Travelling from Canberra, the second and final stop of our Australia trip was Sydney, where we stayed for three nights. This being our first trip to Sydney, we wanted to stay at a central location and we decided to go with Park Hyatt Sydney after reading generally positive reviews about the property.
Park Hyatt Sydney Stay Details
Table of Contents
Hotel Background and Information
Park Hyatt Sydney opened in 1990 on the harbourfront between two of Australia’s iconic landmarks, namely the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House.
After being acquired by the Japan-based Daisho group in 2008, which also owns W Melbourne, the hotel underwent a complete renovation and reopened in 2012.
With its waterfront location offering sweeping views of Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Opera House as well as the hotel’s luxury positioning, Park Hyatt Sydney is considered to be one of the best hotels in Sydney and one of the most aspirational properties in Hyatt’s portfolio.
The hotel has 155 rooms and suites as follows:
Park Hyatt Sydney is a 25 minutes drive from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) and is located in The Rocks, right by the waterfront. The hotel is a distance by foot to the nearest public transportation with the closest bus stop a seven-minute walk away while the closest train and light rail station are a nine-minute walk from the hotel.
Having said that, due to the property’s location in The Rocks, there are numerous restaurants and bars within the hotel’s vicinity. A couple of Sydney’s attractions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, and Sydney Observatory are also a short walk from the hotel.
Train and light rail station near the hotel:
- Circular Quay (9 mins walk)
Distance of major attractions near the hotel:
- The Rocks Market (5 mins walk)
- Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (6 mins walk)
- Sydney Observatory (12 mins walk)
- Royal Botanic Garden Sydney (14 mins walk)
- Pylon Lookout (19 mins walk)
- Sydney Opera House (19 mins walk)
Booking Process and Pricing
With prices starting from more than AUD 1200 (approx. USD 800) a night for a One King Bed with Harbour View Room, we opted to book an award stay at 30,000 points a night (we managed to secure the booking before World of Hyatt’s annual award category change back on 22 March 2022) using points we had purchased previously at a 30% discount.
Award stays at Park Hyatt Sydney books you into the hotel’s lead in category One King Bed room, which overlooks Hickson road with none of the harbour views that the hotel is famous for.
This is certainly not a room that anyone staying at Park Hyatt Sydney would want to be in (the hotel does not even sell these rooms on cash stays), but we decided to take our chances for a free upgrade as there were data points on Flyertalk that suggests that the hotel is unlikely to put guests in the One King Bed room regardless of status unless they were running at capacity.
Data points also suggested that if an upgrade was not given, a paid upgrade to a harbour view room will cost an additional AUD 250 (approx. USD 167) per room per night which we were prepared to pay as the combined cash plus points costs would still be lower than the cash rate.
Unfortunately, despite the data points, we were not given a free upgrade to a harbour view room. When we enquired about the paid upgrade, we were quoted a price of AUD 350 (approx. USD 234) per room per night for a One King Bed with Harbour View room, and AUD 500 (approx. USD 335) per room per night for a One King Bed with Opera View room, which was higher than what we had expected.
Regardless, we still proceeded with the paid upgrade to a One King Bed with Harbour View room as we were still better off as compared to paying the cash rate and it was simply terrible value to stay in the One King Bed room at 30,000 points a night without the upgrade.
Check-in & Lobby
Our Uber reached the hotel’s driveway at around 4:45 in the afternoon and the doorman came immediately to open the vehicle’s door and assisted with the luggage.
We were asked for our names which the doorman then radioed to the front desk and we were addressed by name upon entering. There wasn’t anyone checking in at that time and thus we were attended to immediately.
The front desk staff who checked us in seem to be new as he looked nervous during the check-in process. After check-in formalities were completed, we enquired about the free upgrade and were told that it was subject to availability with no signs of a free upgrade forthcoming.
Since we did not have any status with Hyatt, we did not push for a free upgrade and instead asked about a paid upgrade. We then decided to go for a paid upgrade after some deliberation and were given the card keys after payment for the upcharge was taken.
Following this, the front desk staff escorted us to the lift while letting us know the location of the various hotel facilities and off we went to our room.
Room: One King Bed With Harbour View
The hotel has four levels in total and we were assigned a room on level three, which had views of the harbour. The one king bed with harbour view room we got measures between 40 – 45 sqm (430 – 484 Sqft) and had the same size as the lead in category one king bed room except that our room had a private balcony with a view of the harbour.
Stepping into the room, we found ourselves in a small foyer with a large full-height mirror to the left, and a large artwork on the right of the foyer. The master switch is also on the right wall that’s adjacent to the main door.
The room’s toilet is separate from the bathroom and is located to the right of the entrance. We found this design to be a great feature as it allows the other person to use the toilet when someone is showering or using the bath.
The toilet is self-contained with its dedicated single vanity.
It is also equipped with a Toto washlet, which we appreciate.
The bathroom is next to the toilet and is enclosed by a pair of sliding doors on two sides. The rather spacious bathroom has a marble-clad double vanity, a built-in wooden bench, and an enclosed shower and bathtub area.
Underneath the vanity’s countertop, which had a generous amount of space, are drawers where the hairdryer and toiletries can be found. The bath towels and weighing scale are placed under the drawers and the bench respectively.
Toiletries consisted of a shower cap, two dental kits with Colgate toothpaste, a sewing kit, a shaving kit, a vanity kit, a sanitary bag, and a loofah.
More toiletries can be found on the countertop, and these include a bottle of mouthwash and body lotion, two bars of hand soap, cotton buds, shower gel, hair conditioner, and shampoo.
The toiletries are from Le Labo, a luxury fragrance brand under Estée Lauder and the ones found in Park Hyatt Sydney are from the Bergamote 22 range.
Next to the double vanity is the enclosed shower and bathtub area and we liked the fact that both the shower and the bathtub are just next to each other.
This makes it easy for us to shower after having a soak in the bathtub without the need to walk across the bathroom and wetting the floor in the process.
The shower set had a rain shower as well as a handheld shower head. The water temperature was warm and consistent while the water pressure was great.
The built-in bathtub is big enough for two with the tap being located at the side.
As mentioned earlier, the bathroom has two sets of doors, and one of them can be opened should you wish to have a view of the harbour while having a soak.
Opposite the bathroom are the wardrobes, which is in a walkway that leads to the sleeping area.
The wardrobe is sufficiently large and had lots of hangers for use. The iron and ironing board, in-room safe, shoe brush, power adapter, laundry bag, and bedroom slippers can all be found in the wardrobe.
The laundry price list reads as follows:
There is also a card that shows the list of complimentary items that can be requested from the hotel:
Next to the wardrobe and in the bedroom is the minibar, which is where the welcome amenity was placed.
The welcome amenity is a box of three Cuvée chocolates, which according to the box is meant to go with wine.
Wall mounted in the same space are the air-conditioner controls and a Type-I power outlet.
In the drawer underneath are some snacks which includes chips, candies, and chocolates and all of these items are chargeable.
The kettle and ice bucket are placed in the bottom drawer.
Placed on a shelf above the welcome amenity was a teapot set which could be useful if you want to have some of the complimentary tea in the minibar.
The minibar was well-stocked and took the form of a full-height cabinet.
There are plates, cutlery, glasses, and several types of alcohol in addition to a bottle of wine in the minibar.
Six complimentary coffee capsules from Nespresso, to be used with the in-room Nespresso coffee machine, and four complimentary packets of Aurora teabags were provided.
At the bottom half of the cabinet is the minibar fridge along with two bottles of house-branded water.
Like the rest of the minibar, the minibar fridge is well-stocked with various drinks ranging from juices, soft drinks, beers, and champagne.
Minibar prices are as follows:
The bedroom has a king-sized Beautyrest bed in the middle with lots of natural light due to the full-length balcony sliding glass doors. In addition to the bed, a dining table with two chairs, a sofa, and a television can be found in the bedroom.
The bed is between a display rack on one side and a bedside table on the other side.
Despite not having a physical copy of the pillow menu, the hotel does offer a choice between a foam pillow, memory foam pillow, and triangle pillow which is only provided upon request.
An alarm clock can be found on the display rack at bedside. There is also one Type-I power outlet (240V) and lighting controls.
On the other side of the bed is a phone, a notepad, a pen, lighting and blinds controls, one Type-I power outlet (240V), and two USB-A outlets.
Across the room is a television console where the television, a Bose Bluetooth speaker, another phone, and some cables are placed.
The in-room dining menu is as follows if anyone is interested:
The television measures 43 inches and we felt that the television was too small for a room of this size. With 47 channels on offer, there are lots of choices to pick from.
Adjacent to the television is a dining table with two chairs which can also double up as a work desk. Two Type-I power outlet (240V), and one USB-A outlet is conveniently located near the dining table which is useful for powering up various work devices.
Guests enjoy complimentary WIFI and we did a test on the WIFI speed as follows:
Opposite the dining table is a small sofa that comes with an ottoman for lounging.
The highlight of the room is arguably the private balcony, which offers views of the waterfront, and the main reason why we were there. The private balcony is separated by a set of sliding doors, which can be covered via electronic blinds when needed for privacy.
To access the balcony, the glass doors can be unlocked by pulling down the handle.
There are two chairs with an ottoman in between them on the balcony.
From our balcony, we were treated to an unobstructed view of Sydney harbour. We enjoyed the view so much that we spent as much time as possible on the balcony whenever we were in the room.
Despite this being a harbour view room, it is possible to see the Sydney Opera House from our balcony though we had to stretch our heads out a little to see part of it.
Facilities & Activities
Park Hyatt Sydney is equipped with the following facilities:
The hotel’s gym is located on level 3, which happens to be the same level where our room is.
The gym is open 24 hours daily and is accessible via the hotel room’s card keys.
The gym is moderately sized, but despite that, is relatively well-equipped. Treadmills, weights, bench presses, and many other fitness equipment are available for use.
In addition to the fitness equipment, there are yoga accessories as well and these can be retrieved from the cupboard to the left of the entrance.
Not far from the cupboard is an island cabinet where towels and bottles of water can be found. Fruits and even light snacks are also available for gym users which is a nice touch.
Two changing rooms are housed within the gym and the pool can also be accessed directly from the gym via a flight of stairs.
In the changing room, there are toilets, showers, a row of lockers as well as a steam room.
The hotel’s pool is located on level 4 and is accessible using the hotel room’s card key between 0600 hrs – 1800 hrs daily.
The pool is heated and its rectangular shape makes it suitable for laps. We did not see anyone swim on both days we visited the pool and that could be due to the bad weather.
There are several loungers as well as a couple of cabanas by the pool. Given the relatively small size of the pool, these loungers are unlikely to be fully utilized even during busy periods.
The pool also has a small separate jacuzzi at one corner with great views of the harbour.
Similar to the gym’s setup, an island cabinet is situated near the entrance where water is stocked.
Due to its rooftop location, the pool has sweeping views of the harbour in addition to views of Hickson road.
Restaurants
There are three dining venues in Park Hyatt Sydney as follows:
As breakfast was not included in our rate, we did not visit The Dining Room or any of the other dining venues during our stay.
Overall Impression
We had a pleasant stay at Park Hyatt Sydney though we felt that the hotel is not great value due to its high price as compared to other luxury hotels in the city.
To sum things up:
It is undeniable that Park Hyatt Sydney has one of the best views in the city and the hotel’s location also makes it a great base to explore the city. The hotel is also well maintained with a good hard product despite being last renovated ten years ago.
However, service was unremarkable for a hotel of its stature, and with its hefty price tag (with prices much higher than other luxury hotels in the city and can be up to double the price at times), we felt that Park Hyatt Sydney is not worth the price tag.
In short, Park Hyatt Sydney is a hotel that is great for first timers for its unbeatable views but would not warrant a repeat stay except for special occasions.
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