Hotel Review of the Hilton Sydney
Last weekend we managed to get away from the kids and travelled up to Sydney to celebrate our Wedding Anniversary. Being Hilton Honors Diamond members, we stayed at the Hilton Sydney (the only property in the Hilton chain in Sydney). We had previously stayed here before and really loved the location as well as the friendly staff and fantastic service.
From the airport we caught the Airport Link train to Town Hall station which was hassle free as we only had little travel bags with us. The trip takes about 23 minutes and cost $17 per adult. As there was only two of us, this was a cheaper option than grabbing a Taxi (which can cost between $40-$50). After arriving at Town Hall station it is only 100 metres away to walk, nice and handy!
We had booked a King Hilton Guest room and upon check in were upgraded to an executive level room due to our HH Status. The rooms at the Hilton Sydney are a lot smaller than other Hilton Hotels. The decor though is modern and stylish and they do try to make the most of this smaller space. The bathroom especially while very nice is quite cramped and not easy for two people to be in there at the same time. When we arrived in the room there were some complimentary chocolates with a note from the Manager wishing us a very Happy Anniversary which was a nice gesture. Our 2 bottles of complimentary water that HH members are entitled to however were not. We made a quick call to their MAGIC service and they were delivered in about 5 minutes (note: we only received the water on first night not the second like some other Hilton Hotels will do).
Be advised that the mini bar is an automatic system where if something is moved, it is charged. We are not particularly fond of these automated systems especially when traveling with kids, as it is sometimes pretty easy for little fingers to move items around. You can avoid this however by using the MAGIC service to bring up a mini fridge to store bottles of water and juice etc. which is what we did last time we stayed here with the kids.
We took advantage of the Executive Lounge on level 36 which has canapés and drinks in the evening from 6.00pm-8.30pm (mon-fri) and 6.00pm-8.00pm (sat-sun). There is a nice variety of foods with two hot dishes a night along with cold cuts, breads, cheese board and crackers, seafood options and salad. They also have a selection of little desserts which were very nice. They put out tubs of beers to help yourself but you have to go up to staff to get wines and spirits. Coffee, tea and soft drinks are available all throughout the day. There is afternoon tea available from 3.00pm-600pm daily which has freshly made cakes and cookies. Continental Breakfast is served from 6.30-10.00am (mon-fri) and 6.30-11.00am (sat-sun).
Being Diamond members we were given the option to have the buffet breakfast at Glass Brasserie which we opted for instead of the lounge. This is a really nice restaurant, loved the high ceilings and it has a great ambience. There were plenty of staff on hand and they provided efficient service. The food was excellent with a selection of asian and western foods with a nice fruit and juice bar. Pastries were also aplenty so we left here feeling very full and satisfied. Glass Brasserie is operated by Luke Mangan and apparently lunch and dinner here is excellent as well. We didn’t get a chance to dine at Glass other than for breakfast on this stay but will definitely try it out on our next stay.
In the lobby there is Cafe Cino which is also open for breakfast if you don’t want to shell out the $38 per person for the buffet breakfast. Prices here seemed very reasonable and you can dine in or take away fresh snacks from 7.00am to 7.00pm. You can even relax with a beer or wine in the evening at this cafe. There are another two bars, Marble Bar and Zeta Bar which are open from 4.00pm for drinks or cocktails.
There is a Gymnasium and 25 metre pool with Jacuzzi and Steam Rooms which is part of the Living Well Health Club. There is also the Alysium day spa but didn’t try it so can’t make comment on it.
Situated at 488 George St, the location is great and very centrally located. It is just a short stroll to Darling Harbour (between 5-10 mins depending on your pace) if you want to catch a ferry. Hilton Sydney is also close to Town Hall station if you need to catch a train as well as a bus stop right outside. If you love shopping, its right across the road from the QV Shops and just a short distance from Pitt St Mall. It is also walking distance to Circular Quay and The Rocks area. Walk straight down George St and you will be there in 20-30 mins depending on your pace. Recommend the walk on a Saturday or Sunday as The Rocks Markets are on from 10.00am-5.00pm on those days.
Overall the Hilton Sydney is very nice hotel, but our advice would be to book early to get cheaper rates as prices seem to become very high at times (especially for weekends). To see rates go to www.hilton.com
