Shangri-La Hotel Sydney

Having stayed at the exceptional Shangri La in Singapore and the dated but good Shangri La in Vancouver, I was expecting something similar in Sydney, but it couldn’t have been more different. The rooms are dated and very dusty with lumpy beds. The views are nice though! The customer service is lacking and my experience with a dismissive manager discoloured the experience. The location is good though, although if you have mobility challenges I would walk the Cumberland Street approach, as it’s a gentler incline. There were a number of issues which made it a miserable 10 night stay, but to the credit of the GM, he did respond back with some detailed feedback. Overall it’s a very average hotel at a premium price, that is not of the Shangri La standard. It feels like it has been under invested in for some time and there is a weird culture overall. Find somewhere else.

I would like to take a moment to share my appreciation for my recent experience at Shangri-La Sydney. In mid 2023 I used to stay in another room and once again felt the signature warmth that makes Shangri-La special (but not the restaurant). Here & now I had the pleasure of dining at Altitude, the hotel’s signature restaurant high above the harbour, overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Since my last visit in 2023, I can truly see how much Altitude has improved the food presentation is elegant, and most importantly, the staff are friendly, genuine, and wonderfully chatty. They made me feel right at home. The highlight of the evening was the main course: the Creamy Cod simply outstanding and absolutely world-class. Please keep up this level of excellence under your leadership… I would also like to give a special mention to Putu and Krijal, who are rare genuine gems in this decade. Their warmth, sincerity, and natural hospitality embody everything Shangri-La represents. They don’t just serve guests & they connect with them, making the experience feel personal and memorable. Staff like them are the heartbeat of this hotel. Also, the Assistant Director Alexander, he has gone beyond & above & very very friendly, what a real Asian hospitality signature A heartfelt shout-out as well to the entire Shangri-La team for their hospitality. Today truly felt like a fairytale, and I left with unforgettable memories. Please also keep in touch with me if there are any special lunches, dinners, events, or offers at Altitude or within the hotel, I would be most interested to hear from Shangri-La Sydney. I wish they don’t forget to input my Shangri-La Circle membership number. Thank you again for the exceptional experience. Stay Awesome, Mart

Hotel is abit dated without much newer technology within the room. Had issues with the doorbell ringing on its own and the lights turning on/off on its own. Hopefully it is due to electrical issues. Had feedback several times but they were unable to fix it which caused disruption to having some rest. Ended up cutting short my stay and switched hotel.the stay was good till the issues started. Hotel in located up on a very steep slope from the nearest light rail station. So be prepared to walk a lot, which could be tedious after a long day out. But the views from the room is 10 out of 10. Had access to the horizon lounge but the service was not as exceptional as I expected. Service fell abit flat. Breakfast selection in the lounge was also not much. Had done a mobile check in before arrival and had my credit card charged a deposit. But upon arrival, as I couldn’t find the email to do self check in, and went to the reception instead. And they charged my credit card again as they were not aware that I had done mobile check in. What’s the purpose of mobile check in if it is not updated in the system. Had a massage at the spa and this was the saving thing for this stay. The staff were friendly and welcoming and the therapist was great!

This hotel in Sydney along with others in their group take a retention amount on your credit card. In our case A$870 being 145$ a night, probably more than we paid for the room. On arrival they assured us this would be released on day of departure. On the day of departure the same bull was quoted. They point blank refused to provide us with written confirmation that the funds had been released. We left on 4 August now being 26th we still await the removal of this totally unacceptable retention of our funds. Needless to say we will avoid Shagri la hotels in future. Our Bank confirm the issue is with the hotel & "hopefully" it will drop off after 30 days. I don't like being lied to!

We stayed for 6 nights in a club room. Our second stay. The view over Darling Harbour is beautiful and the room was excellent. The Horizon Club had excellent food. The walk to and from the hotel could be tricky for those who lack mobility but was great for us.