As part of my Asia Pacific trip in April, I had a business meeting in SYDNEY, Australia, and stayed at the newly re-done Park Hyatt Sydney for 6 nights. It's certainly one of the priciest hotel in Australia. Fortunately we had a corporate rate which was still >$600 AUD per night.

The hotel did a very nice job renovating the entire building. Everything was well done, and almost every room has a view of the harbour. They added a top floor - which is the ultra Penthouse suites with amazing terrace and views. The pool area is very nice (although the temperature in the pool was too hot for my taste).

Almost all of the staff are new, but very well trained and professional. They made an effort to greet you by name and say hello.

Dinning is a bit of hit and miss... The pastry chef from France is very good.. and I made sure to have his desserts before bed each night. The main dining room offered "Australian" cuisine - lots of pricy grilled items, which while tasty was not worth the price. Nothing that wowed me.

Pro's

1) Rooms are large, and great view of the harbour
2) Service was very good - most of the folks are new, but they try very hard
3) Beautiful pool area
4) Public spaces are open and airy, lots of light everywhere
5) state of the art gym equipment - they are the first to have the new Technogym treadmill with internet and large screen.
6) Concierge always helpful
7) Easy walk to the Sydney Bridge (I went running across the bridge each morning).
8) Love the balcony in each room to catch the ocean breeze and to relax and read a book.

Con's

1) Expensive - you are paying for the view and proximity to the harbour - it quite a trek to the business center. I had a car to pick me up each morning.
2) Rooms can be dark
3) Lousy turndown service... made the bed, bottle water, and that's it.. no slippers under floor, no chocolates
4) Mediocre and expensive food offering - limited menu
5) $39/day for internet Yikes! I did go to Telstra and got the 5GB data card for $35
6) King bed is actually 2 double beds put together.. the wedge is not noticeable.

Location

Gym

Pool

Room

A few weeks ago, I stayed at the Park Hyatt Sydney (3 nights). This hotel has been on my bucket list for a long time, and the amazing experience surpassed my already very high expectations. I cannot imagine that other hotels in Sydney could be better in terms of location, view, service, and modern facilities, although I did not visit them of course(I did enjoy though the food + killer views from the top floor restaurant at the nearby Shangri-La).

To give you an impression of the hotel
- I uploaded a lot of photos here:http://theluxurytravelexpert.com/201...-hyatt-sydney/
- I also made a Youtube clip:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9xSEp7NPVg

PROS & THINGS I LIKED:

- The hotel enjoys an unique and breathtaking Sydney harbour front location, with stunning views of the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, and the Downtown Sydney skyline.
- Park Hyatts signature minimalist design throughout the hotel (lobby, restaurants, rooms) is impressive.
- I liked my room (a harbour view twin room) a lot. It was spacious, with luxurious furnishings & fittings, naturally textured fabrics, plush carpets, designer lighting, plush beds and the latest technology.
- The room's floor-to-ceiling glass doors and spacious private balcony offered great views of the Sydney skyline. The more expensive rooms come with frontal views of the Opera House.
- Bathroom amenities are awesome: Le Labo shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and body lotion presented in Bergamote 22 fragrances.
- Paintings and artwork by prominent Australian artists are on display throughout the hotel and in the guestroom(s), creating an art gallery of unique artefacts.
- Wireless internet is free.
- The hotel has a small albeit spectacular outdoor rooftop, exclusively for guests staying at the hotel, from where you can gaze at the breathtaking skyline views. It counts 16 sun loungers (with umbrellas), and 3 cabanas (with 6 additional sun loungers), and features a heated pool and lovely jacuzzi. IMHO, it is one of the most spectacular rooftops in the world (http://theluxurytravelexpert.com/201...otel-rooftops/).
- A dedicated 24-hour personal butler service is available.
- The hotel has a nice, small 24-hour gym, as well as a small but wonderful spa.
- Service is impeccable, attentive and respectful, in line with and what you would expect from one of the worlds most luxurious hotel brands.
- There are three options for dining: Dining Room, Living Room and bar. The Dining Room Restaurant stands out and enjoys spectacular views of both the harbour and Opera House. Food is exquisite, and I would highly recommend at least one dinner here during your stay. In the morning, breakfast is served here as well (until 11 am), with a wide choice from the menu (45 AUD) or a beautifully presented buffet (35 AUD), with big glass fridge doors where you can take your fruit and cold cuts.

CONS & THINGS TO KNOW:

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the Park Hyatt Sydney. Just some (minor) issues that you need to know:
- The hotel is very conveniently located for leisure travelers (who will be wow-ed by its stunning vistas of Sydneys major attractions), but it is a little out-of-the-way for business travelers (unless you do not mind a 20 minute walk or short cab drive).
- The hotel enjoys the most spectacular location in Sydney and that comes with a premium price tag: room rate at the Park Hyatt Sydney is about twice the room rate of the other 5-star hotels in the city.
- Large cruise ships dock at the nearby pier during the day. While some may find this exciting to watch, others may be bothered by the fact that these cruise ships blocks a fair bit of the views towards the city.
- While still modern and fabulous, the rooms on the street side do not come with any views at all (and are less than desirable IMHO).
- The heated toilet seat in the bathroom was kind of awkward and not my thing. You can turn the heat off though.
- When you book a twin room, the room will have 2 single, rather small beds (and not queen sized beds, like is the case in the USA). Beds are very comfy nevertheless.
- On the rooftop and outside the hotel, you hear the constant shudder of the trains and trucks crossing the bridge. But that should not put you off as this is a minor inconvenience related to the stunning location.
- The rooftop has only 22 sun loungers, so this may pose a problem when the hotels 155 rooms are all occupied and a lot of hotel guests want to relax near the pool (although it was never a problem during our stay, and the hotel was supposed to be full).
- Bathrooms are sleek and functional, but the walk-in shower (next to the tub) has a slippery floor.
- Turn down service is a little awkward: when you are not in the room, housekeeping staff will put on all lights. I am sure this is done to produce a stunning visual effect from the outside (and perhaps lure future visitors), but is not in line with an eco-friendly policy.

Overall

Short Review

I have stayed at this property several times. Most recently just after Christmas last year which was my first time post renovation. We had a deluxe opera room which was large ( like a jr suite) and had a terrific view with double balconies. We loved the room, but we were on holiday. I have stayed here pre renovation a couple of times for business and is not the best location. Although nothing is very far, other hotels though inferior are better located.

We had very good luck with the service, but have friends there so really did not use the hotel to book anything. Also did not eat there except breakfast. Did the restaurant breakfast one day and did not like at all. Much preferred room service breakfast. Too many people in the breakfast room and service was not great, but then I always prefer room service for breakfast!

NY Banker is tight! The IC would be a much better location for NYE fireworks although we were not in Sydney.

Bottom line is I really like the Park Hyatt should you get the "right" room, but if not, the price us a bit over the top!