Sydney - Sir Stamford at Circular Quay

I booked this hotel a few years ago, having read that it was recommended by Conde Naste Traveller as one of the best hotels in Australia. At that time I was spending a great deal of time commuting between London and Sydney and was a very regular guest at The Observatory Hotel. I was very happy with the Observatory but thought it was perhaps time to try somewhere different.  What a mistake.

The month was January which is mid summer in Sydney. The weather was horrific; cold, wet and very windy; the sort of weather which makes a great luxury hotel room essential.

The Sir Stamford is located on Macquarie Street close to the Botanical Gardens and Circular Quay, but don’t be misled.  The position may technically be close to Circular Quay (“metres” according to the hotel web site), but in reality it is “to the side and up” from Circular Quay and has very limited views of the harbour.

I was placed in a room in the attic of the hotel, a room with sloping ceilings, which is not great for a tall male.  It was certainly nowhere near the standard (at a comparable price) of The Observatory.

Arriving on a Monday morning from London for a short visit, I was straight into a busy day of meetings.  The weather was dire and at 7pm I suggested to my guests that we have dinner.  Staggeringly, this award winning hotel restaurant is closed on Monday evenings.  To have to venture out in appalling weather whilst sitting in a hotel with a supposed top Sydney restaurant, where I was resident, was not amusing.

My next and subsequent visits to Sydney during that period were back to the reliable Observatory.

It is arguably unfortunate that weather, as so often is the case, massively influenced my view of this establishment.  However, the room was not great and the location not what (I feel) one is led to believe from the web site.  I don’t understand why this hotel has won so many awards and such adulation.

If you are looking for a top hotel in Sydney on a very good deal, I strongly suggest you look at The Observatory.

Sir Stamford At Circular Quay
Macquarie Street
Sydney

 +61 2 952 4600

http://www.stamford.com.au/sscq/