again and check in with a different agent. He was able to accomodate me immediately and explained that there was plenty of availability. He only granted me a Gold upgrade and upon arriving in the room, we noticed that the room was extremely worn down and small.

After calling reception again, the operator arranged for reservations to call SPG directly to confirm my Platinum status. Finally, around 1PM, I was given a proper room. I have stayed at numerous Starwood hotels, and this stay was by far the worst. I was not given a Platinum amenity or even an apology for this terrible lapse in service.

In retrospect, we should have stayed at a Sydney airport hotel since we had a flight the next morning. However, I assumed that we would be treated better at this hotel.

I completely understand that the Four Points Sydney usually takes care of its Plats (suites are usually automatic), but I needed to share this instance.
I'm confused - what was so terrible about this stay? Usual check-in is 3 PM for most hotels and you had a room provided at 11 AM. Suites are not automatic btw - the T&C is the next best room available.

Did you ask what the Plat amenity is at the property? I'm sorry, from your posting I don't see what the "terrible lapse in service" actually was.
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Old Oct 9, 2006, 7:13 pm
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by number_6

If it is any consolation, all of the hotels near SYD airport are pretty awful (and very over-priced), so you probably were better off.

That actually is good for my peace of mind I have heard great things about Plat treatment at this hotel. Too bad their computers weren't updated!
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Old Oct 9, 2006, 7:26 pm
  #30  
 
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Originally Posted by ldsant
I'm confused - what was so terrible about this stay? Usual check-in is 3 PM for most hotels and you had a room provided at 11 AM. Suites are not automatic btw - the T&C is the next best room available.

Did you ask what the Plat amenity is at the property? I'm sorry, from your posting I don't see what the "terrible lapse in service" actually was.
Here it is:

Lapse in service #1: Telling me that no rooms were available and then being sent to the hotel bar for a couple of hours. I then asked for a manager, but none were available. By the way, I had sent an e-mail to the hotel a month in advance letting them know that I would be arriving early and would take "any room, upgraded or not if available"

Lapse in service #2: After re-entering the reception line and talking to a different agent (while the original agent scowled at me), the new agent said there were "plenty of rooms available". Not saying I was explicitly "lied to", but...

Lapse in service #3: Being placed in a Gold upgraded room (which was dirty, even though maid service had been through it) which was very run-down even though I explained that I was platinum.

Lapse in service #4: Calling from the dirty room and explaining to a reservations manager that I was a Plat and it was clear that there were plenty of Platinum upgraded rooms available. Waited for about an hour and a half while they called SPG to confirm my status.

Lapse in service #5: Left reservations manager a message explaining what had happened and informing that I didn't receive Plat amenity and I never got a call back.

I don't feel that I deserve an upgrade, but if there is a room available and I have just completed a long 13 hour overnight flight, I think I am entitled.

I am definitely over this whole ordeal, but the "lapse in service" certainly rose to the level that I felt it necessary to bring to the attention of this forum.
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