So I am back in Sydney for the end of this vacation. I chose the Marriott Sydney Harbour for its location close to the bay and the opera house after having, at the beginning of this trip, stayed at the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park which is a bit more central. Two quite different settings that allow to see the city from different angles.
You will find all the articles related to this trip in Australia at the bottom of the page.
Booking
I booked via the Marriott app a standard room at a rate of 190 euros per night. The description says “city view” which means absolutely nothing except that it has no really interesting view.
The day before my arrival I will see in the application that I have been upgraded to a room “with view”.
Location of the hotel
As the name suggests, the hotel is located near Sydney Harbour which puts it within easy reach of a number of sites and lively areas. How different from the more central Sheraton Grand where I stayed during the first part of my stay? Apart from the environment which is different and the view (which we will talk about later) I would say that from a simple tourist point of view both are equally well placed with some sites quite close and others at a reasonable distance but in both cases you will be at an acceptable distance from all the places you want to visit
Arrival at the hotel and check-in
I arrive in the late morning by cab from the airport, ahead of the normal check-in time.
A bellman takes my suitcase in charge and I head for the reception.
I’ve already done my check-in online on the Marriott app so the formalities will be reduced. I was introduced to the hotel and its services as well as the benefits of the loyalty program but absolutely no recognition. There is not even a mention of the upgrade to a superior room noted in the application.
I head for my room.
The room
It is located on a high floor, reserved for “elite” members of the loyalty program. The door opens into a small corridor with the bathroom on the right and the bedroom in front.
The bed is large and comfortable.
Next to it is a small lounge area.
One good thing is that there is a real desk, contrary to an unfortunate trend.
The bathroom is large and equipped with a bathtub and a shower.
Now let’s take a look at the view. Indeed instead of a city view (so I suppose on a forest of buildings) I have a view on the bay but, especially, on this emblematic building of the city that is the opera.
With a small zoom it’s even better.
At night he will pay tribute to Elizabeth II whose funeral took place the day before.
A small reproach: the room is not equipped with multistandard plugs so bring your adapters.
In the end a very classic room for a Marriott, a chain whose DNA is more standardization and impersonal.
No failures or reasons to be enthusiastic and in the end a very comfortable room.
Gym, spa and pool
The hotel has a gym, a spa and a pool.
I will not go to the pool but will make regular use of the gym for early rehabilitation of my leg.
The gym
It is large and, strangely enough, spread over several floors on two levels.
The equipment is very complete but it gives a rather strong impression of disorganization. In fact, it seems that this is a temporary situation due to works.
The Pool
It is located on the same floor as the spa and gym.
Quite nice and bright even if it’s not worth the view from the one of the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park.
Bars and restaurants
The Marriott Sydney Harbour has several bars and restaurants as well as a lounge.
Sylvester, an award-winning restaurant, caught my eye, but even if I tried the day before I arrived, I couldn’t find a table.
There is also a bar/restaurant, the Three Bottle Man Bar, not yet reopened when I visited after COVID.
Customs House Bar – Gastropub : late drinks
I will go to the Custom House, a kind of pub, on the last night to have a drink after the restaurant. I had tried the day before but it was too late because of the closing time (9pm at the beginning of the week, 10pm the rest of the time…we are in Australia…).
The atmosphere of the place is visibly friendly, even festive, and really contrasts with the rest of the hotel. When I arrived, the first thing that struck me was the omnipresent smell of food and fried food.
I sit down at a table that its occupant has just left. There are 35 minutes left before closing time. After 5 minutes, a waiter approaches me and asks if he can clear the table. I answer him in the affirmative by saying that I have just settled down and that they are the glasses of the previous customers. He takes the glasses and walks away without taking my order.
During the following minutes, several waiters will pass in front of me without stopping despite my insistent looks and gestures.
After 30 minutes someone comes up to me and says “this is the last call, you have to go order at the bar”. I tell him that I have been waiting for 30 minutes and he looks at me with a shrug and answers “well I’m sorry”. I point out the lack of professionalism of the staff without any reaction from him. He didn’t understand French or he would have reacted to the “connard” [Asshole] that I couldn’t help but let out as I turned on my heels to go back to my room a little pissed off..
Too bad, I’ll use room service.
Room Service – Late Night Drinks
So I go up to my room and use the app’s chat to order a bottle of water and a beer.
I let you read this lunar conversation.
The level zero of customer relationship.
The lounge
A lounge is available for occupants of certain room types and high status guests in the loyalty program.
It is spacious and decorated in a tasteful but rather impersonal style.
The food offer is quite large and of good quality. Cold cuts, cheese, sushi, emapnadas, samosas, desserts, salads…
The drinks offer is also rich with all the usual softs, wines and spirits.
If it does not reach the excellence of the Sheraton Grand’s, this lounge is very pleasant, not noisy and its offer is even sufficient to avoid a visit to the restaurant afterwards if one does not hold back.
Moreover the staff is pleasant and smiling which is not obvious in this hotel.
The staff and the service
Smiling and friendly at the reception even though they didn’t seem too concerned about my membership in the loyalty program.
Bar and room service: between obnoxious and incompetent.
Otherwise, the other staff members I met (in the gym for example) seemed to be in their own bubble and not so concerned about the customers.
Check-out
I’ll do it on the mobile app, so I don’t have to waste my time at the front desk again. And given my experiences with the staff this is a good thing.
Bottom line
The choice of this hotel was above all a choice of reason and I did not expect anything from this Marriott except a standard service and without relief. And that’s what I got, which doesn’t excuse the fact that the staff sometimes seemed totally disconnected from the service.
I remember the view from my room and the very good lounge, for the rest it is without interest even disappointing.
A hotel that one forgets as quickly as one left it and that one almost regrets having stayed at.
Articles about this trip to Australia
