An honest review of Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay.
A wet and rain-filled few days in Sydney is brightened by the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay, a hotel that has fine-tuned good service, writes Anna Sarjeant
Style: A highly polished city centre hotel with all the classic good looks of a high-end abode.
Perfect for: Basing yourself in the heart of Sydney, a mere three minutes on foot from the iconic harbour, and five minutes more to the Sydney Opera House. Guests here are likely to pursue the finer things in life and enjoy being made to feel special as soon as they walk through the door – opened by a courteous bellman, of course.
First impressions: The foyer is shiny – an extension of all the shiny Mercedes pulling up outside where my Uber, a mildly battered Prius, now pulls away looking a little sheepish. There is calm amidst the city bustle and check-in is so seamless it’s pleasantly unremarkable. It’s midday and I’m three hours early but there’s already a room ready for me. I survey my surroundings while the key card is issued: the reception leads into a rather grand atrium-cum-dining area called Silvester’s Restaurant, complete with a polished bar and dramatic lighting. I deduce this is where breakfast is also served but right now there’s a flutter of laptops and quiet, convivial meetups.
Rooms: I’m staying on the 29th floor in a guest room so I’m pretty excited for the view. I’m not even saddened by my non-harbour facing suite because looking across at skyscrapers and office blocks, complete with tiny construction workers, rooftop rendezvous and a scurry of CBD workers appeals greatly to my inner nosy-neighbour. The bed is plush and for once I didn’t leave my laptop on the plane, so I’m happy to see a spacious and comfortable work desk.
I particularly appreciate the alarm clock with a mobile phone charger beside the bed. The flatscreen TV is Chromecast-enabled; you can also set it to gently stir you from slumber with a crescendoing alarm but I overheard another guest saying she did just that. Never again she muttered. The decor is muted with hues of blue, beige, brown and grey. Design-wise, they’re not breaking any molds at The Marriott but I suspect the sophisticated palette is exactly what loyal guests of the brand have come to expect.
Price: From $522 per night.
Bathroom: I’ve been spoilt by a few claw foot baths of late, so I flung open the door expectedly and was left underwhelmed. The bathroom has a shower and nice tiles but discoloured grout gives away an age that the modernised bedroom hides well. But who cares - he who spends all his time in the bathroom while in Sydney deserves bad grout.
Food & drink: I met up with old friends for dinner and they were excited for me. Hotel breakfasts are the adult equivalent of Christmas Day. The Marriott did not disappoint. Years of breakfast-eating experience has taught me to calm down and take it slowly. Still, I did the obligatory two-second sit down to readjust a fork before beelining it to the buffet at breakneck speed. From fresh donuts to a fully cooked breakfast, as well as cereals, pastries, fruit, yoghurt and an entire bagel station, I sampled as much as possible, washed down with a latte.
As well as Silvester’s Restaurant, there is the Three Bottle Man, a cafe and intimate laneway bar, and the Customs House Bar Gastropub but sadly, I ran out of time to try all three.
Facilities / what’s in the neighbourhood: Everything. As well as being a stone’s throw from The Rocks, Sydney Harbour and the Botanic Gardens, the hotel sits at the bottom of Pitt Street so the shopping opportunities are all walkable, too. I also strolled to Darling Harbour for an early dinner and was tempted to stop at TINA The Musical at the Theatre Royal Sydney on the way back, roughly seven minutes from the hotel, but fatigue and rain drove me indoors for some shuteye.
Facilities-wise, the hotel boasts an indoor swimming pool, a fully-equipped gym and an outdoor terrace area for pleasantries like yoga.
Family friendly: Considering the Disney Wonder cruise ship had just pulled into Sydney for its inaugural visit Downunder, I didn’t any children at the hotel. However, with a swimming pool, free Wi-Fi and a momentous breakfast, it has all the hallmarks of a family-appealing hotel. Bear in mind, all children must be supervised in the pool so you can’t just dump and run.
Accessibility: Accessible rooms have roll-in showers as well as accessible vanities, bathtub seats and handrails, as well as lowered electrical outlets and lever handles. There is a designated wheelchair lift for Silvester’s Restaurant which although on the ground floor, has a handful of steps to reach it.
Sustainability: I like to see hotel rooms with recycling wastepaper bins which this one had and the “thisworks” trio of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel were all in refillable bottles.
Contact: marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sydmc-sydney-harbour-marriott-hotel-at-circular-quay
From skipping the queues to planning your parade spot, here's all you need to know.