Swissotel Sydney; The Regent Taipei; Grand Park City Hall Singapore

BACKGROUND

This is Swissotel’s only property in the entire Oceania region. Opened in 1999 in a heritage building within Sydney’s CBD, the hotel is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2019.

WHERE IS IT?

Right in the heart of the city on Market Street, across from a number of notable landmarks, including the historic Queen Victoria Building. Sydney’s The Rocks neighbourhood is about 20 minutes’ walk away, with the Sydney Opera House and Royal Botanic Gardens also reachable on foot. A straight five-minute walk from St James Station down Market Street will land you right outside the hotel.

WHAT’S IT LIKE?

Don’t let its growing age fool you; this hotel has been refurbished in the two decades since it opened (it’s now an Accorhotels brand) and features a contemporary, streamlined design with plenty of modern features. While the Swiss name ensures Swiss-inspired hospitality, Swissotel Sydney is definitely an Australian hotel at heart, from its F&B to its service style.

ROOMS

Swissotel Sydney has 369 guestrooms, ranging from 30 sqm Premier rooms to the 66 sqm Signature Skyline suite. I was in a 34 sqm Swiss Executive room on the 24th floor.

Coupled with the hotel’s relatively minimalist design, this gives you a notable amount of cat-swinging space. The wardrobe is embedded into the wall, and opposite the bed are the TV, a cabinet with the minibar, and tea- and Nespresso coffee-making facilities. For working, there is a wide, white table by the window with a Handy-branded smartphone that guests can use inside and outside the hotel. There’s also a leather lounger to lie on if you’ve had a long day.

One strike against the hotel’s rooms is that all plugs are Australian rather than universal; however, the hotel does provide an adapter beside the minibar. The bedside table has USB ports, but they are curiously absent by the work desk.

Bathrooms have a separate bath and shower with amenities from the company’s Purovel brand, though there’s no dental kit. Importantly, the shower is easy to work and offers plenty of power.

From a room service standpoint, the Swissotel Sydney has something I have yet to find anywhere else: the ability to order ingredients and basic bartending gear, allowing you to craft your own mixers and cocktails in your room.

LOUNGE

If you fancy a drink outside your room, however, one option is the Executive Club Lounge on Level 9. The lounge is spacious without being huge and has a small library-style room within it that has additional tables and chairs and is a little quieter. If you’re there at breakfast (6.3010.30am), you’ll find a decent selection of hot dishes, as well as breads, cold cuts, fruit, cereals and a coffee maker. In the evening, the lounge offers pre-dinner drinks and evening canapés, while teas, coffee and cold beverages are available throughout the day.

FOOD AND DRINK

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at the hotel’s all-day eatery, JPB. Dinner starts at 5.30pm and includes a set menu offering a combination of either two or three dishes from entrées, mains and desserts, with a glass of red or white wine. On the drinks side, the hotel’s Crossroads Bar has a happy hour running from 5pm to 7pm Monday to Friday.

Swissotel Sydney also has a few ownbrand products on the F&B front. A beehive on the roof supplies the hotel with its own freshly made honey, which goes into dishes such as the granola served at breakfast, but is also used at the Crossroads Bar in its gin, which is made specially for Swissotel Sydney by local distiller Archie Rose.

LEISURE

Level 10 is home to the hotel’s outdoor heated swimming pool and Jacuzzi on an outdoor deck (complete with deckchairs). The pool is open from 5am to 9pm, so unfortunately a late-night swim isn’t possible. The hotel’s fitness centre shares the same opening hours, so you’ll have to stick to early-morning rather than lateevening workouts.

Attached to the fitness centre is the spa, offering a range of treatments including signature Purovel massages. This, unfortunately, has even tighter hours – 9am to 7pm – so you’ll need to block off a chunk of time in the day if you want a treatment.

VERDICT

While location is likely the hotel’s main selling point, friendly service and modern design shouldn’t be underestimated and the property has plenty of both. There are a few small negatives – opening hours for the leisure facilities are a bit inconvenient – but they’re not sufficient to severely affect the quality of a stay.

Guests are able to order ingredients and bartending gear, allowing them to craft their own cocktails in their room