Shangri-La Hotel Sydney

We recently stayed at Shangri-La Sydney and unfortunately our experience fell well below the standard I would expect from a five-star luxury hotel. The main positive was our final room on the 23rd floor, which offered absolutely spectacular views of Sydney Harbour and was undoubtedly the highlight of our stay. However, getting to that point involved a series of frustrating issues. Upon arrival, we were initially assigned a room on the 7th floor, located close to a major roadway. The traffic noise was extremely noticeable and made it difficult to relax. After requesting a room change, we were asked to wait in the lobby for approximately four hours while another room was prepared. Having just completed a long international flight, we were exhausted, and it was disappointing that no gesture of hospitality, such as lounge access or refreshments, was offered during this lengthy wait. We were then moved to a room on the 11th floor, where traffic noise was still evident. Even more concerning, the bathroom had a strong smell of cigarette smoke throughout our stay. For a luxury hotel, I was surprised that a room with such a noticeable odour had been assigned to guests. Eventually, after agreeing to pay an additional supplement, we were moved to a room on the 23rd floor. The views were breathtaking and finally provided the experience we had hoped for. Unfortunately, housekeeping created another significant disappointment. One afternoon we returned at around 3:00 p.m. to find our room had not been serviced. After contacting the Front Desk, we were told it would be cleaned within 30 minutes. We waited in the Lobby Lounge, only to discover at 3:40 p.m. that nothing had been done. After two further follow-up calls and repeated assurances that the room would be ready "within 30 minutes," it was not actually available until around 5:00 p.m. While delays can happen in any hotel, what frustrated us most was the lack of accurate communication. Had we been told honestly that the room would take two hours to service, we could have planned accordingly. Instead, we were repeatedly given unrealistic timeframes, which left us feeling misled and undervalued as guests. In summary, the combination of a noisy initial room, a four-hour wait for a room change, cigarette smoke odour in the second room, and repeated housekeeping delays made this a disappointing stay overall. While the harbour views were exceptional, they could not compensate for the service shortcomings. Based on this experience, I do not feel that the hotel delivered the level of service expected from a property carrying the Shangri-La name and reputation. Pros: Incredible harbour views, excellent location. 
Cons: Noisy rooms on lower floors, housekeeping issues, poor communication, lengthy room-change process. Would not return at the current price point.

Great spot in the rocks. Locals tip for a good diner style coffee shop with gkod priced food near by - Brew Cafe @ 121 Harrington street, the rocks

Great to be back to Sydney after 3 years. We always opted for their Executive Harbour view room which is spacious and have a magnificent view of both Harbour Bridge and Opera House. The only inconvenience faced was that the body lotion bottle was secured and could only be used in the bathroom, I wish I could carry it to the bed room for easy application. The hotel I stayed in Perth just before Shangri-la Sydney has this flexibility, all other usual bottles ie shampoo, conditional and bath gel etc are secured in the bathroom but the body lotion bottle is for free movement. The breakfast at Mix Cafe was crowded throughout my stay but it was well managed and the service by the team was prompt in clearing used plates. I'm particularly impressed with the lady at the front counter to strictly ensure that guests with improper attire were being "advised and tuned away", still can't imagine why those hotel guests turned up in pajamas or bath robes. The check out was a breeze with front desk stuff standing at the lift lobby to facilitate express check out ie just record the room number and returned card keys. The only risk is not too sure whether the final bill was correct or not until the email with invoice came or when we see the transaction amount finalized in my credit card online. Hopefully, no dispute. Generally, we had a great stay!

We booked Shangri-La Sydney for our anniversary. While our original Barangaroo View Room was lovely, everything collapsed when we paid an extra $90 for a room upgrade. Instead of an enhanced luxury experience, we were moved directly beneath the noisy hotel kitchen service area. Constant banging made sleep impossible. When we complained, we were moved to a replacement room that smelled heavily of cigarette smoke. The hotel’s solution was to place an industrial air purifier in the room and spray heavy air freshener, leaving us to sleep in a room smelling of stale smoke and artificial perfume. Management has admitted the stay fell well below expectations, yet they have refused to offer more than a 50% refund for one single night (of a four night stay) and a refund of the upgrade fee. To call this a "final resolution" for a completely ruined anniversary celebration is an insult to the Shangri-La brand. Truly disappointing service standards.

I took a disabled client protected under a court order due to violent stalking. I thought she would be safe. Instead, a weird man came to her room and started talking about defecation and nudity then commented on her appearance. The hotel will not explain how he (or anyone else) could have had the ability to roam, suggesting he somehow lucked out and accessed floors by following other guests. My client is permanently traumatised and I do not recommend staying there. Lovely hotel but terrible security.