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The Park… Hyatt… Sydney!! One of the elite hotels in Hyatt’s portfolio, and widely regarded as one of the top hotels worldwide, the Park Hyatt Sydney had a lot to live up to! I’m happy to report that we absolutely LOVED our time there. This hotel embodies luxury, and every bit of our stay was as lavish as we had imagined. From the 6-course meal with wine pairings, to the made-to-order breakfast, to the concierge who knew EVERYTHING about the city, to the unbeatable location, the Park Hyatt Sydney is truly excellent.
- Cash & Point Expense – Hotel costs in terms of cash, points, or both.
- Hotel Overview & Rooms – Overview of the property and room choices.
- Service & Conveniences – Service and amenities offered by the hotel.
- Restaurants & Dining – Restaurant and bar choices in the hotel.
- X-Factor – What sets this property apart from others.
Cash & Points Expense
During our stay in early December, the cash price for rooms at this hotel was nearly $900 per night! A quick check on dates in the future, shows prices upwards of $1,200 per night at peak times. We are not high rollers, so this hotel would be out of reach at the cash price. Fortunately, we were able to stay here for three nights for FREE!
We cashed in three free nights from our Chase Hyatt cards for an incredible redemption value. The Chase Hyatt credit card offers a sign up bonus of two free nights at any Hyatt property worldwide!! My wife and I each got the card, so we had four free nights total. We redeemed three of the nights here for a phenomenal value of approximately $2,700! We even had an extra certificate left over.
One additional option for this hotel is to use World of Hyatt Points. The nightly price is 30,000 points. Hyatt is a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards. If you sign up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred (50,000 points), add an authorized user (5,000 points), and meet the minimum spend ($4,000), you will have 59,000 points. You will have nearly enough points to book two nights.
Hotel Overview & Rooms
From the moment we walked in the front door of the hotel, we felt very welcome. A gentleman in a suit helped us carry our bags to the front desk, where an agent greeted us with a warm smile. She thanked us for being Hyatt Diamond members (prior to World of Hyatt), and asked whether we would like 1,000 points or a bottle of wine as our welcome amenity. We opted for the wine, which turned out to be a great choice!
The lobby is relatively simple, but elegant. Past the front desk you can find a seating area with large windows, called the Living Room. Here you can enjoy a drink and take in views of the harbor. They also offer casual dining and afternoon tea here. The lobby features a bar with an upscale feel where you may stop in for a signature cocktail or live music on Friday evening.
We were given a Deluxe Opera View room on the second floor. As you can see in the pictures and video, the room was quite nice. Our room had a king bed, a small couch and seating area, and a dining table. The bathroom featured a dual vanity (we really appreciated each having our own sink), a bathtub, a rain shower, and a heated toilet seat! Our favorite part of the room, however, was the incredible views of the harbor and opera house. On our first night, we popped open our complementary bottle of wine and sipped it on the balcony.
Also of note, the toiletries are from the Le Labo Bergamote 22 line, imported from New York. I’m not a soap/shampoo aficionado, but this stuff is really high end!
Service & Conveniences
The staff at the Park Hyatt Sydney did a wonderful job making us feel welcome and valued. Mark, the concierge, was extremely knowledgeable about the city, and he made some great recommendations, including the Coat of Arms Pizza. He remembered us each time we came in, and he made sure we were enjoying our time. He even gave us some tips for Melbourne, since we were heading there next.
Every morning at breakfast, the Dining Room manager actually greeted us by name. I have no idea how he managed to do that! He was constantly running around the restaurant making sure that everyone was enjoying their meals. If anything was missing from the buffet, a quick request to him would have it refilled in seconds. Our waitress at dinner the first night also did an excellent job. She was from France, and she was asked to fill in for the regular sommelier, because he was out that evening. She was so good with the wine descriptions, and she answered our questions so well, that we just assumed she was the hotel sommelier.
Even the hotel housekeeping staff played a role in making us feel welcome. Aside from keeping our room spotless, they would literally stop to greet us to say, “G’Day!” every time we passed them in the hallway! Everyone from the concierge, to the waitstaff, to the front desk agents, to the housekeepers made our stay outstanding.
Amenities
Amenities at the hotel include a spa, gym, and a roof top pool and hot tub. We did not have a chance to check out the spa, but I did take a quick dip in the pool, and I walked through the gym.
Restaurants & Dining
The Park Hyatt features two dining areas and a bar. The two dining areas are called The Living Room and The Dining Room. I believe they are named this way to make guests feel “at home,” while dining at the hotel. As I mentioned above, The Living Room sits on the back side of the lobby. Here you can enjoy causal dining, afternoon tea, and a selection of drinks, while staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the Sydney Harbor.
Breakfast
The Dining Room is where we ate breakfast every morning (complementary for Diamond members) and dinner on our first night. Breakfast options included a full, hot buffet, with items like eggs, sausage, potatoes, potato cakes, all sorts of breads, fruits, muffins, and more. We could also order from a menu, with items like artisan coffee, avocado toast with tomatoes and balsamic glaze, or pancakes topped with mixed berries and powdered sugar. Mmmmm!
Six-Course Dinner with Wine Pairings
At night, the Dining Room transforms into a super-high-end dining experience. We ate dinner here on our first night, and we selected Chef Etienne’s 6-course tasting menu with wine pairings. From the website: Discover the exquisite taste of modern European dishes with the freshest of seasonal ingredients, sourced from local producers and artisans near Sydney. Allow your senses to indulge on a menu carefully curated with an extensive selection of seafood and meat dishes. The food itself was absolutely delicious, and the wines matched perfectly. The menu rotates seasonally, but you can see our specific menu in the pictures. I particularly enjoyed the Wagyu Beef & Oysters, the Pan Seared Red Snapper, and of course, the Coconut Cloud dessert! The wines are all local to Australia, and they run the gambit from sparkling rose, to pinot noir, to a very sweet desert wine.
This dinner is an experience, not simply a meal. We savored each bite of the food offerings and each sip of the various wines, while we stared out at the opera house bathed in lights. The price may seem steep for dinner, but it is absolutely affordable compared some similar offerings nearby, and totally worth every penny!
The X-Factor
The x-factor for this hotel is clear – Location, Location, Location! The location is absolutely prime. I cannot fathom how Hyatt was able to get such a perfect spot on the Sydney Harbor. No other hotel in the city has completely unobstructed views of the Sydney Opera House. In addition to the views, the hotel sits in Sydney’s Rocks District at the base of the Harbor Bridge. This area features some excellent restaurant options, including the Australian Hotel, where you should absolutely try the Coat of Arms pizza.
Final Thoughts
If you are planning a trip to Sydney, I 100% recommend the Park Hyatt Sydney. The cash price is a bit outrageous, but you have two options (outlined above) to stay at this luxurious hotel for FREE. We have stayed at some very nice hotels, and the Park Hyatt Sydney is easily near the top of our all-time favorites list! Everything about our experience there was top notch!
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