W Sydney

Best hotel to stay in Sydney. The location is central with spectacular view of the Darling Harbour and Barangaroo. The roof top outdoor pool and the indoor pool are amazing. Performance Massage by Maddie at Away Spa is world class.

I want to thank Bob for his hard work and willingness to go the extra mile to help me locate my booking. He is a treasure.

I would not recommend this hotel for business customers attending conferences at the ICC. I stayed four nights in late September and was disappointed from arrival onwards. Check-in took 26 minutes. No one was directing guests at the entrance or between the two queues, two desks were unstaffed, and staff in casual clothes were hard to tell apart from other guests. My bag was taken behind the desk before I'd got my card out of it. The printed guest information was wrong in several places. It said the pool was adults-only from 2pm, but it was full of children at 5:30pm. The hotel later told me adults-only hours had been paused for the school holidays, but the information I was given didn't say so. It also listed breakfast from 6:30am on Level 5, while the lift signs said 7am. Level 5 was empty, breakfast was actually downstairs, and staff there seemed just as confused. In the room, the TV remote barely worked. A technician had to press very hard on the buttons, then said it was working fine, and I ended up using my phone instead. The room was also cold overnight, and changing the thermostat made little difference. I raised all of this in writing during my stay. My first email went unanswered, and the replies after that were slow and mostly apologies. For the price, I expected far better consistency and communication. I'd book elsewhere next time.

Had a facial with a peel and detox massage. Both services were super.

The Lomi Lomi massage was a wonderful new experience for me - Maria had magic hands, and was warm and welcoming, putting me at ease immediately. The spa had a peaceful, unhurried atmosphere, and the staff were attentive. I also thoroughly enjoyed the sauna, as well as the complimentary tea and delicious post treatment chocolate treat. However, there were a few downsides to the amenities. I chose to skip the steam room because it smelled of mildew, and I really didn't enjoy the "experience" shower—It felt like I was being waterboarded. I also wasn't a fan of the music played during both the massage and while using the facilities. Overall, it is a lovely and quiet space, though I recommend bringing a book, a friend or a phone charger.