WHAT'S IT LIKE? Housed within a 36-storey building towering over Sydney Harbour, the Shangri-La, Sydney is located within the historic Rocks district of the city and one street away from the similarly lofty Four Seasons Sydney.
The building might not be much to look at from the outside, but Grand Harbour facing rooms have simply spectacular views of the city's iconic bridge, harbour and Opera House – arguably the vista is even more impressive than that from the Park Hyatt Sydney (for a recent review click here), as it takes in the whole of the harbour from above, rather than the close-in, low-level views of Sydney Opera House available at the Park Hyatt.
The 30th floor of the property houses the Horizon Club lounge, while on the 36th floor guests can eat and dine at Altitude restaurant and Blu Bar on 36, with Sydney laid out before them.
Room with a view: Deluxe Grand Harbour View room
WHERE IS IT? On Cumberland Street, on the edge of The Rocks district and around five minutes' walk from Circular Quay's ferry and rail services, and ten minutes to the Sydney Opera House. If you are planning on walking from the station to the hotel with luggage though, note that there is a steep incline to the top of the hill where the entrance to the hotel is located.
The property can be accessed either via the main porte-cochere at the front of the hotel, or a more discreet set of doors at the back of the property (open to the public between 0530 and 2300, and accessible via guest keycard outside of these hours) where several shopping concessions are also located. Circular Quay is on the city's Airport Link network, with a journey time of around 15 minutes to Sydney's domestic and international airports.
ROOM FACILITIES The hotel completed a refurbishment programme of 477 of its 563 rooms (not including Horizon Club rooms and suites) in October 2011. Among the enhancements include new window seating to help guests make the most of the views, and updated technology including an iPod docking station and Bluetooth media hub.
Furniture and carpets were also refurbished, and I found the décor smart, with cream walls, dark wood furniture and Cherry Blossom-patterned carpets and headboards. Deluxe rooms start at 40 sqm, and are located on floors five to 23 of the property. Features include free internet access, international sockets (so no need for adaptors), a workdesk with a comfortable leather chair, armchair and coffee table, mini bar, safe, tea and coffee facilities, iron, and bathrobe and slippers, and a bathroom with separate bathtub and shower.
Our Premier Grand Harbour room (measuring 60 sqm and described as "providing a junior suite feel in a single-room layout") was located on the 27th floor, and had stunning 270 degree views of the harbour, bridge, Opera House and city. There was a cupboard and storage area in the entrance corridor, followed by an open plan living and bedroom area, with an additional sofa, armchair and larger coffee table.
Horizon Club guests enjoy enhanced views with rooms on the 30th to 35th floors, and have access to the 30th floor lounge, which features huge windows looking out over the grand harbour, and offers complimentary breakfast, beverages throughout the day, evening cocktails and canapes, and use of meeting room facilities for two hours per day. Other Horizon Club benefits include a suit pressing and shoe shine service, private check-in/out, a 4pm late check-out, and the option of a hot beverage delivered to your room with the wake up call.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS Altitude restaurant and the adjacent Blu Bar on 36 are arguably the highlights of this hotel, and a chance for non-residents to enjoy the same spectacular views as those from harbour-facing rooms, particularly if seated at one of the window tables.
Altitude is headed up by chef de cuisine Matthew McCool, previously of Aria restaurant at the China World Hotel, Shangri-La Beijing, and offers a menu "reflecting French techniques with a mix of European flavours and local Australian produce". The restaurant is open from Monday to Saturday for dinner only, and has double-heighted windows, seating on two levels, and dimmed lighting to allow the view to take precedence.
We were lucky enough to sample a tasting menu which included smoked salmon on squid ink, with crispy pancetta and tomato roe, Wagu beef tongue with cuttlefish, celery sorbet and smoked apple sauce, and a beautifully bitter chocolate tart. Vegetables were seasonal with choices including pumpkin, beetroot and heirloom carrots (we visited in Australia's autumn), and breads were interesting, with a selection including rye with walnuts, and a wholemeal with golden syrup. Full a la carte, epicurious and weekend menus can be seen here.
On level 1, Cafe Mix is an all-day dining restaurant offering a la carte and buffet choices. We had breakfast here and were shown to a table by smartly dressed staff with an ear piece who resembled a bodyguard more than a waiter. It's a bit of a soulless space with little natural light unless you can get a table close to the front of the restaurant, but there was a good choice of hot and cold breakfast dishes including bacon and egg tartlets, corncakes with avocado and sour cream, eggs to order, and a delicious yoghurt and fruit compote, as well as the usual cereals, pastries, fresh fruits, cheeses and cold meats.
Finally, the lobby lounge offer traditional and chocolate high tea, as well as evening dished including local oyster and wok-fried chilli crab claws.
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES The hotel's extensive meeting and events spaces offer a total of 18 rooms, including the 900-capacity, 4.15-metre high Grand Ballroom, although note that this is currently closed for refurbishment until late October.
Meeting spaces are spread across several floors of the property, with level 1 housing the 90-capacity Bradfield Lounge and 80-capacity Harlequin Room, level three offering the Cambridge suite which can be divided into four separate spaces, and level four housing five smaller boardrooms with capacities of between ten and 20 delegates.
There is free wifi throughout the hotel, and a 24-hour business centre on the lobby level, with four computer stations and printing, scanning and fax facilities.
LEISURE FACILITIES The hotel's health club and spa facilities are located on the 2nd floor, with a gym looking onto the 13.5-metre swimming pool and spa bath through a glass wall. There are several loungers around the pool, as well as a small adjacent sundeck. The gym is open 24 hours, while the pool is available from 0600 –2100 Monday to Friday, and 0700-2000 at weekends.
Shangri-La's signature Chi spa offers six rooms including two couples rooms, all of which feature a private shower and toilet. Treatments are "based on the five elements of metal, water, wood, fire and earth to harmonise the body's energy".
VERDICT Smart, well-equipped guest rooms, with wonderful views, Horizon Club and top floor restaurant and bar. This hotel may not have the intimate feel of the smaller Park Hyatt, but it's an excellent choice for those looking for extensive business facilities and a location close to Sydney Harbour.
FACT FILE
- HOW MANY ROOMS? 563 – there are over 20 room classifications depending on view and room category, ranging from Deluxe Darling Harbour View rooms, through Executive and Horizon Club categories, up to the 242 sqm Royal Suite. A full breakdown of numbers and room sizes can be seen here
- HIGHLIGHTS The views from the rooms, Horizon Club lounge and 36th floor restaurant and bar
- PRICE Fully-flexible internet rates for a midweek stay in mid-September started from AUD $315
- CONTACT Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney, 176 Cumberland Street, The Rocks, Sydney; tel: +61 (2) 9250 6000; shangri-la.com
Mark Caswell
