Nested right in the heart of Sydney CBD, Four Seasons Sydney is a classic and elegant hotel fitting right into the cityscape that offers comfort especially for those who loves large spacious hotels.

Located right next to the Rocks and Circular Quay, Four Seasons Sydney is literally a stones’ throw away from Sydney’s most iconic landmarks: Sydney Opera House is a 10-minute walk away, Museum of Contemporary Art is a few blocks beside, and if you are there on the weekend, the weekend market at the Rocks is around the corner.

The Hotel

A full five-star hotel, the 531-room property is arguably one of the best maintained luxury property in Sydney.

The hotel opened in 1982 as The Regent hotel, which was later managed by Four Seasons from 1992. The hotel was only rebranded as a Four Seasons hotel in 2002. The hotel has since gone through several refurbishments, with the last major one in 2009 for all the rooms. Some of the more exclusive suites were also further enhanced in 2011.

The property comes with a full on-property restaurant (more about that later), a full spa and 24-hour fitness centre.

The hotel is situated on a slope, with the front entrance facing George St and a secondary entrance on Harrington St which leads directly to level 3. There is a mobile porter service that operates at level 3 too, where they can store and deliver your luggage to your room while you go and check in at the lobby.

On level 3, there’s also several ballrooms and function rooms for conferences and events, which saw a fair amount of activities during my stay there.

There is also a Club Lounge for eligible guests on the 32nd floor, which I didn’t manage to check out on this trip.

The Room

There are two room types, the Deluxe and Premier Rooms, as well as five suite types, including the Junior Suite and Club Suite. The most epulent suites include the Royal Suite, the Deluxe Royal Suite and Presidential Suite.

For the rooms, they come with three kinds of views: the city view, the partial harbour view, and the full harbour view, and of course any view of the harbour comes with a premium in price. Rooms with Club access are all situated on 31st to 33rd floor, which guarantees an unobstructed view.

The suites come with at least a partial harbour view, and all suite guests are guaranteed club access too (except junior suites).

I stayed in a Deluxe Partial Harbour Room on the 30th floor, with what I think is already an excellent view overlooking Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House. I typically don’t believe in paying a premium for a good view from my room, but this was definitely a treat so you may wish to consider paying the extra.

At 23 square metres, the room was rather small by Australian standards, but incredibly well adorned. The room was decked out in classic wooden furniture including the bed, TV console and the wardrobe, along with other elegant fitting that added to the luxurious feel.

I need to talk about the signature Four Seasons bed: it was arguably one of the best sleeps I had in a hotel in a while. The bed was firm, but topped with a fluffy layer that provided maximum comfort and support no matter what kind of a sleeper you are.

The pillows were abundant, and yet not overwhelming to disrupt the sleep. You could also request for other type of pillows if you were into firmer ones. The duvet was perfect for me too as it was warm and weighted, since I never liked thin blankets. I knocked out at 11pm and had an uninterrupted sleep all through till morning.

The bathroom was laid with marble, a touch that is rare to see in newer hotels today. Featuring a bathtub and a separate shower stall, along with a simple vanity, the space was very well used and you don’t feel like it’s too small.

APPELLES was the choice of amenity at Four Seasons Sydney, an organic Australian brand.

What I really loved about the hotel is its attention to detail when it comes to service. It provides twice daily housekeeping, once in the morning to refresh the room and once in the evening to turn down for the night.

What was great was not only the bedside water and glass, but also the bathrobe being conveniently placed beside the bathtub, a very minor but impressive detail. And as you know, only top tier hotels in Sydney provides complimentary bottled water, most other Australian hotels will charge you for it.

Breakfast

Breakfast was at Mode, the in-house restaurant located at the lobby. Serving up Australian fare during lunch and dinner hours, the restaurant was most recently renovated not too long ago and now features a modern space for all-day dining.

Mode serves up an incredible spread, from pastries, hot entrees, a wide cereal and oatmeal bar, and also some Asian offerings such as congee and miso soup. Of notable mention is the quality of the pastries, from the simple crossiant to the rewarding blueberry cheese tart, the baked goods at breakfast is certain worth breaking any diet plans you have.

What’s worth mentioning is the impeccable service at Mode. My table was cleared at the first instance when I’m done, and when I decide to go for seconds a while later, i found a new set of cutlery when I returned, and another glass of water to go with it.

Also, for those who are in a mood for some bubblies to go with your breakfast, Mode also serves mimosas up for AUD10 a glass, which is incredibly affordable.

If your room doesn’t come with breakfast, you can walk in for a choice of buffet or ala carte breakfast.

My take

Admittedly, I will usually not choose such a hotel in the heart of town if I had to spend my own money, given that the facade seem rather dated and its on a rather pricey end. However, having experienced what’s on the inside, it’s definitely incredibly good value given its excellent location and facilities for guests.

Overall, Four Seasons Sydney is an excellent hotel to be in: heart of Sydney CBD and has everything you want in a hotel from an excellent bar to a quality spa, plus good views to boot. While on the pricier end, you will be hard pressed to find another hotel for better value for money that you pay for hotels in this city.

Hotel details

199 George Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Australia
Tel. 61 (2) 9250-3100

Deluxe rooms start from AUD340, Club rooms from AUD590 (all-in). Book here.

The stay was sponsored by Destination New South Wales.