alanslegal

Glass was the only redeeming feature of this property; at $10 pp plus coffee tax, it would be hard to justify staying here given the tiny standard rooms and lack of suite upgrades here. There are better options in Sydney at this price point.

raidersfan1

Hilton Sydney being used to quarantine returning travelers. Apparently celebrity chef Lyndey Milan isn't a happy camper..

https://www.news.com.au/travel/trave...c3861b2774ffbe

alanslegal

Lucky I got back just before this forced quarantine kicked in - the small hotel room, lack of fresh air and sunlight would drive reasonable people insane.

Guess the hotel makes (rack rates?) money from the australian taxpayers; when it would have been close to empty if not closed.

In Sydney right now, you could get fined up to AUD$10,000 for being outside your home without 1 of 12 designated reasons. Going to the Hilton for lunch or even a staycation will not cut it.

ozztraveller

I have noticed they now sell a connected room which sleeps 4. Price appears to be slightly cheaper than booking 2 rooms.

antebellum

It's kind of outrageous to charge for cappuccinos, especially in Australia. I've stayed in several Hiltons in Asia (recently Vietnam), barista cappuccino is actually included in the breakfast.
Plus there's plenty of great cafes around Sydney CBD.

(Please note: this is before COVID-19)

shillard

Stayed here twice in June/ July.

Pool now open very limited hours, exec lounge still closed. Glass still closed. Woeful attempt at limited room service for breakfast.

Pathetic effort really, compared to the BNE Hilton which almost has its act together - separate post to come for that.

DELee

Wonder if the service issues are driven by the hotel is/was used for quarantining returning AU travelers.

David

anabolism

Do they require reservations for the pool, or limit lane occupancy in any way?

Grafton001

Just received an email regarding a September stay to say that the hotel has temporarily suspended hotel operations from 10 August having been selected by the NSW Police and Government to be a quarantine hotel and therefore legally not allowed to accommodate guests. Took the refund as can’t enter Australia anyway.

teemuflyer

All things considered, it must be a financial lifeline to get selected to be a quarantine hotel. I suppose all that are selected, are full service hotels, with adequate kitchens and other ancillary services to keep the quarantine "guests" relatively comfortable in their rooms. Now who get the suites is another question..

shillard

Normal services aren't offered - meals are pretty rubbish (eg: breakfast is a packet of cereal with some milk typically), a lot of quarantine guests are ordering Uber Eats!

m0hamed

It may not be the Ibis, but 14 days in a standard room with those windows would be hell.

The Sheraton if one got a balcony or the Intercon are far superior. I have friends who got a suite at the Intercon. Rooms are randomly assigned on arrival, but it would certainly make it more tolerable.

teemuflyer

Not even laundry services? 14 days without that could be a stretch for most.. And I'm under the impression that the costs are now borne by the folks being quarantined, so why not offer them steak and lobster, if that's what they are willing to pay for

turtlemichael

This is an update on the hotel. It ceased to be a quarantine hotel a couple of weeks ago and re-opened for regular service, after a deep clean I'm told, a week ago.

We had a call from 'the General Manager's Office" prior to arrival asking whether we needed anything special prior to arrival. That is the first such call I've had from this hotel in about 50 stays. We were upgraded to a junior suite, from a standard room for our 5 night stay. The room has been renovated and is spacious and very comfortable.

The executive lounge is still closed and appears to be staying closed for the indefinite future . As a Diamond I was given a "canapes" tray delivered to the room each evening as well as four small bottles of wine. I could have asked for more drinks without issue. The canapes were strange. An apple, a very tired looking banana, various packs of crisps, nuts, and bar nibbles, water, and a dessert. It was generally a token effort and we did not get it again - apart from the beverages.

Glass Restaurant is shut for breakfast and lunch. Presently, it is only open for dinner two nights per week. Cafe Cino on the ground floor is open for breakfast and lunch. The diamond breakfast was excellent. It consisted of a hot choice from a lengthy list, and as many cold items- pastries, fruit, yogurt, juices etc. - as you wanted. The hot items were prepared in the kitchen not the Cafe. Barista coffees and teas were included (refills no problem) so no coffee tax at the moment. I was told that there were only 30 people in house early in our stay but that as it increased there would be a move back to breakfast in Glass. Next weekend is meant to be busy. I'd therefore expect that some, or much, of the excellent treatment of a Diamond I experienced, won't last forever.

I asked why the lounge was not transferred to Zeta Bar, as it has been at other times when renovations were occurring. I was told that they did not currently have the staff to do individual serving, and not buffet, for the small guest numbers as would be needed to be Covid-19 safe according to the NSW rules.

I also saw and chatted to a number of the old staff many of whom had been employed through the Quarantine hotel period.

The gym and pool are apparently open with numbers restrictions though I didn't use them.

Room servicing is on a request basis. I opted for one service during our 5 night stay. Topping up of toiletries, towels, coffees etc was no issue at other times.

All up, a very good stay but I would not expect it to be always thus as they get busier and their practices change as guest numbers increase. More is the pity.

markis10

The rooms have also had a make over!

[quote] Two new room categories – the Corner Room and Family Room – headline a major AUD$25 million refurbishment of Hilton Sydney – the brand’s flagship Australian property, which has been unveiled this week.

The new Corner Room category is larger than other rooms and offers an extended view of the Sydney CBD via an additional window. Family Rooms are created as needed from two interconnecting rooms and created as needed by parties needing that extra space while staying together.......Further new features now on display across Hilton Sydney’s 547 rooms and 40 suites include European tapware, reclining chairs, new bedside lighting and 55” smart televisions. [\quote]

https://www.hotelmanagement.com.au/2...aud25m-refurb/