8.31.2015

#VirtuosoWeek top ten | Langham Sydney



This is number seven of my "top ten list" from Virtuoso Week.

Remember the Observatory Hotel, the former Orient Express (Belmond) hotel in Sydney? After Belmond sold the property, it came under Langham management and was renovated in 2014. While Sydney has a number of great hotel choices, The Langham should be your choice if you're looking for a boutique hotel with a residential feel.

Most of the Sydney hotels are large — Four Seasons has 531 rooms, Shangri La has 563, InterContinental has 509, all extremely large by Virtuoso standards. It's difficult to provide personalized luxury service in a large hotel with half a thousand guest rooms..

The shining jewel of Sydney Harbor is the Park Hyatt, with a manageable 155 rooms and a stunning direct view of the Opera House from the best rooms in the House. For guests with the budget to afford the best view in Sydney, go for the Park Hyatt.

But if you'd prefer to be just a short walk away from the action on Argyle Street in a quieter, residential neighborhood whose cobblestone streets are lined with restaurants, go for the Langham Sydney. Priced midway between the Four Seasons and the Park Hyatt, Virtuoso guests enjoy great value with a daily buffet breakfast for two, upgrade if available, and one Afternoon Tea for two in the Palm Court.

copyright (c) 2015 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

No comments: