hassanal

Thanks for your great TR which makes a good read.

Wondering what camera you were using?! Your pictures are really eye catching!

best regards,
Gerald

quirrow

QF94 Los Angeles Tom Bradley International LAX - Melbourne Tullamarine MEL
04 May 2011
Airbus A380-800 VH-OQI "David Warren"
Scheduled ETD/ETA: 2330-0820 (+2)
Actual Time of Departure/Arrival: 0021-0909 (+2)
Seat No: 22K


A trip across South Pacific on the Flying Kangaroo


Concourse B for oneworld flights

From the Getty Centre I drive myself to the airport and it was a really tiring journey amidst LA's terrible traffic on I-405. Reached the rental car return at 1915 and boarded the shuttle to TBIT. From there it was easy to spot concourse 3 where the large signs of BA, QF and CX lit up the area. As it was early, there was little to no queue on the Qantas check in line. There does not seem to be a self check in desk counter or area though so even after checking in online, I still had to head to the Business check in line to get my boarding pass printed. I was served almost immediately, and I also got the grey Qantas sleeve for the boarding pass. Nice!'


Qantas check-in desk

I headed next to the ticketing counter as I wanted to make some changes on my Circle Pacific itinerary and after getting everything in order, I headed to security. The priority line was slightly shorter than the normal one but there doesn't seem to be much problem for the mass traveller today as well. Thus far throughout my trip in the States, I haven't really encountered the horrendous queues in security as mentioned by fellow travellers. Maybe I was lucky?


Entrance to the oneworld lounge


Shower room in oneworld lounge

Security went by smoothly and the rest of the people behind me were flight crews for a departing BA flight. The oneworld lounge was easy to find past security as the signs led me to the elevator to the 5th floor. I really like the wood accent welcoming me though only 2 counters were serving the lounge guests. One for first class and another for business. This led to some wait as both counters seems to be busy catering to guests. And the lounge was really crowded, similar to the Pier in HKIA, so it was straight to the shower as it was a really hot two days in LA. Having arrived from cool Vancouver, I was sweating and feeling tired. It was however my first time having a shower in an airport. I had to go to the end of the lounge and exchange my boarding pass for a metal tag indicating the shower cubicle I would be using. Initial impressions were nice with clean toilets and fresh towels. There was even Molton Brown amenities, though they come in huge bottles for common use, a sign of cost cutting I guess. But still great nonetheless since I liked the Molton Brown fragrances. The helpful attendants were also able to provide me with some cotton tips to end the refreshing shower.


Chicken fiesta soup and tomato basil soup


Rice with chicken fajita style

After feeling clean and refreshed, I helped myself to a bowl of chicken fiesta soup and tomato basil soup both of which were superb and the spiciness of the latter was just right for my taste buds. Next on the plate was some Asian chicken wrap and Greek vegetable wrap which was kind of awful, though the rice with chicken fajita style was delicious and I had seconds for it. For beverages I chose Ginger Ale not Canada Dry but still quite good. To end my dinner I went with a chocolate brownie, cookies and a helping of fruit cocktail. All of this gulped down with a cranberry juice! It was a satisfying meal at the lounge and I set on to read some magazines and browse the Internet.


Bar counter in the lounge


Salad and appetizer bar

It was painfully slow to surf the web and time past by fast, before long it was time to board the plane as boarding call was made at 22:45. I made the trek towards gate 123 which seems specifically made for A380 boarding as there were 2 separate gates for boarding. I queued up at the Business line and it wasn't long before i walked along the sloped entryway up to the upper deck.


Boarding gate at LAX

quirrow

The best part of this trip was that I was actually able to obtain a seat on the front section of the Business class which had 3 rows of seats giving it a more quiet feel. I got around to placing my bags into the overhead bins and realized the ones on the side are smaller and it seems upper decks always have smaller overhead bin which is to be expected. However, it was still good enough though to fit my bags.


Onboard QF94

The flight steward soon came over and offered drinks and I chose to go with orange juice. Both flight stewards serving the front section of the Business class seems to have the aura of English butlers and it was really respectable for an airline to have such great staff quality. Something different from the usual female stewardess!


Welcome drink of orange juice


Business class lounge on the upper deck

Blankets and pillows were already at the seat and I really liked the Qantas grey and red seats which Garuda has also adopted for their Executive class seats. There was also the flight menu which could be hanged by the front so that the steward could bring food for a later dining time and also allow travelers to pre-order their breakfast. I filled mine up and specifically requested not to be served with beans. From the choices, I am expecting a very nice spread for breakfast before arrival. Great feature that is not found on Cathay. I am loving the little details so far. My window seat also had a stowage area by the side which meant I could place my pillow and blankets by the side for the moment. But the stowage bin was a bit dirty and even had some leftover almonds stuck on the edge. I also had time to explore the mini lounge by the front of the aircraft which had an array of magazines and the nice backlit Qantas logo at the bulkhead by the stairs.


Breakfast menu


Nut stuck in storage bin

By 23:20, everyone has boarded and the plane's door closed, though the plane remained stationary as it seems to be a busy time for LAX with several international departures going on. The only drawback so far is the lack of footrests while on the ground waiting for take off and no entertainment either since the TV is hidden away. This was unlike seats in First and Economy I think. At least the narrow Cathay seats had an ottoman for resting one's travel-weary leg up while waiting on the ground. But I am not going to let this small issue affect my mood. While waiting the captain came back with news that the fuel tract is broken and they're trying to fix it, but well take your time since I am well relaxed in my nice seat up there the delay continued until 12 midnight when the plane started its pullback behind a CX service to Hong Kong. While waiting on the ground, the crew started to pass out amenity kits to passengers. The crew also came around with special editions of the Sydney Morning Herald for passengers.


Sydney Morning Herald - Qantas special edition


Amenity kit in business class


Taking off from LAX

Finally the plane took off for the night skies at 00:21, nearly an hour behind schedule, and it seems I just do not get an on time departure ever on the A380. Hot towels were soon provided to passengers after take off and I found the towels to be thinner and gets cold really fast. SIA's hot towels are still the best ever and they even provide it to economy class passengers! The flight steward then went around with trolleys filled with pyjamas and water bottles. I got offered a medium size one which i think should fit me quite well. They also mentioned that Australian customs forms will also be given out shortly. I changed into my pyjamas before settling into the seat.


Pyjamas and bottled water

Returning to my seat, the flight steward soon came over and offered beverages and enquired my choice for supper and I requested for the lamb option. The supper menu for the flight was:

SUPPER

Our extensive Rockpool designed menu allows you to enjoy a completely personalised dining experience. You can choose the full menu after take-off, or if you prefer to dine later, simply complete the dine-later card for collection by your Flight Attendant.

MAIN COURSES

Toasted Ciabatta with Pastrami, Cheddar, Slow Cooked Tomatoes and Dijon Mustard

Big bowl of Minestrone with Pesto *Healthier option

Seared Steelhead Salmon with Radish, Celery and Lemon Salsa and Fingerling Potatoes

Roast Rack of Lamb with Caper and Olive Sauce, Broccolini and Cannellini Beans

Green Leaf Salad with Asparagus and Cucumber

DESSERT

Selection of Seasonal Cheese and accompaniments

Chocolate and Pistachio Semifreddo with Poached Cherries

Sliced Fresh Fruit

CHOCOLATES

Valrhona Chocolates

REFRESHMENT

Enjoy a range of snacks and drinks at any time throughout your flight. Your Flight Attendant will be pleased to prepare your selection or simply snack from our inflight bar.

Toasted Ciabatta with Pastrami, Cheddar, Slow Cooked Tomatoes and Dijon Mustard

Char Grilled Zucchini and Ricotta Pizzette with Rocket Leaves

Sea Bass, Leek and Dill Pot Pie

Jalapeño Tortilla Chips

Oat Cookie with Chocolate Ganache

Whole Seasonal Fruit

Ice Cream Tubs

Chocolate Bars

The first course was a salad platter with some sort of soy vinaigrette and there was whole meal or white bread to choose from. I also got the 2008 Cookoothama Botrytis Semillon which was a nice dessert wine, sweet and fragrant, but not as fruity as the ice wines of Canada. The lamb that came was good and much better than other lamb dishes I have ever tried on a plane. However, the middle of the lamb chop was a bit on the rare side...


Meal service set-up with appetizer of salad


Roast rack of lamb for supper


A bit on the rare side...


Qantas iQ home screen

While having the meal I took the opportunity to watch a movie from the iQ system of Qantas. I really liked the touch screen function and the nice name of the inflight entertainment. Though the selection of movies pales in comparison to Cathay's StudioCX. What it wins in is the ease of use of the system and how it just works instead of failing on me in CX.


Chocolate cake for dessert

Dessert was chocolate cake and I also requested for the fruit platter since it is my habit to have some fruits after every dinner/supper and I didn't have any at the lounge.There was an additional beverage service and I got a cup of hot chocolate to come with the dessert. The chocolate cake was delicious and the poached cherries made it even more wonderful. I would have to say I enjoyed the dessert most.


Dessert with hot chocolate


Watching Silence of the Lambs

After finishing dessert, I checked out the various parts of the jet to digest the food. From what I can see, Qantas has a pretty good premium economy product, they even have similar snack bar at the back. I walked to the end of the A380 on what appears to be a full flight and head down the stairs towards the economy cabin, which was quiet and noticed that there wasn't any crowd at the back galley.

On returning back to the upper deck, I noticed an enclosed drew rest area behind the small premium economy cabin. Back in my seat, I restarted the psychological thriller 'Silence of the Lambs' the first of the Hannibal Lecter movies. Having read 'Hannibal' and watched 'Red Dragon', I chose this from the Oscar selections in the iQ system. It was a fitting portrayal of Hannibal though being tired out from the day's activities, I fell asleep halfway through and converted the seat to the full recline mode. Again compared to CX's lie flat seats, I would have to say Cathay's old Herringbone system was equally good and provided as much shoulder room as Qantas on it's business class. In fact by making sure all the seats connects to the aisle, the seats on Cathay was much more private and perfect for the single traveler. Though the A380 wins by a long distance on cabin comfort and noise, and this is all that matters in the long haul service. Even with the turbulence encountered along the way as we cross the Pacific, the plane felt stable and comfortable so much so that I was able to get a nice 4 hours sleep.

quirrow

Self-serve snack bar


Qantas inflight magazine at the lounge


Economy class on the lower deck


Assortment of chocolates

I woke up to walk around the plane a bit, got some chips from the snack bar, and returned to my seat for the continued screening of my movie. At the end of the movie, I went back to sleep since we still had 6 hours of flight time to go. This time round I managed a shuteye of around 3 hours before getting woken up by the sounds of trays in the galley. It also seems that some of the passengers have chosen to have an early breakfast. The flight steward came over and offered me hot towels to freshen up again and brought me my breakfast, just as I had ordered it, without any beans. The breakfast set also came with a great smoothie, which really perked me up for the day ahead. I was also able to enjoy several episodes of Hawaii Five-O during and after breakfast. Noticing the ice cream on the menu, I asked the steward about it and he came back with 2 small tubs of Ben & Jerry's ice cream since he said they were partially melted. Anticipating the passenger's wants beforehand was really a great way to make me remember the service on this flight!


Let's watch Hawaii Five-O


Free range scrambled eggs on toasted sourdough with Applewood smoked bacon and sausages, without the braised beans


Tailcam View


Ben & Jerry's ice cream

After ensuring I ate as much of the ice cream as possible, I sat back to enjoy the remainder of the flight. Opening the window shutter, I was greeted with a beautiful sunrise over southeastern Australia. The completion of breakfast service also meant the lavatories were quite packed as most of the passengers went on to change out of their pyjamas. I waited for the crowd to disperse before taking my time to change into my clothes.


Mood lighting on the A380


Sunrise over Southeast Australia


Sunrise over the clouds

Back on my seat, I opened the window shutters and the sparkle of the sun against the terrain was really a fitting finale during the descent. It was a cloudy day on landing at Tullamarine, and one thing I always remember for Australia's airports are that the city skyline is usually visible from the airport. As expected, Qantas birds are everywhere here, though they had to share some space with SQ's A380 and my home airline - Garuda Indonesia's new A330. The sight of Garuda informed me how much closer to home I would be and makes me miss returning home after so long in N. America.


Legroom in Business Class; no worries of claustrophobia here


Bushland beside Tullamarine Airport


Garuda Indonesia A330 at MEL


Huge back end of another A380

Upon docking safely beside the other Qantas A380 I spotted earlier, the passengers alighted. Disembarkation was very orderly and I was soon out into the terminal. I had hoped for a vantage point to capture the A380 but alas, there was no such opportunity. However, while browsing through some of my photos, I realized I had taken a shot of the aircraft that had brought me to Australia back in LA when I was visiting the city. As such, there is the photo of VH-OQI here Immigration and baggage claim was also fast and efficient in Australia, with priority-tagged bags receiving the appropriate treatment. Upon exit out of the terminal, I was immediately pleased with the autumn weather which I had gotten used to in Vancouver and was welcomed in contrast to the heat of LA.


A last look at the Qantas A380 business class cabin after a 15 hour flight

The flight on Qantas A380 was my third on an A380 and first time on the business class service. Comparing Qantas and SQ's A380, I would have to say the Qantas configuration is slightly skewed towards the leisure traveller since SIA has individual seats and no premium economy class. I liked what Qantas did with their premium economy cabin and the A380 still amazes me, making it my favourite aircraft of choice to fly long haul. The service quality in this Qantas flight was amazing and while the crew didn't seem to be seen in the plane in between meal times, they were very pleasant during meal service. For in-flight entertainment, I still think that SQ and CX has better selections in terms of movies and TV shows, though I found that Qantas has more episodes of each TV Shows, but a smaller selection. Overall, this flight still makes it one of my most memorable ever and the longest one I have taken thus far!


Flying across the Pacific with Qantas

quirrow

It is a Nikon D90 with a 16-85mm lens I use for most of my pictures.

Jimgotkp

Looking forward to the MEL-SYD-CGK segments! Great photos and TR!

oontiveros

I am in CGK now and am planning a RTW or Circle Pacific trip as you did from here in Sept. Could you tell me where you booked and how much the tix was from here?

I am not too familiar with OW as am a *A guy normally, though I have done the CX trip in biz from here to JFK via YVR in that same seat on your report. As I am 194cm, etc, I found the CX seat to be restrictive and barely wider than my shoulders. Wouldn't do it again. Would be open to the new biz seat though.

Genius1

Fantastic report on the QF flight, with stunning photos to match once again.

I'm a big fan of QF's Business service, particularly on the A380. I particularly enjoy their Business catering, although would agree with you that your main course looks very rare indeed - verging on raw, in fact! I think I would have sent that back and opted for something else from the menu. I love QF's pre-order breakfast service in Business.

You are correct in that First passengers can keep their IFE screens out for taxi/takeoff/landing - this is not possible in Business or Premium Economy (or bulkhead Economy seats), due to the pop-out IFE screens restricting exit from the seat area.

Looking forward to the final couple of flights!

quirrow

I got the Circle Pacific ticket issued at CX's office in the Bursa Efek Jakarta Building, and t was between US$6-7k last year, not sure what the prices are now...

*A's service to YVR is a bit 2nd-class IMO compared to OW since SQ doesn't fly ICN-YVR anymore, the new CX business looks great though and should already be operating the HKG-YVR-JFK route, and someone made a post of it doing the CGK-HKG run too, so if you're really lucky maybe you can get it on all 3 routings!

Yup, QF's service in Business was amazing, and as for that meal, I wasn't too hungry since it was supper, so I just left it. And the b'fast pre-order was really nice, since they really take note of your preferences. In fact I would rate my flight in QF's A380 J higher than my flight in CX's B747 J, mainly for the cabin ambience, service onboard and overall experience.

quirrow

Qantas Premium Check-in Counter

The Jetbus in Melbourne picked me up right on time and it was already waiting outside the lobby at 12 noon but I was just checking out and I had to ask the driver to wait for 5 more minutes. It was a leisurely ride to the airport since it was early and I reached the domestic terminal 1 around 12:35. I headed straight to the Business class check in counters just beside the security screening and there was no queue. The lady agent had some trouble with my ticket though which might be due to the change in schedule that I had made in LAX Qantas counter. What happened was I had 2 reservations for the day between MEL and SYD, one on a much earlier flight. Due to the hourly departures, I was offered the chance to board an earlier flight, but since I knew it would be a narrow-body 737 operating the earlier flight, I chose to stick with the one I am booked on since I knew it would be a 767.


Melbourne Tullamarine Domestic Terminal

The whole check in process took around 5 minutes to get it sorted out and it caused a queue behind since she was the only one working the business class check-in counter. I got directions from the agent after getting my boarding pass. Though the boarding pass had no sleeve this time round and no pink business priority luggage tags either. The security line was just beside the check-in counter and it was a breeze compared to the States and no shoes, or coats need to be taken off. Short queues meant I was past security and on my way to the Qantas Club lounge just a short walk off security. I took some photos at the central atrium food court first past security as it had an expansive view of the tarmac.


Pair of Qantas Dash-8s


Lexus CT200h on display

There was a Lexus CT200h exhibit in the entrance to the lounge and one just need to take the escalator up to the 2nd floor to get to the reception. It was a huge lounge that had great views out into the tarmac. The lounge area has several sections - a seating area facing the tarmac, and a more secluded corner divided by a dining area. There was also a bar area with table and stools facing a large LCD screen. I sat down in the more secluded corner and got myself some mushroom soup to start with before getting some Thai vermicelli salad with bread, salami and ham.


Cold platters selection at the Qantas Lounge


Dining area in the Qantas Lounge


Seating area

There was also an assortment of brownies, cookies and sweets to be had with a good cup of cappuccino. I sat down to try out the wifi and it works alright, better than the slow service at LAX. Other beverages served includes juices, and a bar counter serving a variety of wines, beer and of course champagne. There are also ample magazines for passengers to choose from and a magazine kiosk selling what they don't provide. The magazine kiosk is a nice touch in a lounge as it allows passengers to purchase some travel necessities as well without leaving the lounge. Overall it was great lounge and the only downside I found was that warm food choices are limited.


Cappucino and Brownies after a meal at the Lounge


Lounge area with a View

quirrow

Qantas livery at Sydney

Qantas QF440 Melbourne Tullamarine MEL - Sydney Kingsford Smith SYD
09 May 2011
B767-300 VH-ZXD
Scheduled ETD/ETA: 1430-1555
Actual Time of Departure/Arrival: 1515-1618
Seat No: 4K

Looking at the departure information screen, I left the lounge at 14:10 to realize that gate 12 is located at one end of the terminal and it was a long walk but when I arrived, boarding has yet to start. Seems like its going to be a late departure today. In fact the later flight to Sydney on QF442 which is operated on a 737-800 went on to board first.


Qantas B767 with a departing CX A330


Qantas Boeing 767

This delay allowed me to take some more photos of the various Qantas jets in Melbourne and I was also able to take a shot of a departing Cathay A330. The late boarding at 14:40 as I later found out was due to the late arrival of the crew and the doors to the cabin were closed only at 14:50. Fast boarding of the plane allowed crew in business to serve welcome beverage of water or apple strawberry juice. I chose the latter which was a very nice drink and great for a change from the usual orange juice.


Business Class legroom


Welcome drink of apple and strawberry mixed juice

The business class cabin wasn't very packed and I ended up having both aisle and window seats by myself on the seats which were in a 2-2-2 abreast configuration. Compared to the Cathay Pacific regional Business Class that I had between Singapore and Bangkok, I found the seats as comfortable, though I thought it was a tad narrower. It might be due to the narrower cabin of the 767 compared to the 777 that Cathay operates. For such an old 767, the cabin interior was very clean and well maintained, and this reflects well on Qantas as an airline as I definitely was more comfortable in this cabin compared to the American Airlines' 767 that plies between JFK and LAX.


Qantas Business Class seats on domestic 767


Qantas Boeing 737-800 and a China Southern jet at the background


Qantas A380s and SQ 747

There was a short taxi to the runway as we passed by jumbo jets operated by SQ and the A380 by Qantas, in addition to an Emirates 777 being parked remotely. We were airborne by 15:15 and had a nice view of a quarry in Oakland Junction at the North of Melbourne and the Greenvale Reservoir before cloud cover shielded the rest of the landscape.


Take-off from Tullamarine Airport


View upon take-off


Greenvale reservoir in north of Melbourne

As we reached cruising altitude, the captain was quick to reassure passengers with onward connecting flights from Sydney. In addition he also apologized for the delay stating that it was due to some miscommunication in scheduling of crew members. He also mentioned about the light refreshments and snacks that will be served. In business class, there was a choice of carrot soup or smoked salmon antipasti platter. I got the carrot soup since I was craving for something warm that day and wasn't disappointed, and I got more of the apple strawberry juice to go along with the meal. Bread was offered along with tea and coffee. Business class passengers also had a choice of wine to go along with their meal.


Cruising across State of Victoria


Inflight meal service


Carrot soup served with chocolate muffin, bread and crackers

The nice weather meant a short flight and I didnt manage to finish my meal since I was too full and the captain had already announced start of descent before I got to return the tray back to the crew. The flight attendants serving the route was friendly and had the same standard as that serving the A380 route from LAX. As I glanced out of the window, I noticed that the scenery in New South Wales looks a lot greener than that in the State of Victoria. There seems to be more green landscaping such as forest or bush cover compared to the arid brown landscape around Victoria. One could also take sight of three lakes on the approach to Sydney with one being Lake Woronora. I got to know the name of the lake from Google Map (the wonders of technology these days!)


Lake Woronora on approach to Sydney


Sydney and its suburbs

quirrow

During our descent into Sydney, it was a scenic view offering passengers on both sides of the window a chance to catch a glimpse of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House at sunset. Somehow the scenery of Sydney and its surrounds just made up for the delay at Melbourne and it was kind of the highlight of this plane ride for me. The plane eventually landed at Sydney Kingsford Smith around 16:18 which makes a flight time just shy of 1 hour.


Sydney Olympic Park at the bottom left


Sydney and its Harbour in sunset


Virgin Blue 737-800 and Tiger Airways at Sydney

I did not head directly to the baggage claim area upon alighting as I got distracted by the nice Qantas domestic terminal in Sydney which also had a model of Qantas' first ever plane. By the time I went to claim my luggage, it was already on the carousel. The amazing weather, pleasant crew and adequate catering makes for another memorable flight on Qantas was more than adequate to compensate for the delay and really adds positive marks to the airline after my fabulous experience with them on the A380.


Qantas and the Sydney Skyline


Thank you for the ride to Sydney


Qantas Domestic Terminal at Sydney


Qantas' first plane

putongo

Wow, great shots. Looking forward to someday flying the big A380 trans-Pac. Can't wait to see next batch of photos! Thanks for posting......

putongo

quirrow

Melbourne at Dusk


View of Melbourne from my room at Sofitel


Royal Exhibition Building


La Trobe Reading Room in the State Library


Old Melbourne Gaol


City Circle Tram


Twelve Apostles National Park


Bedroom at the Park Hyatt Melbourne


Autumn at the Fitzroy Gardens

Likes:
1) Gardens in the city, one is never far off from greenery in the city and these places makes for a very nice place for a morning jog or an afternoon stroll.
2) Southbank at night and after sunset is a nice place for a meal, or just to people watch, especially on the weekends.
3) The Great Ocean Road, definitely a place to tour and visit with its spectacular scenery and abundance of interesting flora and fauna.

Places I Stayed at:
1) Sofitel Melbourne - recommended for its height with a view over downtown Melbourne, and its location right on Collins Road, close to major points of interest
2) Park Hyatt Melbourne - great place to stay, especially in rooms facing the cathedral. Spacious rooms with luxurious bathroom, but a bit of a walk to the city centre in a quiet area

quirrow

Downtown Sydney from Darling Harbour


Queen Victoria Building


Heritage Room at Westin Sydney


The Opera House


Harbour Bridge at Sunset


Sunset from the Sydney Observatory


View from the Horizon Club Lounge in Shangri-la Sydney


Sunset over Manly Beach


The Rocks and the Harbour Bridge


Prawns and Oysters at the Sydney Fish Market


Dwellings in Abbotsford Bay


Sunrise over Sydney from InterContinental Harbour View Room


Royal Botanic Gardens with Sydney Downtown in the background

Likes:
1) Take the ferries using a weekly pass for public transport to the suburbs in the city to experience the wonder of Sydney's harbour
2) Watching the sunset from Observatory Hill in Sydney is a wonderful way to spend the evening
3) Visit one of Sydney's many great beaches to spend the afternoon with a stroll or learn surfing!
4) Circular Quay, the Rocks, Royal Botanic Gardens and the Harbour Bridge all provides excellent viewpoints of the Opera House, a landmark of this city

Places I stayed at:
1) Sheraton on the Park - Great location beside Hyde Park and close to the shopping areas. Room is also well designed with large bathrooms with separate bathtubs and walk-in shower.
2) Westin Sydney - Heritage rooms in the Old Post Office Building section have tall ceilings and beautiful rooms. Modern bathrooms also have separate tubs and shower cubicle. Best location for shopping.
3) Shangri-la Sydney - Perhaps the best place to stay in Sydney, especially if in one of their Horizon Club rooms as their lounge has the best view of Sydney. Priciest of the lot though location at The Rocks brings it closer to Circular Quay for easy access to ferries.
4) InterContinental Sydney - Small bathroom and average rooms are not up to par as other places I stayed at in town. The service is also sub-standard, not a very good place to stay for its price though location is maybe the best of all for sightseeing.