May 28, 2019, 5:19 am
Westin Sydney, New South Wales, Australia [Master Thread]
Sep 15, 2009, 2:55 am
#61
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 4
Completed two nights at Westin Sydney (paid for 1 night, and the other night was using the free weekend award) and two nights at Sheraton on the Park (free weekend award). Definitely preferred SOTP for the fantastic lounge. Great service from the staff as well!
Got normal rooms for both of them (no suites, no executive club rooms) - so there wasn't really anything to shout about.
Westin had a small billing error on my folio, but I managed to resolve it during check-out. I think the previous guest took another bottle of mineral water and it got charged into my account.
If you are planning to tour the city, I would suggest Sheraton. If you are on business, then Westin is a bit closer to the major offices in the CBD area.
Got normal rooms for both of them (no suites, no executive club rooms) - so there wasn't really anything to shout about.
Westin had a small billing error on my folio, but I managed to resolve it during check-out. I think the previous guest took another bottle of mineral water and it got charged into my account.
If you are planning to tour the city, I would suggest Sheraton. If you are on business, then Westin is a bit closer to the major offices in the CBD area.
Sep 17, 2009, 12:56 pm
#62
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium/LTG, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,921
Anyway I'm now at the Le Meridien Bangkok (17/9) and am upgraded to their suites - and I am in love with this place
(will post a review on the master thread in a week or so)
Sep 23, 2009, 2:41 pm
#63
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 689
Just to test my theory - I checked out of this Westin @ 4pm and walked myself to the SOTP (16/9) where I had just made a basic reservation 15minutes earlier ..... and at the SOTP I am immediately upgraded to the standard Executive Suite. ^
Anyway I'm now at the Le Meridien Bangkok (17/9) and am upgraded to their suites - and I am in love with this place (will post a review on the master thread in a week or so)
Anyway I'm now at the Le Meridien Bangkok (17/9) and am upgraded to their suites - and I am in love with this place
(will post a review on the master thread in a week or so)http://www.sydney.com/deal/Sydney/We...uite_Life.aspx
Book two nights in a TOWER SUPERIOR KING ROOM and receive a complimentary room upgrade to a EXECUTIVE SUITE.
Plus a Sweet Treat:
Two complimentary cocktails in The Bar
In the full T & C's : (Note a different end date on promotion)
‘TASTE THE SUITE LIFE IN SYDNEY’
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. The offers are subject to availability and are valid for travel between 01
September and 31October 2009, inclusive.
2. Additional terms and conditions may apply to each offer, and will be
provided by the participating partner if applicable. These terms and conditions
will be listed on the individual offer website slash pages.
3. To access the exclusive offers, consumers will be required to quote ‘Taste
the Suite Life’ at time of booking.
4. Bookings are to be made direct with participating ‘Taste the Suite Life in
Sydney’promotion partners.
5. The exclusive offer is ““Book two nights in a standard room type and
receive a complimentary upgrade to a luxury Suite and enjoy a ‘Crave Sydney
“Sweet treat”’ foodie themed gift on arrival (subject to availability, terms and
conditions apply).
6. All offers are subject to availability, offers are not valid in conjunction with
any other discount or promotion.
7. The offers and information given have been provided by the participating
‘Taste the Suite Life in Sydney’ promotion partners and are correct at the time
of printing and may change at the operators’ discretion.
8. Tourism NSW, and media partners are not the providers of these offers and
make no guarantee as to offer availability, and are not liable for any loss or
damage suffered by any person in connection with these offers.
Sep 24, 2009, 8:48 am
#64
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium/LTG, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,921
hehe thanks aussiechris but won't have any planned 2 night stays in the upcoming month or so ...
although I said I wont return, unfortunately I am going back on the 4th October mainly due to peer pressure (4 other non-status couples) who want to stay there. I have booked 5 rooms under my name, and if one of them is not a suite ... then i'd be
hehehehehe 
this hotel knows I am on the way and not happy re:their lack of suite upgrades, like, ever. so we shall seeeeee what happens in due course
although I said I wont return, unfortunately I am going back on the 4th October mainly due to peer pressure (4 other non-status couples) who want to stay there. I have booked 5 rooms under my name, and if one of them is not a suite ... then i'd be
hehehehehe this hotel knows I am on the way and not happy re:their lack of suite upgrades, like, ever. so we shall seeeeee what happens in due course
Nov 16, 2009, 11:05 pm
#65
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Benicia, California, USA
Programs: AA PLT,AS,UA PP,J6,FB,EY,LH,SQ,HH Dmd,Hyatt Glbl,Marriott Plat,IHG Plat,Accor Gold
Posts: 10,820
Westin Sydney: Need advice re rooms on points, etc.
Planning to stay at the Westin Sydney for five nights in February. We can get a regular room for 10K points/night, a Heritage King (reportedly 50-65 sq. meters) for 11.5K points/night or an Executive Suite (reportedly 72 Sq. meters) for 20K points/night. We've tentatively settled on the suite. Any advice on which is the best value for points? Also, any advice on whether to request specific floors or (if we go for the suite) corners of the hotel? Finally, the suite reservation says we get executive club benefits. Does this include free breakfast in the lounge? Any other benefits?
Thanks for any advice and info.
Thanks for any advice and info.
Nov 17, 2009, 12:59 am
#66
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 689
Right on the money
Planning to stay at the Westin Sydney for five nights in February. We can get a regular room for 10K points/night, a Heritage King (reportedly 50-65 sq. meters) for 11.5K points/night or an Executive Suite (reportedly 72 Sq. meters) for 20K points/night. We've tentatively settled on the suite. Any advice on which is the best value for points? Also, any advice on whether to request specific floors or (if we go for the suite) corners of the hotel? Finally, the suite reservation says we get executive club benefits. Does this include free breakfast in the lounge? Any other benefits?
Thanks for any advice and info.
Thanks for any advice and info.
Thunderoad
You are right on the money!
The XX09 suites are large and very modern and comfortable, you will not be disappointed.
Breakfast is in the lounge as well as evening drinks and canapes.
Request floor 28 or above.
Did I mention the free wiifi?
Enjoy your trip!
Nov 17, 2009, 7:09 am
#67
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Houston
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Southwest A List, United Silver, Jumeirah One Silver, Marriott Silver
Posts: 388
Hey Thunderroad,
I redeemed points for an executive suite back in '06 @ 20K/night for 3 nights. Value is debateable. It depends on how many points you have and how much you value the extra room and executive lounge access.
For me, I redeemed them and have no regrets.
I cannot remember the exact room number, but our view out of the bathroom (which is large and had a great shower) was directly over the old post office building. Besides the extra living area space, the closet was very large and came in handy with all of our luggage. Also, there is an extra half bathroom off the living room.
Lounge is nice. You do get free breakfast and wi-fi, plus refreshments throughout the day. Something tells me that there was not a lot of hot items for breakfast, but I may be wrong on that. The lounge staff are very friendly and had great recommendations for local restaurants.
Enjoy Sydney!
I redeemed points for an executive suite back in '06 @ 20K/night for 3 nights. Value is debateable. It depends on how many points you have and how much you value the extra room and executive lounge access.
For me, I redeemed them and have no regrets.
I cannot remember the exact room number, but our view out of the bathroom (which is large and had a great shower) was directly over the old post office building. Besides the extra living area space, the closet was very large and came in handy with all of our luggage. Also, there is an extra half bathroom off the living room.
Lounge is nice. You do get free breakfast and wi-fi, plus refreshments throughout the day. Something tells me that there was not a lot of hot items for breakfast, but I may be wrong on that. The lounge staff are very friendly and had great recommendations for local restaurants.
Enjoy Sydney!
Nov 17, 2009, 1:15 pm
#68
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, SPG PLAT, PC PLAT
Posts: 178
Typical Room would suffice for me
I stayed at this hotel in September in all 3 types of rooms (booked heritage, returned in a standard but on high floor, then returned as a PLAT in a suite with lounge access). I would definitely skip the Heritage room as they are all on low floors. The standard room is quite nice! The lounge is great for the free breakfast, but the food and offerings are not as nice as in most Asian countries.
If you have lots of points or want a very special occasion, go for the suite. Otherwise, take the standard room.
If you have lots of points or want a very special occasion, go for the suite. Otherwise, take the standard room.
Jan 3, 2010, 4:31 am
#69
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1
Westin sydney executive club
I stayed twice at the Westin sydney during Oct-Dec 2009. As a being a platinum member of the starwood prefered guest program i was been upgraded to executive floor suite and access to executive club. No matter whereever i travell i always stay with starwood property. At Westin sydney property it was my first experiance and i can say that it made me feel like i am at my another home away from home. I arrived early so upon check-in i was been sent to executive club on level 28 to wait for my room and as i entered the club this indian gentleman who works in there welcomed me using my name, which was really impressive. The hotel has a great ambiance and excellent staffing. especially the exceutive club staff members who made me feel welcomed eachtime they saw me and knew my name through out my stay. All the team members at the executive club were highly professional and very attentive to my needs.
I would definetly be staying at westin for my next trip, and^ also suggest this westin property to all,especially upgrade to executive club level
I would definetly be staying at westin for my next trip, and^ also suggest this westin property to all,especially upgrade to executive club level
Jan 10, 2010, 1:50 am
#71
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: somewhere north of stateside...
Posts: 4,153
I had two different stays at the Westin Sydney over the last few weeks, one for two nights cash+points (no plat upgrade - hotel was sold out), and another single night cash booking (upgraded to executive floor).
Comfortable hotel overall, rooms well maintained and comfortable, but I'm not sure I'd rate this hotel as one of the best Westins around. A couple of points:
It was interesting to compare the two check-ins... the agent for the first stay didn't explain any plat benefits, didn't mention the executive lounge, and didn't ask me for my platinum amenity selection, while the second check-in was much more professional, I was provided with a small brochure explaining plat benefits and asked for my amenity.
No points from the first stay posted to my account (the 500 point platinum bonus or points for incidentals). I raised this with a quiet front desk during my second stay, and without even looking at my printed folio I was told to contact SPG, as they couldn't (didn't want to?) deal with it. Platinum bonus points for the second stay didn't post either.
Excellent gym facilities in a third-party fitness centre attached to the hotel. Disappointing, however, that the fitness centre closes at 6pm on weekends, which is really too early for such a large hotel, particularly one that bills itself as one of Sydney's best.
Just a suggestion, but it would be great if the hotel would work out some sort of arrangement so that their guests don't have to take a towel from the guest rooms to the health club and bring them back to their rooms... the hotel and health club should be able to work something out on the back-end... guests already sign in to use the health club, so perhaps they could just provide a stack of tagged towels that can be sent back to the hotel laundry for washing?
Internet at AUD 30 a day is very expensive. Expensive turns into robbery, though, when the 'high-speed' internet is anything but... iTunes store wouldn't load, my MSN messenger timed out, Skype calls wouldn't work and I spent 45 minutes dealing with timed out pages checking in for a flight. Until the hotel fixes these speed issues, they really shouldn't charge any guest for this service. On the first check-out, I mentioned this to the same agent who had checked me in, and he acknowledged that they had been hearing quite a few reports of poor speed. I had the same problem on the second stay, but this time the agent removed the charge from my bill.
A real bright spot for both stays were the lounge staff, who were really just excellent, extremely professional and kind, and did a great job, making up for some of the lapses felt elsewhere.
Overall, felt that while the hotel looked great, below the surface some areas very much lacked substance that I would have expected to be there based upon previous posts here.
Comfortable hotel overall, rooms well maintained and comfortable, but I'm not sure I'd rate this hotel as one of the best Westins around. A couple of points:
It was interesting to compare the two check-ins... the agent for the first stay didn't explain any plat benefits, didn't mention the executive lounge, and didn't ask me for my platinum amenity selection, while the second check-in was much more professional, I was provided with a small brochure explaining plat benefits and asked for my amenity.
No points from the first stay posted to my account (the 500 point platinum bonus or points for incidentals). I raised this with a quiet front desk during my second stay, and without even looking at my printed folio I was told to contact SPG, as they couldn't (didn't want to?) deal with it. Platinum bonus points for the second stay didn't post either.
Excellent gym facilities in a third-party fitness centre attached to the hotel. Disappointing, however, that the fitness centre closes at 6pm on weekends, which is really too early for such a large hotel, particularly one that bills itself as one of Sydney's best.
Just a suggestion, but it would be great if the hotel would work out some sort of arrangement so that their guests don't have to take a towel from the guest rooms to the health club and bring them back to their rooms... the hotel and health club should be able to work something out on the back-end... guests already sign in to use the health club, so perhaps they could just provide a stack of tagged towels that can be sent back to the hotel laundry for washing?
Internet at AUD 30 a day is very expensive. Expensive turns into robbery, though, when the 'high-speed' internet is anything but... iTunes store wouldn't load, my MSN messenger timed out, Skype calls wouldn't work and I spent 45 minutes dealing with timed out pages checking in for a flight. Until the hotel fixes these speed issues, they really shouldn't charge any guest for this service. On the first check-out, I mentioned this to the same agent who had checked me in, and he acknowledged that they had been hearing quite a few reports of poor speed. I had the same problem on the second stay, but this time the agent removed the charge from my bill.
A real bright spot for both stays were the lounge staff, who were really just excellent, extremely professional and kind, and did a great job, making up for some of the lapses felt elsewhere.
Overall, felt that while the hotel looked great, below the surface some areas very much lacked substance that I would have expected to be there based upon previous posts here.
Jan 10, 2010, 2:45 am
#73
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,548
We have one free weekend night and plan to use it in Sydney. We'll arrive in SYD at 7AM and want to stay at either Westin or SOTP. We'll check out around 4PM (plat late check-out) and move to Park Hyatt.
We'll only be in the hotel for around 9 hours and it looks like distance from either Westin or SOTP is roughly the same by car to Park Hyatt.
Any advice if we should choose one over the other or it doesn't matter much? Ideally an upgrade to a Club level would be perfect, as we can take advantage of breakfast when we check in and use of free internet. Reading FT, it looks like SOTP is more consistent in giving upgrades to Plats?
We'll only be in the hotel for around 9 hours and it looks like distance from either Westin or SOTP is roughly the same by car to Park Hyatt.
Any advice if we should choose one over the other or it doesn't matter much? Ideally an upgrade to a Club level would be perfect, as we can take advantage of breakfast when we check in and use of free internet. Reading FT, it looks like SOTP is more consistent in giving upgrades to Plats?
Jan 10, 2010, 2:50 am
#75
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP (OWE), VA PLAT, EY GLD, SPG PLAT, Hyatt DIA, Hilton DIA, Hertz PC
Posts: 8,527
I'g go SOTP. Little drama over early check-in, likely upgrade to an Executive Suite (though not sure at 7AM), wonderful lounge overlooking the city and harbour, great pool/spa/sauna/steam which are perfect after a long flight.
We actually went from the Park Hyatt to SOTP just after NYE. The distance is literally less than 10 mins from SOTP, and just as long from the Westin due to one way streets.
As a Diamond at the Park Hyatt fight for your upgrade to a Harbour or Opera Deluxe which they try to deny as part of the "best room available upgrade." A call to the Diamond line a few days prior to arrival certainly helps as the property told me it was "only a one category upgrade."
We actually went from the Park Hyatt to SOTP just after NYE. The distance is literally less than 10 mins from SOTP, and just as long from the Westin due to one way streets.
As a Diamond at the Park Hyatt fight for your upgrade to a Harbour or Opera Deluxe which they try to deny as part of the "best room available upgrade." A call to the Diamond line a few days prior to arrival certainly helps as the property told me it was "only a one category upgrade."
Last edited by m0hamed; Jan 10, 2010 at 2:51 am Reason: .