Country
Australia
City
Sydney
Hotel
Hyatt
Notes
The Good
- Great location for business and leisure
- Two well-equipped hotel gyms
The Bad
- Some rooms are much smaller than others
X-Factor
- Excellent Regency Club lounge
Introduction
With 892 guestrooms, two 24-hour gyms, a new rooftop bar and a Regency Club lounge, the Hyatt Regency Sydney hotel certainly punches above its weight and claims to be Sydney's largest upscale property.
Formerly a Four Points by Sheraton under the Starwood banner, the hotel has well and truly transitioned to the more premium Hyatt Regency brand, which Australian Business Traveller reviews from a recent stay.
Location & Impressions
Located on Sussex Street in Sydney's CBD, the Hyatt Regency Sydney hotel is well-positioned for both business and leisure, being directly opposite from Darling Harbour and a 5-10 minute walk to Town Hall Station.
That provides easy access to and from the Airport Link train, to the city itself and also to the International Convention Centre for conferences and events, which is a short stroll away.
Staff provide a friendly welcome as we arrive, although with the hotel recently having changed hands from the Four Points by Sheraton brand to Hyatt Regency, some aspects of the property yet to make the switch.
For instance, expect to find 'Four Points by Sheraton' appearing on your credit card statement (at least, with AMEX), and to spot some temporary signage in place until more permanent fixtures are created.
Credit cards are accepted with a 1.1% surcharge for Visa and MasterCard and a 2.9% fee for American Express, Diners Club and JCB: something to note if you've also stayed at the Park Hyatt Sydney where these charges don't apply.
Room
We'd booked a Club King room in the property's newest tower which the hotel describes as offering "28-57 square meters of space", although there's no way of knowing whether you'll be assigned one of the larger rooms or arrive to something smaller.
While rather cosy, those smaller rooms still come well-appointed with modern furnishings...
... mood lighting that seemingly changes colour throughout the day, with pleasant orange hues during daylight hours (below) and a purer white in the evenings (above)...
... an ample supply of both AC and USB power points wherever you want them – including by each side the bed – along with a Bluetooth-compatible clock radio for playing your own tunes...
... a desk with solid overhead lighting that makes your work (or meal) easy to see: yet without a traditional desk lamp taking up any precious space...
... plus a well-stocked mini-bar, tea- and coffee-making facilities, a safe, an iron and ironing board, bathrobes, and a wardrobe with real coat hangers – not the annoying "we don't trust you" kind with a detachable top:
Meanwhile, the bathroom features a walk-in shower with an array of Pharmacopia amenities:
Work
Sure, you could work at the desk in your room, but unless you're burning the midnight oil, why not make your office the fantastic and nautical-themed Regency Club lounge?
Access is complimentary for all guests staying in Club rooms, Regency Suites and Regency Executive Suites, plus Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond members (or from March 1 2017, World of Hyatt Globalist cardholders) booked to stay in any room type.
There, you'll find a boardroom for serious meetings – available to be hired free-of-charge by Regency Club guests...
... a working corner with collaborative tables and computers for those without their own tech...
... and of course, ample tables comfortable enough to plonk your laptop or tablet and type away:
The lounge does get quite sunny in the afternoons, but translucent blinds can be lowered to make things more comfortable.
Wireless Internet is also available throughout the hotel and is complimentary for all guests, with both download and upload speeds ranging between 8-10Mbps during our visit: more than ample for transferring larger email attachments and high-quality video streaming.
Eat
Another perk of the Regency Club: it's where you'll find breakfast in the mornings, coffee and snacks throughout the day and both canapés and alcoholic drinks in the evenings: all at no extra charge.
To start your day: a selection of fruits, yoghurts, smoothies, cereals and breads, while an egg chef is also at-hand to create omelettes and other egg dishes to your liking.
In the evenings, expect to find tasty treats ranging from cheeses to sushi and from crackers to sashimi...
... joined by antipasto, charcuterie, crunchy snacks like carrots and hummus and a selection of beers, wines and spirits with mixers:
Some evenings also find a chef station in the lounge which could replace the need to head out for dinner, with cooked-to-order potato gnocchi in a pesto sauce proving a simple, tasty dish:
As far as executive lounges go, the variety of food here is some of the best we've seen at an Australian hotel.
All that's missing is barista-made coffee in the lounge rather than machine-crafted espresso, although you'll find that at The Sailmaker restaurant downstairs, plus an even more extensive buffet with multiple stations spanning one side of the restaurant to the other, and a second egg chef, too.
We remained seated here after the breakfast concluded to get some work done, and were impressed that the staff later came by to offer another coffee rather than ushering us out of the restaurant. Espresso doesn't attract an extra charge here, either: top marks from this latte drinker.
For a quick coffee and snack you can also visit the Lobby Lounge, while in the evenings on Tuesdays through Sundays, head to Zephyr on the rooftop for cocktails and stunning views:
Relax
After a busy day, the Regency Club again proves a nice place to relax, with ample seating for solo flyers, couples and groups...
... or, tackle your workout in one of two – yes, two – air conditioned 24-hour gyms. One gym specialises in cardio with treadmills, cross trainers and exercise balls...
... while the other has a serious focus on weights and strength, with an extensive collection of dumbbells too:
As somebody who routinely uses hotel gyms to keep fit on the road, that's a refreshingly comprehensive array of equipment – and if your exercise calls for both cardio and weights, the gyms are located on the same floor of the hotel for easy movement between them.
Overall, the hotel's lounge, dining and fitness facilities were quite impressive for a four-star property, and could easily belong in a five-star hotel.
We just wish there was an option to book and guarantee a larger Club-level room without splurging on a suite, as with some standard Club rooms being twice as large as others, these could realistically be in a room category of their own.
Chris Chamberlin stayed as a guest of the Hyatt Regency Sydney hotel.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
21 Feb 2016
Total posts 3
I used to stay at this place quite a bit when it was the Four Points. The rooms were fine for a Four Points, but certainly not up to scratch for a Hyatt property!
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2431
It's definitely not the Park Hyatt, although the Hyatt chain certainly doesn't do itself any favours by having so many different brands at various ends of the market with the word 'Hyatt' in them: it's very easy to mistake one for the other. :)
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards Gold
04 Jul 2014
Total posts 129
Stayed here recently and while I enjoyed the view, the lounge decor and friendly service, VERY surprised to hear about the food offerings in the lounge you received. I was thinking at the time how the offering was one of the worst I've seen in an AUS lounge... (For reference, stay was end of January)
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2431
That's interesting to hear Jack; we stayed in early February. Was the food different when you were there, or was the service/presentation/taste lacking during your stay?
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards Gold
04 Jul 2014
Total posts 129
Hi Chris,
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Hyatt Regency Sydney Hotel, Darling Harbour