Country
Australia
City
Sydney
Hotel
Pullman
Notes
The Good
- Modern, stylish rooms
- Great Executive Lounge amenities and staff
- WiFi speedy enough to support HD video streaming
The Bad
- Lack of lift signage, compact in-room working desk
X-Factor
- Location, location, location
Introduction
Pullman Sydney Airport isn't your typical 'airport hotel' – rather, an upscale property that could easily belong in the Sydney CBD, but which instead sits in Mascot with easy access to both the airport and the city.
With 229 rooms, it's also Sydney Airport's only five-star hotel, which Australian Business Traveller reviews from a recent stay.
Location & Impressions
Situated on O'Riordan Street in Mascot, Pullman Sydney Airport is true to its name being a 10/15-minute walk from the airport's domestic terminals and also accessible from all terminals via a shuttle service priced at $7/person:
But don't think of this as just an airport hotel – Mascot railway station is a mere five-minute walk from the property, with trains taking you to Central Station in under 20 minutes:
That makes the hotel ideal for both transit passengers and regular business travellers visiting Sydney in its own right: it's conveniently near the airport, yet the closeness of the city makes any business meetings and sightseeing easy.
Travel tip: Fares between Mascot and the CBD are significantly lower than when catching trains to or from the dedicated airport railway stations, so you won't rack up a large Opal card bill by zipping around during your stay, as you would from some other airport hotels.
Back inside, you won't forget you're residing near the airport with the hotel's hallways taking their design cues from the nearby runways:
Concerned about noise from aircraft on the real runways? Don't be: double-glazed windows let you enjoy the view without the roar of aircraft engines keeping you awake.
But with so much focus on design, we were disappointed to find the hotel lifts lacking any information about the amenities of each floor:
For instance, we knew the hotel had a gym, but with no labels to remind us which floor it was on, we were left trying several options before finding the correct one.
Ditto for the Executive Lounge and other hotel features like car parking and meeting rooms – and in an airport hotel where often-weary travellers are the target market, providing this information where you need it most makes things easier for everyone.
Room
Locating your room is more straightforward, of course, with those on the Executive floors adopting a modern geometric design...
... carried over into each room's open bathroom:
That's where you'll find a large vanity area with a heated mirror, forward-facing lighting and a rainfall shower with amenities by New York's C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries, although if you're travelling with children or friends and would prefer more privacy, we're told guests can request rooms with a more traditional bathroom.
In any case, the room proper uses the entrance corridor as a nifty baggage and closet area with an iron and ironing board also tucked away in the white wall space...
... although travellers armed with business shirts and jackets would be wise to hang them on the rear-most hooks to avoid any creases:
Power points are plentiful, with some located on each side of the bed, and the Bluetooth clock radio and music dock also featuring a handy USB charging port for smartphones:
More power is available over by the working desk, but being an odd shape and with a vertical pole stuck in the middle, it's better-suited to shorter laptop sessions than longer days spent working on the road:
More impressive was a 48-inch HDTV with access to broadcast channels in true high definition plus an array of Foxtel options and also Apple TV, allowing iPhone and iPad users to mirror their gadget's display onto the big screen:
It also enables guests to stream Netflix, Stan, Presto, Fetch TV and other content wirelessly from their device onto the TV – again in high definition, which the free hotel WiFi was speedy enough to support:
That WiFi comes at no charge for all Le Club AccorHotels members, and with the Le Club program free to join, that should be all the encouragement you need to sign-up and begin earning more points on your hotel stays.
Eat
Guests of the Executive floors plus Le Club AccorHotels Platinum members booked in any room type enjoy complimentary access to the Executive Lounge throughout their stay, which includes breakfast between 6-10am daily.
Among the selections: simple fruits, meats and yoghurts...
... plus more substantial options like Salmon Eggs Benedict, also self-served from the lounge buffet:
There's a Nespresso machine for that morning caffeine hit, although we found the staff offering to fetch true barista-made coffee at no charge from the cafe downstairs, which was a particularly nice touch:
Throughout the day, guests can help themselves to non-alcoholic beverages, tea, coffee and snacks, with canapés and alcoholic drinks served between 5:30pm and 7pm.
During our visit, staff again kindly offered to fetch drinks for seated guests, with the evening food choices including sandwiches, brownies, cheese and accompaniments...
... plus tasty hot items in the calamari and salmon:
For a more substantial meal, head to Mobius Bar & Grill on the ground floor: open throughout the day (6am-11pm) to accommodate travellers stuck in other time zones:
Our pick of the dishes was a scrumptious beef cheek, with menus varying seasonally and centred around locally-produced ingredients:
The bar features an extensive wine list, with Silver, Gold and Platinum members of Le Club AccorHotels offered a complimentary welcome drink with every stay, which also extends to the bar's full cocktail menu:
Our Espresso Martini tasted just as we expected, with these Le Club members too provided with complimentary in-room bottled water and a further chilled bottle delivered after check-in.
Relax
Back in the Executive Lounge, eligible guests can unwind in their spare time with a television and reading material at the ready...
... plus clusters of seating and larger sofas where groups can socialise:
Being an airport hotel, we also appreciate the lounge offering shower facilities for guests who have checked-out but aren't yet heading to the airport...
... while the hotel's generous offer of a 5pm late check-out for Silver, Gold and Platinum cardholders (pending availability) is also more than welcome.
Stuck without a shiny Le Club card or access to the Executive Lounge? That's okay – there's a small library-like area on the first floor with seating, coffee and refreshments that all guests can enjoy...
... or for your pre-flight workout, head to the gym (on the second floor, as we discovered) and make use of its cardio equipment...
... plus a variety of free weights and pulley exercises:
All things considered, the Pullman Sydney Airport hotel made for a most enjoyable stay – and with room rates often much lower here than at comparable CBD-located hotels, we'd seriously consider staying here again when visiting the city itself, not just the airport.
However, a little signage would go a long way in helping first-time guests find their bearings, particularly those with access to the Executive Lounge which is tucked along a corridor on the first floor.
Also read: QT Sydney hotel review
Join other AusBT readers talking about Accor and Pullman in our dedicated AccorHotels discussion group
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Nov 2013
Total posts 475
Have stayed here a few times and really appreciate and enjoy the facilities. It is so far ahead of the other hotels inc the Rydges over at International.
Qantas
03 Feb 2016
Total posts 11
Have also stayed a few times, best hotel in the airport precinct well priced and only 4 stops to the city by train.
13 Feb 2013
Total posts 3
Staying at the Pullman airport tonight and the big change I've noticed since my last stage is signage is now clear. LCD screens in the lift now contain the directory as well as screens in reception.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
03 Mar 2017
Total posts 6
Has anyone stayed here recently? Am platinum member and the welcome drink did not include any cocktails as described above but rather "only" the usual house wines, house beer & house spirits... Also found staff, particularly at check-in, to not be very welcoming
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Nov 2018
Total posts 103
I have stayed over 30 times at the PULLMAN Sydney Airport, 90% just overnight. Given I keep going back it shows I certainly enjoy the hotel.
Some small improvements on welcome amenities / drinks etc need to be improved.
For my 30th stay I received 1 beer and a biscuit.... I regularly stay at the PULLMAN olympic park and receive a full bottle of wine and snacks.
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