If youโve been hanging out on Flyertalk or any frequent flyer forum, youโll be well aware that the Park Hyatt Sydney is something of a byword amongst miles and points fanatics, and for good reason.
This, after all, is a hotel that boasts million dollar views of the Sydney Opera House, one of the most iconic landmarks in the world. Photos donโt do justice to the unobstructed panoramas set at eye-level; it has to be experienced to be believed.
This hotel has been on my bucket list for a while now, and on this trip I finally pulled the trigger.
๐ฆ Journey to the Hermit Kingdom |
๐จ tl;dr: Park Hyatt Sydney | |
While itโs not flawless, the Park Hyatt Sydneyโs surreal views make for an unforgettable experience. | |
๐ The Good | ๐ The Bad |
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Booking
The Park Hyatt Sydney just might be the most expensive hotel in town, with room rates well above A$1,000 per night. I wasnโt quite ready to spend that amount of money, but was willing to burn 30,000 Hyatt points for the experience (the Park Hyatt Sydney is a Category 7 property, which means that rooms will price at 25,000, 30,000 or 35,000 points per night depending on season).
Even better, a friend helped me book a Guest of Honor stay which gave me the same benefits as a Globalist member, namely:
- A room upgrade (including standard suites- although the Park Hyatt Sydney doesnโt include these in the upgrade pool)
- Complimentary breakfast
- Free parking
- 4 p.m check-out
Check-in
The Park Hyatt Sydney is located at 7 Hickson Road, near The Rocks and in the shadow of the Harbour Bridge. Despite its location on some of the most prime land in all of Sydney, it still manages to be secluded- which means youโll probably want to take a cab here. The closest train station is at Circular Quay, a 10-minute and 850m walk to the hotel.
On arrival, the staff helped unload my luggage. One of them asked me my name, escorted me to the front desk and said โMr Wong is here to check inโ. It was a nice little touch, although that was the only time I was ever addressed by name. I was hoping that for a 155-room hotel, the staff might make an effort to go beyond the usual โsir/madamโ.
The front desk confirmed that I was staying on a guest of honor booking, and automatically coded my keys for a 4 p.m check-out.
As mentioned earlier, Park Hyatt Sydney has a policy of not upgrading elite members to suites, so instead I got a view upgrade. At most hotels, a view upgrade is a complete sham. But at this particular hotel, itโs actually worth something- youโll see why in the next section.
Room
The Park Hyatt Sydney basically has two types of non-suite rooms: regular, and deluxe/premium. The regular rooms range from 40-45 sqm, and the deluxe/premium rooms measure in at 75 sqm. The main differentiating factor is the view.
In terms of hierarchy, hereโs how they run from cheapest to most expensive:
- 1 King Bed/2 Twin Beds
- 1 King Bed with Harbour View
- 1 King Bed with Opera View
- 1 King Bed Deluxe
- 1 King Bed with Opera View Deluxe
- 1 King Bed with Opera View Premium
Award bookings put you in the 1 King Bed/2 Twin Beds lead-in category, which I notice the hotel doesnโt even sell on its website (the lead-in category for cash stays is the 1 King Bed with Harbour View). A cynic might say it shows that points-paying guests are second class citizens here, shuffled off to the rooms with the worst views while cash-paying guests get the better ones.
That could very well be whatโs going on, but in any case my points booking had been upgraded to 240, an Opera View Room. This required a rather long walk down the corridor, but as a general rule of thumb, walking is a good thing in this hotel- the further you walk, the better the view.
The door opened into a large entryway with the toilet to the right, the bathroom diagonally across and the bedroom further on.
Rooms at the Park Hyatt Sydney have a minimalist yet elegant aesthetic to them, with brown, beige and light grey tones. The patterned texture on the wall behind the bed made me think of a Japanese ryokan, and even though the hotelโs last major renovation was in 2012, it didnโt feel like itโd aged much.
Floor to ceiling windows let in natural light through a series of electrically-controlled day blinds, with blackout night blinds also an option.
![](https://milelion.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/20211128_151339.jpg)
In the corner of the room was a square table, which was equally suitable for work or dining.
Wi-Fi speeds clocked in at 31 Mbps up and 13 Mbps down- far from the triple-digit speeds I was getting at other Sydney hotels, but respectable nonetheless.
A single-armed lounge chair and ottoman were in the other corner, providing a nice space to read a book while soaking in the view.
The king-sized bed was extremely comfortable, with plush linens and a firm mattress. Some reviewers have noted that the beds are almost too firm (separate mattress toppers are available on request) but thatโs how old men like me like it. Thereโs also a pillow menu, naturally.
Both bedsides had touch-sensitive light and blind controls, etched onto a glass backing. Both also had Type I outlets, but only one side had USB ports.
The room had an impressive-looking minibar spanning a full height closet, with spirits, wines, champagne and soft drinks- none of which are free, unfortunately!
Complimentary Aurora teabags and Nespresso capsules were provided. Aurora isnโt quite as premium a brand as Iโd have expected for a place like this, although Iโm not much of a tea drinker myself.
What was free was the welcome gift of Cuvee chocolates. This mini collection of bite-sized Grand Cru, Amphora and Soleo samples was delicious.
Whatโs interesting is that the welcome card is signed by Marc Von Arnim, who is no longer the GM at the Park Hyatt Sydney. The new man at the helm is Samuel Dabinett, a development thatโs causing some consternation among the Flyertalk faithful.
The TV is definitely on the smaller side; they could stand to upgrade this to at least a 55โณ model because itโs hard to make out the picture from bed. A Bose bluetooth speaker was provided for guests to play their own music.
The TV supposedly had a Chromecast feature, but I simply couldnโt get it to work. I later discovered it was because the Chromecast unit had no power cable. Despite flagging this early the following morning, it was never rectified during my stay.
But thereโs little need to watch TV when the view outside is this amazing. The highlight of the room by far was the balcony area with a single chair and ottoman, from which you had an unobstructed line of sight to the Opera House.
I spent large chunks of the day just sitting on the balcony, still in disbelief at the view. I popped open a bottle of sparkling wine and tried not to let the sights distract me from work. It was difficult.
Since the room overlooks a public promenade, youโll want to draw your blinds during the day for privacy. Itโs not difficult for someone at the right angle to look directly into the rooms.
Hereโs an idea of how visible you are from the promenade level.
Opposite the toilet was a double wardrobe, with luggage storage, plenty of hangers, as well as an ironing board.
The bathroom was separated from the bedroom by sliding wooden panels. You could open these up to make room feel even bigger, or draw them shut for privacy. If you intend to go open concept, remember to draw the blinds (unless you want to give the entire promenade below a free show).
As expected at a Park Hyatt, the bathroom was a picture of luxury. Elegant marble countertops, his and hers sinks, and thick bath towels came standard.
The bathing area combined a shower and sunken bathtub. I rather like this concept actually, since you can easily shower off after soaking, instead of having to drip water all over the bathroom floor while transiting.
Park Hyatt uses bathroom amenities from Le Laboโs Bergamote 22 range, which are quite superb.
A quirk about the bathroom is that the toilet was located outside, near the room entrance. It could be because of architectural constraints, but itโs not a bad idea actually because it allows one guest to answer the call of nature while the other is showering, with no intermingling of odors.
The toilet had a heated TOTO bidet seat, making it the only hotel out of all my Sydney stays to have such a feature.
Facilities
Swimming Pool
Even if you donโt score a room with a view, the Park Hyatt Sydneyโs rooftop pool will sort you right out. The Opera House and much of the CBD is visible from the roof, making it a must visit even for those who intend to stay dry.
The pool itself is on the small side, but thatโs kind of besides the point. Itโs regular-shaped for lap swimming (although narrow enough to be an issue when others are just there to splash around), and heated during autumn and winter.
The main attraction for me was the heated jacuzzi, from which you can soak in the views- quite literally. Come here in the evenings with a (plastic) glass of bubbly, turn on the jets and watch day turn to night. Itโs an experience like no other.
Around the pool are numerous pool chairs, all of which were in good condition (i.e. no bird poop stains).
Three cabanas were available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Guests can help themselves to bottled water from a concealed fridge. You can also order food and consume it in the pool area.
Gym
The Park Hyatt Sydneyโs gym is located on the third floor, and while it doesnโt have the same awe-inspiring views that the pool has, it gets the job done. Equipment is by Technogym, with treadmills, elliptical machines, and exercise bikes available, plus free weights and medicine balls.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served from 7 a.m to 10.30 a.m (11 a.m on Sundays), but donโt make the mistake of coming too early! I arrived at 7 a.m and was seated in The Living Room, the hotelโs high tea venue. Had I come about 30-40 minutes later, Iโd have been able to sit in The Dining Room, which has much more comfortable chairs and direct access to the buffet.
Regardless of where youโre seated, youโll be able to order one hot item from the menu, as shown below.
Toast and fruits were served while waiting.
I ordered the chorizo, sweetcorn, tomato salsa, puffed rice and scrambled eggs, with sides of avocado and hash browns and mushrooms (there was no extra charge for sides).
Guests in The Dining Room can help themselves to further items from the buffet such as cereals, cured meats, smoked salmon, cheese and breads. I could also have had this served to me in The Living Room, but the staff werenโt too descriptive as to what exactly was available so I had no idea.
Service
While all the staff I interacted with were perfectly polite, I felt the service didnโt quite reach the level you might expect for a hotel that charges more than A$1,000 per night. For example, guests were never addressed by name, and there was no pre-arrival email to try and get to know their likes and dislikes better. I didnโt feel like anything more than just another random guest, which wouldnโt be a big deal in a 800-room business hotel, but isnโt good enough for a 155-room luxury boutique.
There were also things that could have been communicated much better. For example, the jacuzzi was closed for almost the entire second day of my stay for repairs. A letter at check-in would have been a good heads up.
I previously mentioned that the Chromecast in my room wasnโt working, but even though I raised the matter with reception the following morning, no one ever came around to fix it (and remember, I only left at 4 p.m).
I also had quite an unpleasant experience with the bathroom lights- I donโt know whether theyโre triggered by motion sensors, but I was woken up twice by the lights suddenly going on for no rhyme or reason. I eventually resolved the issue by closing the partition between the bedroom and the bathroom, but could still hear a click everytime the lights came on, which must have happened several more times that night. I also realised that the light beneath the sink was flickering, creating an unpleasant strobe light effect.
The hotel, to their credit, was apologetic about the issues and proactively refunded me 15,000 points.
Conclusion
Despite some issues, the Park Hyatt Sydney was hands down the most impressive stay during my entire Australia trip. Itโs really all about the breathtaking views, the kind that make you pause and pinch yourself to make sure youโre not dreaming. My biggest regret is I didnโt have The Milelioness in tow, because this is the kind of experience thatโs meant to be shared with someone.
I donโt know whether Iโd be willing to pay the A$1,000+ rates, but itโs certainly worth a points splurge for a special occasion.
Park Hyatt Sydney veterans- thoughts?
Should have gone to Pier One Sydney Harbour by Autograph Collection just a few steps down. Most stunning breakfast ever โ freshly squeezed juice, stir fried kale to order, aรงai bowls. And you get the Opera House view just by walking out, without the premium price tag to boot.
i did consider it, but as a lowly marriott gold I wouldnโt have breakfast perks nor much of a shot at an upgrade.
Thanks for the thorough review. I have spent quite some stays there in pre-pandemic times. It is a very nice hotel โ and with breathtaking views indeed if the right room is allocated. I love the breakfast, raiding those big fridges filled with wonderful produce. High expectations are not always met, they have had quite some staff changes in last years, I do miss this place though, canโt wait for Australia to open to us coming from afar who canโt enjoy VTL/similar arrangements.
Would like to give it a try but walking distance from Circular Quay is a bit far.
Weโve stayed before and after the renovations. Way back when I was still using a Palm V the staff would address us by name โ all the staff, every last one, really it was eerie โ which was even more amazing than the Ritz-Carlton at that time. But that was no longer the case when we last stayed a few years ago. The service was still good for us: we had our usual guided tour around the neighborhood and a drink at the pub with the concierge, and they were always ready for my morning runs with a banana, aโฆ Read more ยป