W Sydney

​The Good: ​Room & View: The room itself was lovely, and the view was fantastic—we had a great vantage point to watch the fireworks over Darling Harbour. We had a washing machine and full kitchen. That was really helpful. ​Where They Fell Short: ​Service: The service definitely needs improvement. We arrived around 8:00 PM, and the bell captain standing downstairs didn't offer to help us at all—he literally just stood there and stared at us rolling our suitcases. It was an awful first impression for a luxury stay. The checkin was OK, nothing happened just got room. ​Overall: Great views and beautiful rooms, but the arrival experience and front-of-house service were disappointing.

Mostly this was a very good stay and there are some very good features about the hotel. The location is amazing - right in the heart of Darling Harbour and with easy reach of restaurants, bars and facilities. It is also an easy walk up to the heart of the city for transport (busses, light rail, trains and metro) - and for other services. The first room we booked as supposed to have a good view but we ended up overlooking the freeway which was not appealing, then our room change to get the view we thought we had booked resulted in a much smaller room with an additional fee! The bed was amazingly comfortable and amenities and general facilities were good. Breakfast selection was good but it was crowded and two mornings we had a long queue waiting for tables.

This review is regarding “Living Room”, the lounge/bar located on the same level as the reception desks, which I visited on Mon 20 July at 6pm. Positive Feedback: - Stunning décor throughout the lobby and Living Room. Very comfortable chairs and a decent view of darling harbour, considering you are only 1 level up from street level. The cosiness of Living Room was lovely, as was the mood lighting. - The menu offered a good selection of cocktails, mocktails and other spirits to suit different tastes. - Was greeted warmly by the bar staff upon arrival Negative feedback: Ordered 2 cocktails – Lycheeshu ($28) and Melon-hi ($28). Total of $56. Very sadly and disappointingly, both drinks contained ice blocks so large, that if you removed them, the actual drink would take up only a quarter of the glass. Whilst I appreciate appearance is important in cocktails such as these, it is an absolute rip off to charge $28 each for a cocktail that is mostly filled with ice. I have been to similar establishments with cocktails such as these, which allow for ice and a decent amount of drink in the glass. Also, the Melon-hi practically tasted like water. No taste whatsoever. The slim garnish of a lengthy cucumber slice added little to no flavour. There was no table service. No menus were brought to the table, nor any staff inquiring what we would like to drink. Drinks had to be ordered from the bar and paid there. For an establishment such as this, I was very surprised. The small snack plate arrived at our table after we had almost finished our quarter-filled glasses of drink. I would strongly NOT recommend Living Room if you want value for money in a cocktail and will not be visiting Living Room again.

Heaven is a place on earth, and it’s called AWAY Spa at W Sydney! Yukari used her magic fingers and soothing presence to create a divine experience. I left floating on air! Thank you Yukari, AWAY Spa and the W Sydney.

My first stay at W Sydney definitely won’t be my last. The hotel has the signature W vibe - stylish, vibrant and full of energy! I was upgraded to a harbour view room and the spacious bathroom with W’s signature bathtub was a real highlight. Staying during Vivid Sydney made the experience even better, with the hotel perfectly located for exploring the festival. I was even able to enjoy the drone and light show from my room. The location is excellent with plenty of good restaurants nearby, making it a great choice after a day of meetings. Overall, it was a memorable stay and I’m looking forward to stay here again.