Short review
Note: 3 is average
Value for money: 4/5 – It was not cheap, but in comparison to what they offered, the value for money actually was good
Services: 4.5/5 – Staff were friendly and helpful
Bedroom: 4.5/5 – Very satisfied with the room; the room temperature was struggling to go higher than 22 degrees Celsius
Sleep quality: 4/5 – Generally good; the mattress of the sofa bed was thin; in a rare occasion I could hear noises from the lift
Bathroom: 5/5 – Large and comfortable
Breakfast: 4/5 – The variety was fairly good; sometimes there was a relatively long queue to enter the restaurant
Facilities and amenities: 5/5 – Large pool, fairly nice gym, excellent location; loved the Executive Lounge
Pros
- Located in the centre of Sydney CBD, near many amenities and places of attraction
- Access to Executive Lounge
- Friendly and helpful staff
Cons
- The sofa bed could have been better
- Wi-Fi could have been faster
Long review
My family and I arrived at the Swissotel Sydney by public transport. The hotel was located within a short walking distance from the Wynyard train station and the QVB (Queen Victoria Building) light rail station. The hotel entrance was placed on the Market St and was rather unassuming because we could only see the concierge front desk on this street level. To reach the main lobby, we had to travel to the eighth floor by one of the three lifts.
The lobby felt expansive due to the super high ceiling. There was a rather long and slow-moving queue at the reception desk with only one counter being opened. Fortunately, two more counters were opened soon after, but we still needed to queue for about 10 minutes.
From the lobby, we went directly to our room on the 18th floor. At 53 sqm, the Executive Suite was large. One half of the suite was occupied by the living area. A large dining table with four chairs and a mini bar hidden in a cabinet were placed on one side of the living area. A coffee machine was included in the mini bar. A sofa, a TV, and a desk were placed on the other side of the living room. The sofa had been converted into a bed as we requested. This sofa bed was indeed handy, although it was perhaps rather old because the mattress was thin, and I could feel its spring in some spots when I laid on it.
A welcome note and gift were presented on the dining table. The welcome gift consisted of a jar of snacks, a couple of strawberries, some pieces of dried fruit, and a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water. They were certainly appreciated.
Trotted over to the large window, the Sydney Tower Eye dominating the view. The Tower is the tallest structure in Sydney at 309 metres.
The bedroom and bathroom were in the other half of the suite. There were a king bed and a very comfortable lazy chair in the bedroom. There was also another TV and a large window here. A couple of bathrobes and two pairs of slippers could be found in the large wardrobe.
The bathroom was very large, and I loved the design of the tiles. The bathtub, vanity unit, and shower were in the one section of the bathroom, while the other section comprised the toilet and a small basin. I must say that the bathtub was large and deep. A good spot for winding down.
Now a couple of negative aspects. First, the Wi-Fi could have been faster. Second, the suite temperature control was annoying. The temperature could not go higher than 22 degrees Celsius. It was still acceptable, but 24 degrees would be preferable.
Given that we stayed in a suite, we had a free access to the Executive Lounge on the ninth floor. This was a great benefit to have. Afternoon tea was served from 1 to 3 pm. It was quite filling, so we could literally have lunch here if we wanted to. Likewise, light dinner was served from 5:30 pm. For the light dinner, usually they served two types of hot food, some salads, salami, ham, fruit, cheese, crackers, and other condiments. There was a good range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Everything was adequate for a proper dinner, so in the end we had dinner here throughout our stay.
We had two options for breakfast. We could have it in the Executive Lounge or in the restaurant on the lobby floor. We tried both. Breakfast in the lounge was more private and quieter, but the food and drink options were limited. They had the usual Australian breakfast dishes, some cold dishes, bread, pastries, and fruit, a couple of juice options, and tea and coffee. They certainly had more than enough for a good breakfast experience.
Breakfast at the restaurant, on the other hand, was a busy affair. Sometimes we had to queue a bit before entering the restaurant. However, due to its large space, they could serve more dishes and drinks. Besides those available in the Executive Lounge, they also served pancakes and waffles along with a delightful crème fraiche, congee, stir-fried vegetables, and noodles. We also could order eggs. In terms of drinks, they had more juice options here. In the end, we only had breakfast in the Lounge once, while the rest we had it in the restaurant.
We also checked out the spa, gym, and the pool. The pool was relatively large and had a nice deck area. The gym was well equipped too.
There was a colouring “competition” for kids when we stayed there. I put the quotation marks there because I did not know whether it was a real competition or not. Kids could display their works on a wall in the lobby. The instruction stated that the work of the winner would be the mascot of the hotel, but I did not quite believe that. Anyway, at least Josie had a good fun colouring and then displaying her work.
Finally, due to its central location, it was easy for us to explore the city by hopping on the light rail or the train or by simply walking. We went to the Australian Museum, National Maritime Museum, and Sydney Tower Eye. We also travelled by a ferry from the Circular Quay to the Manly Beach, which was a great experience given that we passed the two icons of Sydney, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. There were many restaurants nearby. Opposite the hotel, there was a large food court, although this place was usually crowded.
This was a great experience overall. Arguably, this was our best experience of staying in a hotel in Australia.
