where to stay in Sydney, Australia

reflections at the Park Hyatt Sydney (c) 2019 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

I have stayed at three different hotels during my various visits to Sydney, Australia. During the most recent visit (earlier this month), we spent three days ensconced at the beautiful Park Hyatt Sydney. We were fortunate to be upgraded to a Deluxe Opera room, really the size of a Junior Suite. Our room boasted a direct view of the iconic Sydney Opera House. Large and beautiful, it was decorated with the cool contemporary styling you'd expect of Park Hyatt. Ask for #343, located at the section of the building's curve with the best, dead-on view of the Opera House.

I'm partial to staying in or near The Rocks, the neighborhood of Sydney in which the first British settlers built their homes and businesses. As you can see in the picture to the left, Four Seasons Sydney is adjacent to The Rocks. I highly recommend booking a Premier Opera House room here, twice as large as Deluxe rooms for just a small premium in price. You'll love the panoramic views — the Sydney Harbour Bridge at your left and the Opera House on the right. If you visit during Vivid Sydney, you'll enjoy the colorful light show right from your room.

Highly recommended is the Langham Sydney, also located in the Rocks. The Langham features a more residential, less corporate feel. It is set on an historic street in the midst of dozens of original houses and shops. Its interior has recently been renovated, and guest rooms feature the largest King beds I've ever seen. While you will not have an opera house view from any of the rooms, I loved the sense of place and the pleasure of stepping out the front door into the most historic part of town.

Virtuoso and preferred partner amenities are available at each of these hotels — meaning you'll receive complimentary daily breakfasts for two, $100 credits, and room upgrades if they are available.

copyright (c) 2019 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

sydney afterglow

Sydney Opera House (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Still in the afterglow of my trip to Australia, and the picture above is my favorite memory from the trip. Our group enjoyed a private harbour cruise that included lunch. Towards the end of the trip, we passed the Opera House and passed under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, providing the beautiful framed view in the picture above. Sydney is a truly beautiful city with some great hotels. I had the opportunity to stay at and/or visit three of them.

Four Seasons Sydney is perfectly located right at the entrance to the Rocks area of Sydney — full of shopping and dining possibilities. A beautiful city hotel, Four Seasons has two categories of guest rooms, Deluxe and Premier. You should definitely go for the Premier category! Though the Deluxe room (280 sq. ft.) will suffice for a single traveler, it may feel cramped for a couple or for someone staying more than a couple of nights. The Premier Rooms are double the size (a very spacious 570 sq. ft.) and not very much more. Looking at rates for 28JUN, 2016, Deluxe Rooms range from 275 AUD - 355 AUD depending on view. Premier Rooms begin at 375 AUD. Double the space for just $73 USD ... it's a no-brainer! These rates include the Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities; though contractural obligations prevent me from listing the amenities (such as the complimentary breakfasts and other perks you'd expect), email me for complete details; you won't be disappointed.

What about views? I actually found the view from the City rooms to be quite interesting, especially from the higher floors, but the splurge to book a Full Harbour room is worth it. My view from an "09" room looked directly at the Opera House; check out the view of Vivid Sydney as photographed from my window.

Langham Sydney is the boutique choice in Sydney, just 98 rooms and suites. Formerly The Observatory, an Orient Express (now Belmond) property, Langham has totally renovated the property. Rooms are much lighter, the original dark wood paneling now painted in shades of off-white with pastel accent colors. The interior style of guest rooms is more feminine than the other hotels I visited in Sydney, and The Langham would be a good choice for couples who prefer a less corporate-feeling hotel.

What about location? The hotel is located on an attractive residential street lined with two-story historical buildings. Just a 10 minute walk from the Rocks area of Sydney, the one thing you won't get is a view of the Opera House from your room. Some rooms have a Western Harbour view. I can provide Virtuoso amenities at the Langham which include an upgrade if available, daily buffet breakfast for two, $100 F&B credit, and complimentary WiFi.

Park Hyatt Sydney is a recently constructed low-rise hotel right on the harbour with a direct view of the Opera House. Though more expensive than the other two hotels, you will not be disappointed with a stay. I recommend booking a room with a direct, uninterrupted view of the Sydney Opera House — either the Opera Room (430-485 sq ft) or an Opera Deluxe (807 sq ft).

Truly a WOW hotel, book the Harbour Suite for a most incredible view. Virtuoso amenities include an upgrade if available (but not from room to Suite), full breakfast, and $100 spa credit.

copyright (c) 2016 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.

#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.