An area of travel blogging I really wanted to get into is hotel reviews! Since my blog is always about reviews of makeup and skincare, I thought it would be really fitting to continue giving my opinion about “products” but this time about hotels. I haven’t done it too much in recent years as I’ve mostly stayed at AirBnBs when I travel. But this time in Sydney, we stayed at the Westin and I want to tell you all about it!
Location: The Westin is in a fabulous location right in the middle of CBD. It’s about a 15 minute walk to Sydney Opera House but just one block away from Pitt Street Mall and 2 blocks away from Westfield Sydney where we surprisingly spent a lot of time. My biggest tip to choosing a hotel is to do it AFTER you’ve mapped out what attractions/restaurants/things you want to do are located. What you are interested in might be different than other people, and choosing a hotel that’s close to “famous” tourist attractions but not close to your own interests will put a damper on your vacation! For tips on what to see, make sure to check out my Top 10 Things to do in Sydney post!
For example, Darling Harbour is a great tourist area with lots of nice hotels, but we weren’t really interested in going to the Aquarium, or museums so it wasn’t a great spot for us. The Westin Sydney’s location was surprisingly walkable but we did have to Uber to Bondi Beach, Fish Market, and Newtown. I’m sure you can also get by using public transit but we thought it was just more efficient for two people to use Uber.
Check In: We were friendly greeted as soon as we stepped out the car. They offered to take our luggage up to the room. While we initially accepted the service, we realized it would take a while longer and we wanted to unpack immediately so we asked for our bags back. Check in was pretty smooth and they had a separate counter for SPG Gold & Platinum members.
SPG Recognition: My boyfriend has Marriott Gold and that translated to being SPG Gold as well. I like that there was a separate check in desk dedicated to SPG Gold members. We were not offered an upgrade for our room unfortunately but the front desk agent did say he gave us a room with a nice view (which had a view of the clock tower). The best perk of SPG Gold I think is the extended 4pm check out. With our flight at 9pm, this was such a great perk so that we could enjoy more of the day. It wasn’t the most recognition we’ve had, but definitely offered the main perks.
Rooms
The two standard rooms types are the heritage (which is located in the old part of the building floors 3-7) and the tower rooms (floors 8-13). We stayed in the tower room with one king bed. The room was quite large and spacious so let’s take a walk through! As you enter, you have a full size closet with mirror doors. To the right as you walk in is the bathroom which we’ll go more in detail later. Into the main area is the bed, an armchair, a TV Chest, a table and a sofa chair.
I actually really enjoyed having a desk as sometimes it’s just easier to use your laptop on a desk than actually on your lap. I also love that the floor to ceiling windows let in so much light. The blinds are thick though so you are definitely able to have a good sleep without worries of sunlight peeking through.
I feel like you don’t often see sofachairs anymore in hotel rooms, but I have to say it is a nice addition especially with the little coffee table next to it. Our room had a gorgeous view of the tower clock. I really enjoyed sitting with a cup of hot tea and admiring the view. Another time we brought back the famous strawberry watermelon cake from Black Star Pastry!
I would say the bathroom however was the highlight of the room. The most unique and luxurious detail is the glass wall between the bedroom and bathroom. There is a blind that rolls down so if you are staying with family members, there is definitely privacy. However, for a romantic date night or travelling as a couple, it really adds a special touch.
For two people staying here, they really loaded up on the towels. There were 4 bath towels, 4 face towels, and a couple other ones hanging around too. I love that they were so generous with the amenities so you don’t feel like you have to call and wait for someone to replensih your towel supply before you can take a bath. I actually brought a bathbomb with me to take a bath and it was super relaxing especially with the Westin robe afterwards.
The other side had a toilet with a frosted glass door and a rainfall style shower with a frosted glass door. The bathroom was very spacious although would have loved a double vanity with all that space!
Everyday when we came back, the room was in pristine shape with all the amenities replenished. The bed was comfy and provided us with great sleep! I really don’t have any negatives to say about the room except that some of the furniture looks dated but they are still in great condition.
Around the Hotel
The hotel is located in a corner of a much bigger building, 1 Martin Place. If you walk around the area, you’ll find many interest arichetural and pretty photo backdrops. The photo above was taken at the walkways on the second floor leading to the Mosaic restaurant. You will also walk through this grand staircase (picture below) in order to get here.
The Mosaic restaurant set up is beautiful but since we were first time visitors to Sydney, we had other restaurants we wanted to try. But if you didn’t feel like leaving the hotel, this is a great option for a nice meal.
Another option is the Lobby Bar/lounge. This actually occupies two separate areas all on the lobby level. It was really busy throughout our stay with what looked like business meetings and casual catch ups.
There is a downstairs area to the building as well with a pizzeria and another casual restaurant. I didn’t go to this part of the building but it’s great fun for those who want to explore. I really enjoyed the comfort of our room as well as the convenient location. However for a 5 star, I would have thought there would be a pool or a gym. I would have also loved something like a rooftop bar to really set the luxury factor. The hotel does get pretty expensive in the summer time, but for me it’s worth a $250-$300 price tag.
If you are looking for hotels in the Jervis Bay region, I’ve rounded up some of the best ones. If you are visiting the city, definitely check out my tips on sightseeing, drinking, and eating! Be sure to visit my travel guides page to see all my travel related posts!