Where luxury meets prestige
Whatever your reason for visiting Sydney, be it the shopping, the shows, the museums, the beaches or the botanic gardens, if you are looking for 5 star accommodation by way of a boutique hotel, then look no further than the Sir Stamford on Circular Quay.
This traditional hotel in the heart of the cultural district is housed in a building listed with the National Heritage Register and overlooks the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and offers easy access to every mode of transportation. While within walking distance of Sydney Opera House, Sir Stamford offers a country manor feel once you walk up that red carpet into the main lobby with its crystal chandeliers and open fire.
If you don’t spot Morris, the giant stuffed Wombat, sitting in one of the antique chairs when you first arrive, don’t worry, you will be introduced to him at some point during your stay. He is very hard to miss and turns up everywhere!
The Sir Stamford on Circular Quay used to be the Ritz, and it shows. The elegant European decor is fastidiously maintained and the public areas are as luxurious as the rooms, if not more so. The hotel features one of Australia’s largest private collections of fine art and is filled to the brim with antiques.
The more modern, fully equipped gym is the latest area to be updated and it leads through to the rooftop heated pool surrounded by colourful deck chairs and sun loungers.
The presidential suite has an impressive list of former guests, including the Prince of Wales. Upon inspection I could see why he would have been very comfortable there - the self contained suite also enjoys the privacy of an additional suite for staff, along the same corridor but behind its own locked door, which makes for that extra level of privacy every Prince and President needs!
My room was a more modest Deluxe but still very luxurious and so comfortable I wished I was catching a later flight the following morning. All the Deluxe suites have a Juliet balcony and mine looked straight down Macquarie Street to the Opera House. The bathroom boasted marble floors with underfloor heating and the chandelier theme continued in there, with lots of mirrors and ornate fixtures. An air of spaciousness and light is apparent in all the rooms with every last detail catered for.
This hotel prides itself on doing small very well. They host a wedding a week on average and can cater for a maximum of 80 to 100 guests. Their clientele a fifty-fifty mix of corporate and leisure with around 20% hailing from offshore. I’m not sure if I was counted as an international guest as the General Manager is also from New Zealand - she might just have popped me into the domestic bracket!
The Sir Stamford is part of the Stamford Hotels and Resorts Group with eight luxury properties in Australia and New Zealand.