[Sydney] Shangri-La Hotel

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Shangri-La Hotel Sydney

Add: 176 Cumberland Street The Rocks, Sydney
Tel:  (61 2) 9250 6000
Website: www.shangri-la.com/sydney/shangrila
Visited on: 2012-04

After an amazing week spent in Melbourne, we arrived in our second destination – Sydney. First thing on the list was to check-in at The Shangri-La, which was chosen because, well, it is The Shangri-La, and also because of its convenient location right on The Rocks. I peered out the windows of our Deluxe Grand Harbour View Room, which offers a spectacular view exactly as described on the hotel website: the stunning Opera House glows a pearlescent white against the blue of the sky and the sea, while the Harbour Bridge stands majestically for all to see.

Wow.

The room itself is in a warm and welcoming palette of cream and brown, simply decorated with necessary fixtures. Flatscreen TV, DVD player, radio, etc. – everything’s is there. What I especially loved about the design is the wide and padded window ledge, which is an ideal spot to sip a cup of tea or read a book, with the magnificent view as backdrop.

Here’s the marble bathroom, equipped with separate bath and shower, plush towels and bathrobes.

Minibar.

Here are a few snapshots of the reception and lobby area. Having recently been to some newly erected hotels (e.g. Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong), I can’t say that I was impressed with the architectural design of Shangri-La Sydney as it is much more dated. However, the service is what makes staying here memorable. More on this later.

Our room included access to the Horizon Club Lounge, which provides additional services like buffet breakfast, complimentary beverages all day, meeting room facilities, free suite pressing and shoeshine, etc. We dropped by the lounge for some evening canapés and a glass of white wine, before we went out to explore The Rocks (5 minute walk) and The Sydney Opera House (15 minute walk).

Upon returning to our room, the bed cover has been removed – just another small gesture to show the hotel’s attention to details.

Here’s the view of the Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House after dark. What a spectacle.

The next morning, we went down to Cafe Mix for breakfast. The buffet wasn’t especially lavish, but had everything we needed to be happy. There’s also a fresh honeycomb on display, which was quite a novelty for me.

As we were scheduled to have lunch at Quay, I went for a very light breakfast…

…But still couldn’t resist a perfectly done eggs benedict!

Unfortunately the weather wasn’t looking too good that morning, so instead of venturing out in the pouring rain, we stayed in for a swim in the pool, followed by a soak in the jacuzzi. Not a bad start for the day, yes?

Before checking out, we got a peek of some very, very spacious and elegantly appointed suites. Here are a few snapshots for you:

As mentioned earlier, compared to some of the newer hotels I’ve recently been to, Shangri-La Sydney did not wow in terms of hardware, but its service was what made the difference. From the receptionist at check-in to the waitresses at breakfast to the very patient and helpful concierge, everyone we encountered at the hotel had a warmness about them that helped make our stay a most comfortable one, as more than a thousand other guests on Tripadvisor would agree.

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