The Crown Tower Sydney was not our first choice for this trip to Sydney. We were debating between Park Hyatt and Shangri-la as we wanted views of the Opera, newer/modern room, and overall value for money. Ultimately, the Crown Tower ticked all these requirements and our curiosity won us over. We booked the Opera Studio which promised a generous 72 m2 space through FHR.

We arrived very early and didn’t expect for us to be able to check in as their website did show almost a fully booked day. Thankfully we lucked out and reserved one of the 8 AM Sky deck tours that they offer for free daily and so we started our day there after having them store our bags. The 30 minute tour gave a good introduction to the history of the hotel and allowed us to see a sky high vantage point at 83rd floor.

We then took advantage of the day and walked towards Darling Harbour and then cut through the downtown area towards Hyde Park and then towards the Opera. The location of the hotel is actually quite refreshing after years of staying by Sydney Harbour area, with new developments, restaurants, and shops around the immediate vicinity of the Crown Tower. It felt much less inundated by tourists as compared to the area around the Sydney Opera house.

Finally around noon we made it back to the hotel and were notified that our room was ready. I was given a key for a room in floor 21. I was a bit disappointed given our initial introduction of the hotel at the 83rd floor, but decided not to say anything as we made our way towards the high tech elevators. And really this is where the newly built hotel shines. The physical product is impressive. From the lobby, to the elevators, to the rooms, everything looked shiny and brand new. The pool looked brilliant, and the gym was up to date. As we opened the door, the impressive physical offerings of the Crown Tower continued. Our room was modern and sharply furnished. Indeed, the room was generously spacious, with perhaps one of the biggest non-suite bathrooms we’ve ever experienced. And of course, everything was controlled by an iPad. The view, despite my initial concern, was equally splendid. With gorgeous views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House right at your finger tips. With that said however, anything lower than floor 21 may be a concern.

As far as food, given the 100 dollar credit our reservation came with, we made a reservation at Woodcut which specializes on steaks. Needless to say, our credit, only went as far, as everything here was priced as high as the hotel itself. But we indulged on some amazing offerings, from Tasmanian garlic bread, to burrata, to ribeye, and finishing with a surprisingly light and delicious, white chocolate dessert.

For breakfast, we throughly enjoyed the buffet offerings at Epicurean. The food and selection here were massive, and the overall offerings were absolutely well executed. I can’t recommend this restaurant enough.

So would we pick this hotel/area again over the Sydney Harbour area? I think if we could secure an Opera view, and a booking with extra value thrown in, the answer would be yes. We had an enjoyable, new experience in Sydney, and the Crown Tower is definitely a worthy hotel to consider.