Four Seasons Hotel Sydney

Romantic Getaways NSW - Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney

The Four Seasons has enjoyed a superior spot adjacent to Sydney Harbour in the city's CBD since 1982, and has long been a favourite of visitors to one of the great NSW holiday destinations. Built on the site of a former colonial jail, and offering sweeping views of Sydney Harbour and the city's iconic Opera House, the hotel took on a new identity 11 years ago when it was rebranded as the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, and its staff have been welcoming the well-heeled and well travelled ever since.

Set in the historic Rocks district, its convenient location affords easy access to many of Sydney's alluring attractions including fine dining, designer shopping and the city sights, as well a comfortable respite from the city hustle and bustle at the end of the day. This hotel has everything both leisure and business travellers could want, from spacious rooms with a view, to fine dining, a spa and an executive club.

The Rooms

The hotel has 531 accommodations of varying types, from Deluxe City View rooms with vistas of the Sydney skyline, to a lavish Presidential Suite on the 34th floor, which can accommodate up to five adults. The room we enjoyed for our overnight stay was a Grand Premier Full Harbour View Room. Positioned in a corner of the building and located on an upper floor, this spacious, v-shaped room benefitted from jaw dropping views from two angles, and encompasses a sleeping area, work area and sitting area was more like an open suite.

The decor is modern contemporary with warm biscuit coloured walls, a blue and grey patterned carpet, and dark wood furniture. To the left was a work station with a desk, visitor chair and a leather ergonomic office chair, and a picture window with one of the two views behind it, flowing to the area with the super comfortable king sized bed complete with down pillows. To the right is the lounge sofa with a coffee table, and a gorgeous love seat in the window with views down the length of Sydney Harbour including the Opera House.

The closet was walk-in and spacious, and the marble bathroom featured a large shower, and a deep bath with a double vanity. As for amenities, they included a large 107 cm LCD flat-screen TV mounted to the wall, a DVD player, a Bose clock radio, a Nespresso style coffee maker, thick terry robes, and a hand held hair dryer.

It was a Sunday night when we stayed, and the hotel's main restaurant was closed. But rather than head out for dinner, the room was so inviting that we opted to indulge in room service. The 24-hour has an eclectic range of choices from snacks such as green olives and organic brown rice chips, to salads, to easy meals such as a pulled beef short rib burger with fries, to more traditional dining such as spanner crab tagliatelle with rocket and chilli.

The Executive Club

Access to this private lounge has many perks for guests, including evening drinks and canapés from 5pm to 8pm, a full breakfast service, complimentary wireless internet and concierge services. The lounge is extremely spacious and wraps around two sides of the hotel, with each side offering different views. It's furnished with a combination of small tables for two, larger tables for four, and easy chairs with coffee tables. The decor is also modern contemporary following the style of the rest of the hotel, with dark wood, and earth tones including biscuit, cream and grey.

The evening canapés are offered on a self service basis from a buffet station and range from cold meats and breads/crackers to several hot selections and some delectable desserts. Drinks are also self service from an impressive bar, with everything from cold drinks and beers to wine and sparkling, and there's equipment to make your own cocktails including shakers and martini glasses.

Breakfast the next morning is a combination of a hot and cold buffet with everything you could think of from cold meats and bread to pastries, cereals, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages. You can also, however order fresh eggs cooked to order which are delivered to your table.

Other Facilities

Besides business facilities including meetings rooms, the hotel also has a triangle shaped heated outdoor pool, fitness facilities and a modern spa on level 3. For dining, besides room service, The Woods is a new venue driven by Australian chef Hamish Ingham, and has features including a live herb wall, a bar with a lighter menu, and a centrally located wood fired oven and grill. Grain is the hotel bar offering draught beers from specialist brewers and a largely organic and biodynamic wine list.

The Verdict

As a brand, Four Seasons is synonymous with quality and style, and its Sydney property won't disappoint. Besides a great location, and those jaw-dropping views, the hotel is ideal for business visitors and anyone looking for a romantic getaway alike, with all the facilities a discerning traveller could want.