Four Seasons Hotel Sydney

Whilst this hotel is in a great location it is soulless, impersonal and unfriendly. A very busy city centre hotel that closed its only and main bar all night on the second Thursday before Christmas! What about your high paying residents you clearly didn’t worry about them I guess you already had our money. We paid extra for a harbour view and must say the Concierge was very helpful and knowledgeable however I would choose a different hotel next time we visit. That probably says it all.

This property is unlike any other Four Seasons: it is (relatively) massive. Not the 6,000 rooms of the Abraj Al Bait in Mecca or 7,000+ of the Venetian in Las Vegas but at 531 rooms, this hotel has the largest number of rooms of any badged with the Four Seasons brand. Despite the singular scale, this property still works as a Four Seasons – a testament to the skill of its talented staff. The building was originally constructed in 1982 and operated as a Regent hotel before the Four Seasons started managing the property a decade later – hence the unusual size. Although the hotel has undergone several interior renovations, the exterior physical structure still bears the all-concrete neo-brutalist hallmarks of its time. To put this in perspective, when construction completed 43 years ago, Leonid Brezhnev was still in the Kremlin. The property modestly describes itself as “Sydney’s best-located luxury hotel” and they just might be right. The hotel is in the dead-hot epicenter of the Central Business District and easily accessible to everything, including the tourist must-see attractions of the Opera House, the Rocks neighborhood and Circular Quay. Combine this with Conde Nast Traveller UK Reader’s Choice Awards declaring Sydney to be the world’s best city and you have hit upon a powerful combination of best of the best. I recommend swinging by the concierge desk and picking up a local map, either for running or walking a 5K or 10K route that will bring you in closer touch to the less-trafficked areas and offers a great tour of the cultural and botanical highlights of the city. The public areas of the hotel feature a bit too much razzle-dazzle of shiny brass, polished wood and granite for my tastes, but they are immaculate. They’re also buzzing with both in-house guests and conference attendees. During my stay, the hotel was hosting the “Momentum Media Commercial Finance Awards 2025.” It was a rather higgledy-piggledy scene with hundreds of identically dressed finance bros joined by women in finance wearing elaborate evening gowns – all cocktailing at high noon and congratulating each other with great gusto for excellence in asset and commercial finance broking. The atmosphere did not lack brio – or testosterone. The guest rooms, happily, are a sanctuary of repose. They’ve been remodeled in a more contemporary palette of cool greys and blues, providing a spacious, visually calming and pleasing haven. I did not have occasion (or invitation) to visit the Club Lounge on the 32nd floor, but I was told the copious F&B is matched only by the boffo views of the Opera House, Harbour and Bridge. One of the advantages of the hotel’s larger footprint is the larger investment in the Fitness Center. It is enormous, and offers as many different exercise options as the average Equinox (which, interestingly, they don’t have in Australia, but they do have Barry’s Boot Camp!). If you don’t manage a workout, it’s not the hotel’s fault. But the thing that sets this property apart is the Four Season’s signature cordial hospitality. More consistently than any other hospitality brand, FS has mastered the ability to replicate a friendly ear in an unfamiliar place and serve up common experiences and amiable affability in new ways. It’s the ineffable feeling of what restaurateur Danny Meyer describes as “being on the guest’s side” and working to establish a genuine, rather than transactional connection. This was evident from the first seconds of my arrival when bellman Arthur flashed a million-watt smile, extended a hearty inaugural welcome to both the city and the property and assisted with luggage. First impression = A+. Another example: when I was checking in, a manager monitoring the process saw in the CRM notes that I had previously stayed at a number of Four Seasons properties. She walked around to my side of the desk to welcome me “back” (although this was my first time in Sydney) and then asked which Four Seasons properties I counted among my personal favorites. And here’s the thing – she seemed genuinely interested in the answer vs. performing an obligatory inquiry. This may be nothing more than a parlor trick deployed on every guest; if so, whether feigned or sincere, it works! Then there was Catherine, a F&B manager who took the time to guide menu and beverage selections to curate a lunch that precisely hit the spot and stayed for an informative orientation to the city. She shared how she had started at the hotel as a telephone reservations agent and worked her way up the ranks, all the while studying for an advanced degree in finance. This depth of knowledge of different aspects of the hotel’s operations along with length of tenure undoubtedly contributes to the consistency and polish of the Four Seasons brand experience. Perhaps soon Catherine will be attending the Momentum Finance Awards herself. All of these high points made the following all the more surprising. The breakfast operation is huge with hundreds of guests arriving at pretty much the same time. Despite the complex logistics, the operation runs with efficient alacrity through a bevy of buffet offerings as well as custom-cooked menu items. In fact, I can only think of the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore and the One & Only Cape Town as offering more extensive breakfast options. As I was filling up a bowl with porridge, I noticed a manager bearing the nametag “Jake” upbraiding one of the servers in full view of all of the guests accessing the buffet right next to a giant caldron of bubbling congee. It is hard to imagine what transgression occasioned this vituperative remonstration, but my goodness, it sure seemed more than a bit harsh and put the server visibly on the verge of tears. It also did not go unnoticed by the rest of the staff and many of the guests. We all make mistakes; I daresay Jake included, in choosing such a prominent public place to engage in not-so-gentle mentorship. Full disclosure: I was predisposed to think kindly of the server as she had provided me with attentive and flawless service the previous day, including bringing me multiple refills of ice unbidden. Here’s a sweeping generalization and potential insight: Americans love ice. We suffer in Europe, where each single cube is dispensed like a nugget of solid gold. We like giant glasses of ice, big buckets and coolers filled with ice and sometimes cold plunges filled with massive amounts of ice to jump in. Even Americans who don’t like ice in their beverages like to have ice around in which to plunge a bottle of Champagne… or simply admire. And with some of the purest drinking water on the planet, Australia has to be a match made in heaven to make the finest ice. Try it sometime; when you hear an American accent, immediately furnish a big vessel of ice and see how happy you make us! I digress. This is a hotel that takes a big footprint and reduces it to a human scale. Just as I appreciated the manager coming out to greet me on arrival, I was equally impressed when in line to check out, a different manager came over, took my keys and indicated he would email my folio so I could be on my way without waiting. As is always the case, it’s the little things vs. the big gestures that separate the good from the great. And if anyone ever finds out what service lapse launched Jake’s jeremiad, put the answer in the comments. Inquiring minds want to know.

From the moment we stepped out of our taxi at the Four Seasons the experience was amazing. The valet welcomed us and took care of our luggage. We were checked in by a friendly and knowledgeable desk clerk. Our room had spectacular views of the Opera House, Sydney Harbor Bridge. Definitely worth the little extra we spent for that room. Definitely will stay there again !!!!

This was the second time I stayed at the Four Seasons Sydney. Once more, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the service, the equipment of the rooms and the hotel's perfect location at Circular Quay, within walking distance from the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Ferry Terminal and Central Business District. My room had partial harbour view, which allowed me to see the Opera House. The breakfast buffet is very rich and of high quality. The hotel also has a very decent gym. Unfortunately, however, the hotel's commercial policy nowadays seems to be to take in large groups of tourists and business people, which created chaos several times during my stay: long waiting times at the elevator and in the breakfast area, lots of noise and definitely not the nice and charming atmosphere that I had enjoyed during my previous stay a few years back. I really found this a pity and am considering switching to another nearby hotel of the same category, next time around.

Our stay at the Four Seasons Sydney was exceptional from start to finish. From the moment we arrived, the service set the tone: warm, polished, and genuinely attentive without ever feeling over the top. Brenda, in particular, went above and beyond to make sure our birthday celebration felt truly special, and her thoughtfulness made a huge impact on our stay. The location is genuinely unbeatable. Right on Circular Quay, the hotel puts you within a few minutes walk of the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, The Rocks, and all the ferries. Whether we felt like a quick waterfront coffee run, a scenic walk around the harbour, or hopping on a dinner cruise, everything was effortlessly accessible. And waking up to those harbour views never got old. The property itself is beautifully maintained with comfortable rooms, an excellent bed, and plenty of thoughtful touches throughout. Service was consistently prompt and proactive, from well-timed room refreshes to local recommendations that always hit the mark. The Four Seasons Sydney somehow manages to feel both luxurious and welcoming, delivering a perfect mix of comfort, location, and world class hospitality. We would return in a heartbeat.