Four Seasons Hotel Sydney

Not all Four Seasons are made same. When I entered the hotel I wondered if I am at the right hotel as it doesn’t look or feel like a Four Seasons. Once I got through the initial jitters, I got used to the ambience and optics. Room itself was okay, nothing great or nothing terrible. Service overall was a bit disappointing. I may have had high expectations partly because of multiple stays at other Four Seasons and especially Japan where they take the hospitality to next level. Check in was pretty cold. No welcome, no smile, just ‘can I have your passport and here is your keys’. Same as any airport hotel. This is ‘not bad’ but I don’t know if that’s the level that Four Seasons is aiming for.

Amazing hotel and we can see why it's rated highly. We had a corner king room, which was a great size with plenty of space. The room was clean and everyone was very friendly. It walking distance to lots of things nearby including the ferries, boats, shopping, and restaurants.

Our 4 night stay was fantastic. From beginning to end we enjoyed excellent customer service and an eye for the fine details that can really make or break your stay. The location right off circular quay is perfect for seeing many of the highlights in Sydney. The opera house is a short walk and you have quick access to the main ferry and train terminals. It was a slightly longer walk to things like the observation tower, but we were able to do it with our 8 year old. It’s worth mentioning that the breakfast is out of this world as well.

We stayed at this hotel for 10 nights and it was magnificent. The service was unbeatable, and you’d need divine intervention to find a better location. We spent the first few nights in a city-view room on the 12th floor. It was spotlessly clean, quiet, and comfortable. But then we upgraded to a harbour-view suite on the 26th floor for the rest of the stay. The view was so spectacular that we spent entire afternoons just gawping out of the window, and it never got boring. The Four Seasons app worked like witchcraft. I’d send a request (more teabags, extra towels, an orthopaedic pillow), and straightaway someone would be at the door with exactly that. Shirts sent off to the laundry returned looking as if they’d been personally pressed by Giorgio Armani. Breakfast in the room was so good it made me question why I ever eat food outside of hotels at all. The only bad thing was having to leave. One day you’re having your every whim instantly satisfied, the next you’re back in the real world; washing your own clothes and having to go to the shop yourself to get teabags. Utterly barbaric.

This is the second time I've stayed at the Four Seasons, and it was as amazing this time as last time. The service is impeccable, location convenient, and breakfast selections diverse. The bathrooms are small, but the beds are incredibly comfortable. In my opinion, it is worth the upgrade to get an Opera House view, as it is truly is a delight to wake up to in the morning (though be warned that the sun can be pretty intense in the late morning, but the blinds are really amazing at blocking it out).