Sydney, Australia - Recommended Hotel

[robnbill]

When we end our January Celebrity Cruise we plan on staying for three days in Sydney. We would like a very comfortable hotel with corresponding service - in the "Rocks" area.

 

We have been looking at these:

 

. The Observatory

. Shangri-La

 

If anyone has had personal experience with these, or another in that same area, please share your recommendations.

 

Thanks

[twodudes]

Hey Rob and Bill,

 

Its hard to go past the Shangri-La. Subject to your budget, the Park Hyatt is also exceptional, with most rooms overlooking the water. If you are not attached to The Rocks area, the Sheraton on the Park is also another sensational hotel.

 

Best regards,

Ash

[bostom]

Downtown Sydney is relatively small so you might wish to expand your search a bit - there are any number of better places, granted at varying rates.

 

The Observatory is oddly sited, facing a retaining wall below a somewhat-dodgy-at-night park (and not neccessarily in a good way dodgy if you get my drift...) from the front and with a lovely view of the Sydney container-ship port for the rooms to the rear. The rooms are certainly OK but we thought the place over-rated. The service was good but not the location. It's nice but by no means worthy, we thought, of the rep they have.

 

The Shangri-la is the old ANA Sydney Hotel and while the views are spectacular, that's the best thing it has going for it - an utterly bland businessman's hotel from the late 80's. They've done a re-do so the furniture's different but there's a Kristin Bjorn film from some years back that was filmed in a suite there - not, I'm sure, that anyone was looking at the scenery outside...

 

You'll feel like you're in "The Rocks" or more properly "on" them at the Observatory but while technically one might also be at the Shangri-La, you're really at the edge, closer to the Darling Harbour side of downtown and too close for comfort to the Cahill Expressway and the approaches to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Which, btw, you must walk across: fear of heights be damned - it's spectacular and quite safe. And the pictures they will take of you (and of course, offer you for sale at the end) are spectacular as well.

 

We thought the Westin Sydney was one of the best hotels in Australia: central (but in the CBD - 5-10 minutes walk to the Rocks, Circular Quay, or Darling Harbour; 1 minute to the Pitt Street Mall and 10 to the Queen Victoria Building.) It's a stylish re-do of the former Main Post Office built over the Tank Stream and the reason Sydney is, well, Sydney as it's where they first found fresh water. That part (the lobby and some lower-floor rooms with 20 ft ceilings) is called the Heritage building. The newer part is a 30 story high rise tower built over the shell of the PO. The rooms are huge and if you have any juice with Starwood, look for an upgrade to a corner suite as they're huge, have a bath and half, a dressing room the size of some hotel rooms, and on the higher floors, some amazing views, particularly from the tub or the walk-in shower, aka "Hello Sydney!" Not right-on-the-Harbour views, to be sure but certainly far better than those from the Observatory. As well, it has the best Club Lounge in the Starwood family in terms of food, wine (especially wine) and service. Breakfast is more than ample and the munchies can make a meal at night.

 

The Sheraton on the Park was good, as of course is the Hyatt, although the prices there are in the stratosphere. For price/value/location we like the Hilton, the Sir Stamford (Australian chain - great hotel, great service, right on Circular Quay) and the Grace. The Blue (ex-W Hotel Sydney) is waaaaay away from the places you'd likely want to be and was waaaaay overrated when it was the W - the reviews since aren't pretty either.

 

Apart from the prices these days - which have risen steadily over the past five years as the US dollar has sunk - and the length of time it takes to get there, we love Sydney like no other city. San Francisco can't hold a candle to it in terms of the natural beauty of its setting. And while certainly the views of Sydney Harbour are spectacular, there's so much more to it than that.

[jisgrig]

Sheraton on the Park was wonderful. Great location - couple blocks out back door to Queen Victoria Building (mall & historic building), across the street from Hyde Park, walk thru the park to top of Oxford Street for bars, cafes, shops; across the street from metro station with 5 minute ride to Circular Quay and Rocks areas. Very nice room with huge black marble bath, with separate tub and glass shower with rainwater showerhead. Stayed there on two different trips and loved the hotel and location. Can be pricey but sometimes can get decent rates.

[roscoe39]

I enjoy the Marriott Hyde Park,,in College Street, up the other end of town from the rocks but at the bottom of Oxford street, the bars clubs and shopping strip., its a short walk from across the park to Darling Habour and shopping etc. Rooms vary in cost, last month I paid $150pn. including an fantastic breakfast. They have the most compfortable beds I have ever slept in..

To Walk from there to the Rocks is about 20minutes., so its not to far if you want to go down there for a look. As someone said earlier., its a small area of Sydney and I dont think you need to limit staying there for the sake of it.

Its a great town...hope you enjoy your trip.

[jjb415]

I enjoy the Marriott Hyde Park,,in College Street, up the other end of town from the rocks but at the bottom of Oxford street, the bars clubs and shopping strip., its a short walk from across the park to Darling Habour and shopping etc.

 

I agree with your comments about the Hyde Park location. For my taste, unless the OP is set on the Rocks area, Hyde Pard is a pleasant area with a good feeling of a mix between business district and small neighborhood.

[Kiwifruit]

Positionwise it is very hard to beat the Park Hyatt which is practically on circular quay (where most cruise ships berth) looking directly out to Sydney Opera House in one direction and Harbour bridge in other direction and within very short walking distance of both. It is a hop, skip and a jump from the cruise terminal and is right in the historic "Rocks" precinct. Only downside is that it is so popular you rarely get discounted rates there.