CameraGuy

Personally, I think the Hampton Inn chain is the best HHonors chain for the money.

FREE HSIA (I hear some USA visitors have problems finding HSIA).
FREE Breakfast
FREE Local Calls
100% Satsifaction Guarantee

Why pay big money for a full blown Hilton the charges extra for the above?

SkiAdcock

Just curious - what do we think the $200 mil was actually spent on?

Given the reviews on this & the other thread, Hilton's off my list & the Marriott that sandiego1k mentions is on it.

Cheers.

BearX220

Boy, you guys, that is excellent guidance. Thanks to all.

We're now thinking we'll straight head into the country or up the coast upon first arriving in SYD, but then do three or four in-town hotel nights prior to flying home... and the Four Points sounds like a far better ticket, whether I redeem points or pay actual money. I would hate to drop 120k or 160k HHonors points, which seems to me, anyway, like a big dollop, and come away as disappointed as you all have been. The renovation sounds like a genuine misfire, and as I will be traveling with my son, it just won't do to have only one precious/upscale eatery on site with "ghost town" level options out the front door. I mean, he's flexible, but the trip is meant to be fun for him too...

I can't believe Hilton is so thin on the ground in one of the world's top ten cities.

BearX220

Ramadas, Howard Johnson's, Days Inn, and some other forgotten-but-not-gone brands are all run by Cendant. Cendant properties comprise the worst franchise hospitality operations in America.

HGIs first, Hamptons second for me -- consistent, clean and well-priced. I hardly ever stay at a full-line Hilton anymore.

ozstamps

BearX220 - Four Poiints until Jan was Cat #2 and the best deal anywhere at that level.

Spring for the few 1000 extra a night and get an overwater Suite there. Easy walk to Chinatown and a large bunch of cinemas in George Street (as is the Hilton), which kids like too.

160,000 for the basic rooms at Hilton is just not worth even half that - IMHO.

mario33

Believe it or not when Starwood first took over management of the hotel from Nikko, it was only Category 1 ! But that was before they refurbished the rooms.

I believe you mean to say harbour/water view Suite when you wrote overwater Suite

.......and the Sydney Aquarium is just opposite the hotel .

ozstamps

Non-NonRev - It was built mid 1970s and is really just a very basic rectangular shaped tower. Prior to that the site was a low rise 19th Century Hotel. xyzzy kindly sourced these exterior photos of tower, and posted earlier on the thread:

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=108346

And as you can see the structure is very basic and totally architecturally un-remarkable. And would have had no Heritage Order significance whatever AFAIK.

However unless they had imploded the thing, they were stuck with all the very unfortunate structural hangovers - such as the existing tiny slit windows.

Glen

tinkybelle

Just did another stay last night.
got my high floor away from lift from my profile and hlaf bottle of nice bimbadgen and lovely home made chockies.
had to ask for gold exec card but chearfully given. the spread at night was very good but right on 7.30 no more drinks.
all in all a great stay for $120 plus car parking!
I have a heap of future stays and wonder when I will get my old rooms at the end of the corridor
BTW flyertalk can NOT be accessed from the lounge computers

flyinbob

WHAT??? That's it. Bad enough about the "remodel", but this is just over the top. LOOTING AND BURNING I RECOMMEND!!!

ioki

was that just yesterday afternoon/evening? or every visit?

i couldn't access flytalk from my office in AKL either during the afternoon/evening

Kiwi Flyer

there were some problems with FT yesterday

ozstamps

Ros -- you are a HH Diamond member correct? So why would you need to ask for Executive lounge access?

I'll try the computers just for fun this weekend to see if the block still exists. Maybe this thread has caused the access block to Flyertalk?

Glen

777 global mile hound

I understand the bathroom designers of the Sydney Hilton personally asked for your thread to be blocked

tinkybelle

Glen there was a LOT of Hilton sydney bashing before you came along

to try to answer your question

because the front desk girls dont bother to look and therefore gave me white keys instead of gold.
I dont know if that was the reason the lifts didnt work but I went back down and git them rekeyed and asked why i didnt have gold
this has happened every stay!
also the lifts werent accepting some cards yesterday.

tinkybelle

yes it was yesterday afternoon for about 1 hr. maybe that was it.
I thought it strange as the only other times I have been unable to access FT was in some of the Qantas BA and MAS lounges.