I thought I would take the opportunity on my first trip to Australia to try out the different Starwood properties in both MEL and SYD. I hit 5 hotels in 7 nights, missing only the W Sydney. What follows are my observations and opinions.

MELBOURNE
I arrived directly from a 23 hour trip on QF in FC form JFK/LAX thanks to a CO reward ticket. My first stop was the Sheraton Southgate for 2 nights at A$190/nt.
This hotel is located across the river from “downtown”, although a footbridge is right in front of it. It is located in the Southgate shopping and entertainment complex, a plus in my mind. My SPG status was immediately recognized and I was put in a very nice suite, with 1 ˝ baths. The bathroom was particularly memorable as it had a huge shower and tub/shower “room”, with two shower heads and a large tub with jet nozzles. Quite an area. The Lounge was large. It had wi-fi, the same as the lobby area. Starwood would do well to make this a Starwood wide program. At night, the lounge was packed with many people eating and drinking for the whole 2 hours. There was hot and cold food and even a nice sushi tray….
Onto the Westin Melbourne. I was on a points and dollars stay here. I arrived at 11 AM to be told my junior suite was not ready. I voluntarily took a standard room. There was no lounge, a negative in my mind. I thought the overall property was nice and maybe a bit more modern than the Southgate. The carpeting appeared new. Wi fi was available in the lobby area only.

MEL overall view. For me, the Southgate offered an exciting location, and more things that I like than the Westin. The fact that the Westin is on the other side of the river by 3-4 blocks is not enough to outweigh all the Sheraton’s pluses. My next stay will be at the Sheraton.

SYDNEY
After a quick 49 minute QF flight during which I was the ONLY FC passenger in a QF 747 and was served a hot breakfast, I went to the Sheraton on the Park, for one night, at $A240 a night. Once again, I received a large 1 ˝ bath suite. The suite was a little more “worn” than the Southgate one, but very acceptable. The Lounge was huge, with fabulous views of Hyde Park. At night, there was hot and cold food, plenty or wine, beer, and liquor. Of particular note was a large sushi selection. This was the largest of the lounges. It was the only one I have seen that had hot food for breakfast (eggs, bacon, pancakes). Wi-Fi was only in the lobby.

The next two nights was spent at the Four Points and was disappointing. I paid $A190- for the first night and points and cash for night two. Upon arriving at 11AM, I was told that my “gorgeous suite” was not ready. I was given my Platinum Amenity card. I decided to go to the Aquarium for a few hours. (Note to self: Never, ever go the Aquarium during the school holidays before 8PM!!). Upon returning I was given my room key, period. No offer of a complimentary breakfast. I was in room 1060. It was a large room (Not a gorgeous suite) with a nice balcony overlooking Darling Harbor. It was OK as a Plat upgrade, but not a suite. When I went to go on line in the lobby, I found out that one needs to buy a card from the reception to access wi-fi ($7A/hr-$25A/day). Maybe I misunderstood, but I thought all Four Points had free wi-fi in the lobby. As this now was becoming a matter of principle, I packed up my laptop and walked up the block to the Sheraton for both nights, where I happily used their lobby wi-fi. I would probably not return here unless it was really cheap, like the$25US/night + points I paid for night 2.

The final night was at the Westin Sydney at $A300/nt. Normally, this is out of my price range, but I figured what the heck. On check in, I was recognized by the agent whom I had spoken to the day before to ensure that they had a lounge. He actually remembered my name. I was put in a nice excutive suite on the 29th floor. While it was smaller than the one at the Sheraton, it was much more modern. I would consider this a wash. There is wi-fi in the lobby, but not in the lounge. The lounge is maybe 65-70% as large as the Sheraton. It appears much more exclusive and muted/subdued. The hot and cold food was excellent. Beverages were served by 2 staff members. There was no sushi. I just had the feeling of real class here at the Westin, compared to the Sheraton. The only question is whether it is worth 20% more than the Sheraton.

So, this is my opinion only. For me, the clear winner on the trip was the Sheraton Southgate in MEL, based on price, location, and value to me. The Four Points in SYD was the worst. In SYD, the difference between the Sheraton and Westin is in the eye of the beholder, and should be based on one’s needs/requirements. All three of the SYD properties are within a 5-6 block triangle of each other and it’s no big deal to walk from one to the other. I would choose the Sheraton, based on the fact that it was 20% cheaper than the Westin. Others, I’m sure would disagree.

Comments/questions are welcome, realizing I will be in transit home for the next 36 hours or so.
Ed