Being a cosmopolitan world city, Sydney offers travelers numerous luxury hotel options, from well-known international chains to independent boutiques.
Not knowing how I would be feeling after arriving on a 17-hour non-stop flight from Dallas, I knew I wanted my first night in Sydney to be extra comfortable, so I decided to stay at the Four Seasons Sydney, based on chain’s stellar reputation, the hotel’s proximity to major sites such as the Sydney Opera House, and the ability to book a stay through American Express’s Fine Hotels & Resorts.
For those of you not familiar with Amex FHR, it is a service available to cardholders of either American Express’s Platinum Card or Centurion Card, and provides numerous benefits throughout your stay when booking through FHR. By booking a stay through Fine Hotels & Resorts, guests receive the following:
*Noon check-in, when available
*Room upgrade upon arrival, when available
*Daily breakfast for two people
*Guaranteed 4pm late check-out
*Complimentary wi-fi
*Unique property amenity (typically a US$100 credit at most properties)
At the Four Seasons Sydney, a US$100 Food and Beverage credit is provided during the stay, which makes booking through FHR a valuable resource, considering the room rates were the same as booking directly with the hotel. At the exchange rate at the time, this worked out to be an AU$131 credit.
The Four Seasons Sydney has 531 rooms and is located at 199 George Street on the northern end of the CBD. Its location places it within walking distance of major attractions, including the Sydney Opera House (0.9km, 0.6mi walk), the Art Gallery of NSW (1.6km, 1.0mi), and the Museum of Contemporary Art, just a block away. And of course from the lively Circular Quay, just 300m away, you can catch a ferry to Manly or Taronga Zoo. Most of Sydney’s most popular restaurants are within walking distance, as well, as is the corner of King and Castlereagh streets, the epicenter of Sydney’s luxury shopping district (Bulgari, Miu Miu, Hermès… Sydney has it all).
As soon as my taxi arrived at the hotel, I was immediately welcomed by a bellhop who opened the taxi door for me and removed my luggage. He greeted me and asked my name, which was great as it set the tone for the impeccable service throughout the stay. After escorting me to the reception desk, he took my bags so they could be brought to my room.
The lobby of the Four Seasons has a contemporary look, with warm woods, chandeliers, a soaring atrium, and a grand staircase. Reception is located immediately to the right and Pei Modern, the hotel’s restaurant, straight ahead.
I was helped by two receptionists at check-in; I believe Lily may have been training the other receptionist who was with her. They were both very engaging, asking me about my plans for my visit to Sydney and Australia, and seemed genuinely interested in my responses and excited about my first trip down under.
At check-in, Mary, the Director of Rooms, came to personally welcome me to the hotel and let me know that I had been upgraded to a room with a full view of Sydney Harbour (I had originally booked a Deluxe City Room and was upgraded as part of the Amex FHR benefits). I felt like an important guest and appreciated her welcome. She told me that the room wasn’t quite ready, but that I would absolutely love it, and invited me to sit in the hotel’s restaurant for complimentary coffee as I waited. After about thirty minutes and some caffeine later, an employee brought me my room key and let me know that my room was ready.
As it had only been 8am, I was not at all expecting my room to be available, and was originally envisioning dropping off my luggage and immediately setting out to explore, so I was pleasantly surprised to be allowed to check-in so early even with a short wait. The normal check-in time isn’t until 3pm so it was like I got to enjoy my room for an extra day!
My room was located on the 23rd Floor, placing it in the top third of the hotel. Although Room 2312 was located directly opposite the elevator lobby, it was quiet throughout my stay.
Entering the room, I was immediately struck by an absolutely stunning view of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. It was a beautiful, sunny morning, and the sunlight reflecting off the water truly sparkled. I had of course seen photos of the view prior to my arrival and so I knew what to expect, but seeing it in person was a completely different experience. It is something you just have to see in person to understand as neither pictures nor words could ever do it justice.
The room featured a small entry hallway with the bathroom to the right and closets on the left.
While the room wasn’t particularly big (Deluxe Full Harbour Rooms are advertised at 26 square meters, 280 square feet), the angled layout helped to make the room feel more spacious.
The room featured a king-size bed with a leather headboard; the bed and linens were comfortable and I had a peaceful sleep.
In front of the window were a glass table, desk chair, and ottoman. The desk was a great place to sit and use my laptop while gazing out at the incredible view. A round chair nearby was the only other seating in the room.
Opposite the foot of the bed was a console with the TV and minibar below.
Mid-afternoon, I was brought a welcome gift of an apple and dried apple slices, which was a lovely added treat while I stopped back at my hotel to recharge some of my electronics.
The bathroom was, like the room, on the small side, but it was efficiently designed. A cream-colored marble bathtub and glass shower flanked a single sink in the center, with the toilet in the corner, immediately to the right upon entering. Having a sliding door helped make the bathroom feel larger.
The toiletries were Appelles Apothecary, a brand I was not familiar with prior. It turns out they are an Australian brand, so I was delighted to see the hotel promoting a homegrown company rather than providing standards like Hermès, Bulgari, etc. Appelles’s products are made with natural and organic Australian ingredients, biodegradable packaging, and are free of animal testing. I loved the smell and feel of the products – they definitely have a high-end aura to them. I certainly was impressed. I would totally buy full-size bottles of their products; I would have sought them out to bring home as Australian souvenirs had my luggage not already been packed to the brim. Luckily, their online shop delivers worldwide.
The shower pressure was great though I found it difficult to adjust to my preferred water temperature. Even with the hot water turned to the max, the water still never felt quite hot enough. I love taking hot showers, so this was a bit disappointing. You would expect with the hot water turned on all the way the water would be scalding, but it never felt more than “just below” hot enough.
As part of my Amex FHR benefits, I received complimentary daily breakfast for two. Breakfast is served buffet-style in Pei Modern, the hotel’s restaurant. The breakfast buffet is $42 per person, so for two people, this represents a tremendous value when included daily with the FHR booking.
I ordered Eggs Benedict, my favorite breakfast dish (though this time with smoked salmon), which was brought to my table despite the buffet service. The dish was perfectly prepared as you’d expect. I then helped myself to a plate of fruit from the buffet; I had also ordered a coffee and orange juice.
The buffet featured an elaborate spread of typical breakfast items: fruit, pastries, granola and cereals, cold cuts and cheese, an omelette station, a hot dish line, etc.
Asian offerings were available as well, including congee or miso soup.
The Four Seasons Sydney has the city’s largest heated outdoor pool, which despite Sydney’s perfect weather, is a rarity – most hotel pools here are indoor. The pool is reached on Level 3, and then via a set of stairs to the roof. Changing rooms and towels are provided.
I lounged by the pool for about an hour, though didn’t swim, and despite the weather being absolutely gorgeous (low-20s [low-70sF] without a cloud in the sky), there was no one on the rooftop. There was a station to fill glasses of water, and food and drinks could be ordered via phone (The Cabana Bar was only open on the weekend as it was early spring); I simply brought up a Diet Coke from my room’s minibar. There were a few empty glasses scattered around the sunloungers that were not cleared the entire time I was there (actually, no employees attended to the pool at all).
Soon before I left, several women came up to the pool for a swim.
Also on Level 3 is the Endota Spa and Fitness Centre. The fitness center was very spacious, very bright, and had nice views of the city and landscaping.
For my US$100 Food and Beverage Credit, I had dinner at the hotel’s restaurant Pei Modern, which I will elaborate about in a future post. I had a delicious dinner with bread, two entrĂ©es, a main dish with an extra side, dessert, and wine. Pictured here was my main dish, kangaroo sirloin with beetroot and blueberries.
Overall, I had a lovely stay at the Four Seasons Sydney. I was impressed with the top-notch service, which compared to the following hotels I stayed at during the rest of my trip to Australia, was the best service I received at any Australian hotel. Every staff member I interacted with was super accommodating and everyone seemed to be genuinely interested in me as a person, not as just a hotel guest. The food, amenities, and location were all great, as well.
Despite these accolades, the room was definitely small. For me this wasn’t an issue, but I imagine a family traveling (even with two rooms) or a couple with a lot of luggage would prefer a bigger room. The decor I also felt was a bit sparse and didn’t exude luxury as you would expect at a Four Seasons.
More outlets near the nightstands would have also been useful. As I recall, there was only one outlet on the right side of the bed, but none on the left. As a solo traveler this was fine, but would not be a good setup for a duo. Just for myself I had to charge my laptop, phone, camera, and portable batteries, which basically used up all the outlets.
Bottom line, I thought the Four Seasons was a great hotel, and I will definitely stay here again my next visit to Sydney. The service here really made the stay memorable, and despite the rooms being small, this would never deter me from recommending this hotel to anyone. I can definitely see why this hotel consistently ranks among Sydney’s best.
THE BON VIVANT 