The Moxy Sydney Airport is a pleasant new hotel ideally located near Sydney Airport.
This time I’m only in Sydney for one night. I already visited the city last year, so it’s not really on my tourist itinerary this year, but since it happens to be my city of arrival and departure, I’ll only make a short stopover on the way there and back.
As for the outward journey, I only stayed in Sydney for one night, as I had a flight to Adelaide the next morning, the only reason I didn’t leave straight away being my relatively late arrival and the fact that on such long journeys self-connecting requires a certain margin of safety.
So I set out to find a hotel close to the airport, and as luck would have it, at Marriott, this Moxy had just opened two months ago. It’ll save me going to the competition, even if the city center isn’t that far away, and the two hotels I’ve tried in Sydney, the Sheraton Grand Sydney and the Marriott Sydney Harbour, were only moderately satisfactory.
You’ll find a summary of the articles about this trip to Australia at the bottom of the page.
Location
If it seems to me that there’s at least one hotel directly opposite Sydney Airport’s international terminal, the Moxy is located on the outskirts of the airport. It’s a 10-minute cab ride from the international terminal and a 5-minute ride from the domestic terminal (you could almost walk there).
Indeed, this is the view from the end of the hotel corridors.
The hotel also has a shuttle service that you need to book some time in advance: I tried it before boarding the plane in Tokyo and it was too late.
Booking
Almost 3 months before my trip, I booked a “Moxy Room” with a double bed for 160 euros a night.
Arrival and check-in
I arrive from the airport in the early evening. I enter the lobby, which is in the spirit of all Moxy lobbies: a large living space with sofas, tables, chairs and TV screens, in the middle of which sits a huge bar serving food and drinks, and where the reception desk is also located.
There are a few people in line ahead of me.
Unfortunately there are only two receptionists and the couple just before me are taking a long time. Unfortunately there are only two receptionists and the couple just before me is taking a very long time.
In short, it takes forever and after 24 hours spent in airports and planes, I’m beginning to find the time long and showing a certain exasperation, especially as the second receptionist has left his desk for whatever reason.
Finally it’s my turn. The receptionist saw that I’d waited longer than I should have and was a bit annoyed. He apologized and offered me a drink ticket in addition to the welcome cocktail to make up for it. And when it came to choosing my benefit as a Titanium member of the loyalty program, between free breakfast and extra points, he decided to offer me both.
All of a sudden, the tension drops.
No upgrade but Moxys don’t really have premium rooms so it doesn’t make too much sense and I wasn’t expecting anything.
Proof, if proof were needed, that there are plenty of reasons for friction in the customer experience, but all it takes is attentive, well-trained staff to turn a negative impression into a positive one.
It’s time to go to my room.
The room
As I often say “when you’ve seen a Moxy you’ve seen them all”: while each hotel has its own personality on the bangs, the very concept of the brand, which aims for a high degree of ( smart ) standardization to control costs and keep prices affordable, means that you pretty much know what to expect.
The room opens onto a small vestibule where you’ll find – an original feature of this hotel – the washbasin, which is not in the bathroom.
On the floor, imitation parquet replaces the waxed concrete that is often the rule at Moxy: I have nothing against it, it has its charm, but it darkens the rooms.
Then the room itself.
It’s simple, modern, sober, pretty…in short, it’s Moxy. It gives a certain impression of originality, even though everything is highly standardized and costs are tight.
There’s a large TV, and so as not to unnecessarily clutter up the room, which is quite modest in size, folding tables and chairs are hung on the wall.
Not a bad idea for furniture you rarely use.
I retrace my steps to find the bathroom.
Small but pretty and functional, and putting the washbasin in the hall helps free up space for a large shower.
As for the view over the city….it’s more pleasant by day than by night.
All in all, a very pleasant room for the price paid, the proximity of the airport and the fact that I’m only staying one night.
The facilities
The hotel has a gym.
For a Moxy, it’s actually quite large compared with what I’ve seen in other Moxy hotels.
Bar and restaurant
As always at Moxy, everything is concentrated in the lobby, which has been designed as a living space.
A large screen displays customers’ Instagram posts about Moxy hotels.
Bar and reception are located on this central island.
I’ll just have a beer without meals (I ate enough during the previous flights), anyway Moxy only offers a snack menu.
Warning: this is Sydney, so it closes very early (10 or 11pm I think).
There’s also a small store for takeaway drinks and snacks.
Staff and service
Young, dynamic and pleasant.
After a wait for which he was not responsible, the front desk agent was adorable, as were the bar staff.
After all, it’s a Moxy, so you have to know where to set your expectations: it’s not a full-service hotel.
Check out
The check out won’t work on the mobile app, so I have to go through reception again. I will report the problem and the person who took care of me just asked me for my room number without forcing me to do the usual paperwork and pay with my credit card, everything will be transparent.
Another good attitude when faced with a malfunction.
Bottom line
A very nice hotel that does what is expected of it and whose main advantage, let’s face it, is its proximity to the airport.
The articles about this trip to Australia
