My trip to Sydney was more about visiting family, but the one thing I absolutely had to do was stay at the Park Hyatt Sydney. The hotel was sold out all week except for December 26, which also happened to be my birthday, so I booked it without hesitation.
How I booked the Park Hyatt Sydney
The only room type available was a Standard King, which was going for well over $1,000 that night. I used just 22,000 points. The Park Hyatt Sydney has since been moved to the newly created Category 7, which requires 30,000 points per night.
Park Hyatt Sydney location
The Park Hyatt Sydney has a great location in The Rocks, right underneath the Harbour Bridge. It was close to a variety of great shops and restaurants.
I knew the hotel was something special, but this perception was validated when the information agent at Circular Quay train station responded to my request for directions with, “The Park Hyatt? It’s only the best hotel in the city!” Turns out it was a short walk from the station and you could practically see it from the train platform.
Less than 10 minutes later, we were on a quiet tree-lined street with beautiful brick buildings to our left and glimpses of the harbour to the right. The exterior of the Park Hyatt is understated and blends well into the neighborhood. The entrance (or as the fancy pants hotel website describes it, the “Porte-cochere”) is a bit further down the street, right under the Harbour Bridge. Two colorful sculptures sat in front, creating a circular driveway, and behind that was a desk staffed with four cheerful bellmen and parking attendants. They greeted us and one of them walked us inside.
Park Hyatt Sydney check -in
Right through the door was the front desk, where the agent smiled and welcomed us. There was a restaurant. The Living Room. behind the check-in area where guests were having lunch. This gave the lobby a bit more vibrancy. After looking up my reservation, the agent introduced me to the assistant manager, who walked me up to my room for check-in. She took my bag and said someone would bring it up shortly.
The assistant manager, Michelle, was friendly and upbeat. As we were walking, she informed me I’d been upgraded to an Opera King Room” with a lovely view,” and offered me a choice of Diamond amenities along with late checkout. The late checkout was appreciated and totally unexpected, considering the hotel was fully booked the next night.
The hallway was lit with traces of natural light from the windows facing the street. Every once in a while, we’d come across a strange piece of art, like this sculpture of what I think are supposed to be fingers? I would love to be the person who picks out art for hotels. It seems like you can pretty much get away with anything.
In the room, Michelle handed me the keys and had me sign some forms. This was by far the speediest check-in I’ve ever experienced. Just a few minutes after she left, my luggage was dropped off. My cousin tells me tipping isn’t part of the culture in Australia, and this hotel did have a ton of non-American guests. Regardless of cultural norms, I always tip the staff everywhere I go.
Park Hyatt Sydney Opera King room
The Opera King Room was spacious and beautifully decorated. At the time it was going for well over $1,500 per night, so I’d say I got great value out of my points.
The Opera King Room was sleek, modern, and luxurious in an understated way. I loved the layout, the decor, the view. It was incredibly well executed and beautiful from every angle – a theme that is prevalent throughout the hotel. Two bottles of water were left on the bedside, which was nice because this seems like the type of place where a bottle of water would set you back at least $6.
There was one King bed, a dining table with two chairs, and another chair near the bed. The room was spacious and certainly had everything you’d want out of a suite, let alone a standard room.
Next to the ample closet unit (which spanned the length of the hallway) was a drawer stocked with snacks and drinks. On the table was a bowl of fruit accompanied by a welcome note signed by the general manager. When we left and returned in the evening, the bowl of fruit had been replenished.
There was more storage space in the unit underneath the tv. There was also an adapter, which was convenient, since I left mine at home. Nestled on the table was an iPod docking station with speakers that really packed a punch.
King Opera bathroom
The bathroom had a unique layout. When you walk into the room, there is a very easily missed door to the right that blends into the wood wall and leads into a separate area with a toilet and sink. The toilet is one of those high tech ones with temperature controls and other ridiculous features.
Walk slightly to the left and you’ll find the bathroom, which has two wood sliding doors separating it from the bedroom and hallway. Inside, you’ll find everything you need: The softest bathrobes, plenty of towels, Bergamote 22 amenities, bath salts, and a drawer filled with essentials that other hotels skimp out on in the room, including toothbrushes, a shower cap, sewing kit, and even a razor. The hair dryer was also high quality. Usually hotel room hair dryers are tiny and barely let out any air. I underestimated this one and nearly burned my scalp off.
There is a glass door separating the sink area from the shower and tub. The shower has a bit of an odd layout – it’s situated next to the tub, with nothing sectioning it off – but it looks pretty and functions well.
King Opera room balcony
Out on balcony there are two chairs and a table. The floors are hardwood and there is a glass barrier so as not to obstruct the amazing view of the Opera House.
The only thing that I loved more than the room itself was sitting out on the balcony and people watching. This was probably the only time I was grateful for insomnia. I pretty much sat on that balcony all night and worked on my laptop.
In case you’re wondering, they do eventually turn the lights off at the Opera House (around 2 AM or so), at which point the whole place became pitch black. The only “night light” I had was the giant yacht that pulled up outside the hotel earlier that afternoon and lit up that evening like a Christmas tree. No complaints on my end.
Park Hyatt Sydney room service
The day we arrived at the Park Hyatt Sydney, my cousin and I decided to order room service for lunch. Since the view from the balcony was amazing, we decided to eat outside.
Any time I can find Spaghetti Bolognese made with all beef, I go for it and this did not disappoint. However, the pasta my cousin ordered was pretty bland.
The Dining Room at Park Hyatt Sydney
Hyatt Diamond members get complimentary breakfast in The Dining Room. Guests can order a la cart or choose from the buffet. The continental buffet breakfast is 35 AUD per person, while the full breakfast is 45 AUD. A la carte items range from 15-$25 AUD.
The Living Room restaurant also offers a continental breakfast at the same price. If you want a table with a view and a quieter atmosphere, The Living Room may be a better option.
The Dining Room was packed when we arrived. Even though I had specifically asked for a table with a view and the hostess confirmed we’d have one as she walked us to the table, we were instead seated next to a couple who had a view. I guess you can argue that it fit the bill.
Shortly after sitting down, a waiter took our order. We checked out the buffet before placing our order but I decided to order the eggs benedict with a side of corned beef hash off the menu. Fresh squeezed orange juice was delivered shortly after, with fancy glass stirring sticks that nobody would blame you for mistaking for straws.
I noticed the table in front of us freed up and asked our waiter if we could move. He said, “Of course!” and told us to have a seat while he brought our drinks over and set the table for us. The view was pretty incredible. If you’re going to stay at the Park Hyatt Sydney, make sure you have a table with a view at least one morning during breakfast.
Breakfast in The Living Room
After a while, breakfast finally arrived. I’m not a fan of any kind of brown bread, so I wasn’t too crazy about what looked like whole wheat English muffins. I got over my narrow mindedness and it wasn’t so bad.
They also brought me a side of hash browns instead of corned beef hash. I pointed this out and it wasn’t until I was finished eating that the corned beef hash was served.
No, I did not insert the wrong photo. That is the Park Hyatt’s version of corned beef hash, which looks nothing like the heap of freshly ground cow they serve at IHOP.
Afterwards, I ordered a latte, which was well presented and a nice way to top off the meal. Having gone several days without caffeine, this was a much-needed boost.
The crowd started to die down and our waiter checked on us several times, without making us feel rushed. It seemed he spent as much time taking photos of giddy tourists as he did serving food and checking on them. The service overall was good, with the exception of the hostess, but I’ll chalk it up to a busy morning for her.
Park Hyatt Sydney rooftop pool
After breakfast, we headed up to the rooftop pool to take some photos before heading out for some sight-seeing. The pool was fairly small and packed, so I couldn’t photograph it without getting about a dozen half-naked guests into the shot. I tried my hand at an angled shot:
We headed back to the room to grab our stuff around 11 AM. I decided to drop my stuff off at the front desk, which was good because we didn’t make it back until almost 9 PM! The Assistant Manager was manning the front desk and was as friendly as before. She asked how my stay was before reading off the bill and asking if everything sounded ok. She had me sign it and provided a copy in a shiny gold envelope.
Since it was so late by the time we made it back, we decided to stay another night. The Park Hyatt was sold out, so I booked the Hilton. One of the bellmen brought my bag out from storage and I headed to the business center for computer access. When the agent at the concierge desk saw me walking towards the steps, she quickly came to my aid and carried my bag up the steps.
The business center consisted of several walled off work spaces, mimicking an office.
Park Hyatt Sydney – Overall Impression
The Park Hyatt Sydney is a very unique hotel in terms of its location, outstanding service, and accommodations. Sure, it had a few short comings, but I would stay here again in a heartbeat. The hotel does a perfect job of creating a warm, inviting atmosphere where, despite it’s status as a luxury hotel, you feel welcome and not out of place.
If you’re in Sydney, try to stay here for at least one night. There is no other hotel in the city like this one. Even at 30,000 Gold Passport points per night, it is more than worthwhile. I only wish I could have stayed longer.
Other stories from my trip to Sydney
- Australia Trip Report: Introduction
- Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Review
- Review: Thai Airways First Class A380 Tokyo – Bangkok
- Thai Airways Royal First Class Lounge & Spa Bangkok Review
- Thai Airways First Class 747 Bangkok to Sydney Review
- Christmas Eve on Darling Harbour
- Sydney Opera House and Manly Beach
- Hilton Sydney Review
- Air New Zealand Lounge + United 747 First Class: Sydney – San Francisco
- 6 Observations about Sydney
The last time I was in Sydney near Circular Quay I admired the Park Hyatt from afar. Fantastic to be able to see it from a guests perspective. I’ll definitely have to try to get in there the next time I’m around.
That view looks…. AMAZING.
It was amazing! Get yourself a Hyatt Visa and you’ll get two free nights covered easily.