Sounds like they are taking the approach of offering the least amount if compensation possible, unless more is demanded, or customer affairs are involved.

In future, call the US Diamond Line to invoke the best room available benefit on the day of arrival. I have done this when the hotel tries to shirk its obligations with the 'one level upgrade' nonsense.

I can say for a fact that the Park Kings on Hickson Road are seldom allocated for Diamonds except during 100% occupancy such as NYE.

After some back and forth with the hotel (mainly the GM, who has actually been quite helpful), the hotel has offered compensation which in my mind is reasonable. Still not as gracious as SPG but very reasonable.

Excellent, glad to hear it!

Can't wait to hear the reports from the first people who actually do get to stay here!

The problem here is that many of us would feel that there is no like or better accommodation in Sydney. The FS is certainly OK if you are in a harbor view junior suite or better, but still not really stunning based on my inspection. Someone mentioned Banyan Tree above, but I don't think there is any Banyan Tree in Sydney (or maybe even in Australia).

The Marriott Circular Quay, also mentioned in this thread, is several notches below the PH and really very ordinary.

If the main objective of a stay is to be on the harbour, then PH Sydney is definitely the very best - can't think of any other hotel with this amazing outlook.
But there are other great hotels in Sydney or in nearby suburbs.

We had an excellent stay at the Marriott, it achieves exactly what it intends to achieve!

That being said, it is rather ordinary in comparison to a hotel like the PH Sydney (which I have not stayed at yet, by the way).

Reopening 13 February according to this.

We have a stay booked at end of February on points. I have been checking the room rate for our stay but it's been stuck at A$850 per night until today when I just get a message saying that the hotel isn't taking bookings :(

I don't really understand what you are saying.

Did they cancel your points booking? What dates?

Why are you looking at revenue bookings? For a second room, or just to verify that the hotel will, in fact, be open?

Hope it works out for you...

1. Checking revenue rates in case the rate got more reasonable
2. Can no longer book the dates we had secured

Seems strange that two days ago they were taking bookings

Apparently they may postpone opening date again!

Actually, if you try and book you get an error message indicating that the property may be fully booked on the night(s) you are looking for...

So, one possibility is that they are accepting reservations in general, but that they may be completely booked on specific dates...

The page linked above does still indicate a 2/13 opening date.

I walked by and around the hotel a week ago along the shore, and they didn't look close to opening. Of the ground level rooms that I could see, there were rolls of carpet still propped up against the sliding doors, dust covering the windows, etc. It very much had the look of just a shell of a building, but of course, I couldn't see all that much inside. It hasn't helped that it just keeps raining in Sydney either.

Is it possible that they will open at 50% capacity (or 25% or 75%) and only allow booking in the rooms that are completed while they finish upgrading the rest? This seems to be fairly typical with hotel refurbs...

I would guess only if they're able to isolate the refurbished area from the part still being worked on in such a way that the guests would have to go out of their way to encounter the work still in progress. Seems like it wouldn't be the Sydney PH if the guests were encountering contractors finishing the work.