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Tags: Sydney Hotels / Hotel Restaurants / Shangri-La Hotels / → All Tags

Sydney's Shangri-La Upgrades Its Cafe Mix Restaurant

Where: 176 Cumberland Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000

Sydney's Shangri-La Hotel already serves up drinks in a bar we approve of - its Blu Horizon Bar which has amazing views over Sydney Harbour and the Opera House. Downstairs, the all-day dining spot Café Mix has just had a revamp and earlier this month relaunched with a new look and a new menu.

The new look includes extra seating and Café Mix now seats over two hundred guests. You can get nearly anything you want here: there's Indian, Japanese, Chinese and Australian cuisine, plus (something we really like) a dessert buffet which includes a chocolate fountain.

To celebrate the new look there's a special on every Friday night until October 16. It's a seafood buffet with fresh oysters, king prawns, crab and lobster for A$99 ($85) per person.

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Tags: Healthy Hotels / Sydney Hotels / Hilton Hotels / Hotel Packages / → All Tags

Get a Taste of the Healthy Life on Hilton Sydney's Health Retreats

Where: 488 George Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000

If you're looking for a vacation that's healthier than the average overindulgent getaway, here's a suggestion: the Hilton Health Retreat which they run four times a year at the Sydney Hilton. The next retreat is coming up soon, from June 12 to 14, so get packing for Oz fast and you'll come away feeling pretty good – or pretty exhausted.

The Hilton Health Retreat is a pretty full-on weekend, led by an expert nutritionist and a fitness pro. You have to undertake a fitness and nutrition assessment before you even get there, so those two experts can set about planning all the right activities for you.

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Tags: Snapshot / Hotel Cookies / Sydney Hotels / → All Tags

The Establishment Hotel Woos Us With Cookies

Where: 1 Bridge Lane, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 2000

If donuts are the new cupcakes, then cookies are the new turndown mint. It's no secret that we at HotelChatter love cookies. If you didn't, well then see our reaction when someone mentioned taking away our cookies.

Thanks to our sweet tooth, we were delightfully surprised to see that the hip Establishment Hotel in Sydney's Central Business District offers cookies at turndown.

And it might be really strange to hear us say this but it's almost as if Doubletree Hotels knew all along the power of the cookie long before the rest of the hospitality world caught on. Imagine that: Doubletree, the hotel cookie pioneer.

Tags: Odd Hotels / Cockatoo Island Houses / Sydney Hotels / Jail Hotels / → All Tags

Stay In Sydney Harbour, Literally, at the Cockatoo Island Houses

Where: Cockatoo Island, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000

When in Sydney, you might well be craving harbor views, but we've got a new alternative--just stay in the middle of Sydney Harbour itself.

We’ve experienced the camping version of a stay at Cockatoo Island, but if you want to stay overnight in more style on this island in the middle of the harbor--with clear views to the Sydney Harbour Bridge--you're in luck.

The Cockatoo Island Historic Houses are available for up to ten guests per house, and according to a Sydney Morning Herald review, these two historic houses (formerly prisons) have been elegantly refurbished and include three plasma TVs per house. The digs are available for A$400 ($260) a night during the week or A$1200 ($780) for a Friday to Sunday weekend stay. Those are somewhat decent prices for the views you're getting, especially if you're traveling with a group.

Tags: Room Rate Drop Watch / Sydney Hotels / Australia Hotels / → All Tags

Sydney Hotel Rates Not Dropping Yet

With ever cheaper flights down to Australia, we figured it was time to check if hotels in Down Under's tourist hotspot of Sydney were getting cheaper or not. Apparently room occupancy rates dropped a bit over the last year so we hoped this might mean hotels will drop rates.

However, the global economic crisis hasn't hit Australia quite so hard to date--they're not even in a recession (yet). Perhaps that's why we can't see too many fantastic Sydney hotel bargains.

For example, one of our faves, the Shangri-La Hotel, is still starting their room rates at over A$300 ($200), which ain't a price dip. We checked a couple of others like the new-ish Pullman at Sydney Olympic Park (non-package rates go down to A$243 ($160)) and Darling Harbour's Holiday Inn (lowest advance purchase rates start at A$180 ($115)) and were also disappointed.

One set of stats is even predicting room rates will continue to rise around Australia this year--not because there are plenty of people with money, but because hotels have to break even somehow with their falling occupancy rates. Come on guys, we'll stay if you make it cheaper, we promise.

[Photo: manarh]

Tags: Odd Hotels / Overwater Bungalows / Switzerland Hotels / → All Tags

A Swiss Twist on Overwater Bungalows

Where: Route des Gouttes d'Or 2, Neuchatel , Switzerland, 2000

We get a bit tingly when we see pictures of a hotel that look as gorgeous as this one. This over-lake wonder is the Hotel Palafitte near Neuchâtel in French-speaking Switzerland, in the north-west of the country.

What makes us even more tingly is when it sounds like our high expectations might actually be fulfilled. Nearly every guest review of this place is overloaded with glowing adjectives and phrases like "One of Europe's best experiences" or "truly one of the most fantastic hotels".

There are rooms--they call them "pavilions"--both on the shore and over the lake, but if you're going all the way to Switzerland you've got to stay with the water lapping under you, right? That would put you back 695 Francs ($600) a night plus another 35Fr ($30) for breakfast.

[Photo: Tambako the Jaguar]

Tags: Hotel Bars / Sydney Hotels / Shangri-La Hotels / → All Tags

Shangri-La's Blu Horizon Bar Rocks The Rocks

Where: 176 Cumberland Street The Rocks, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000

We might have thought that the Shangri-La Hotel in The Rocks part of Sydney was a touch too pricey for New Year's Eve but with the fireworks over, we're keen to head to the Blu Horizon Bar on Level 36 of the Shangri-La.

Back in 2007 this bar won the Australian Hotel Association's big award as the "Best Hotel Bar of the Year" and there's no reason to think the standard has slipped since then. The view alone is probably enough to win over most customers, with panoramic windows looking over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

Some reviews say that you can have long waits for a table or that the drinks are too expensive, but since this is one of the most scenic bar locations in the whole world, we don't think there's much reason to complain. However, from Monday to Thursday crowds are much smaller, so grab your drink then and you'll have less people between you and the view.

[Photo: Amit (Sydney)]

Tags: HotelChatter Reviews / Sydney Hotel Reviews / Ibis Hotels / Hotel Bathrooms / → All Tags

Ibis Darling Harbour Gives You "Four Minutes To Save the World"

Where: 70 Murray Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000

Someone told us not to expect any kind of view when we checked into the Hotel Ibis Darling Harbour in Sydney, and when we booked a last minute special for A$89 ($60) we definitely expected to be shoved into a room resembling a corner closet.

But no--the Ibis Darling Harbour really surprised us. Sandwiched between the more expensive Novotel and Grand Mercure Apartments, the Ibis turns out to be great value for such a sought-after tourist spot. And our cheapie room even had a view--not over Darling Harbour but in the other direction towards the Star City casino complex and the "other" bridge in Sydney, the Anzac Bridge.

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Tags: Sydney Hotel Reviews / Accor Hotels / → All Tags

Sydney's Menzies Hotel Lives Up To Expectations

Where: 14 Carrington St, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000

Just before Sydney went mad with its annual New Year's Eve fireworks, we snuck into the Menzies Hotel quite pleased with a last minute rate of just A$110 ($75) a night; the average rack rate is more like A$250 so don't expect bargain prices like that all the time.

The Menzies belongs to the Accor gang of hotels and seems to live up to its four stars. Friendly service seemed the order of the day, even if the concierge team weren't really too clued up on the info we'd expect them to know like basic ferry timetables and routes. At least they admitted their failings in that friendly Aussie way we love.

The rooms were comfy and new-looking, without anything that made us spectacularly satisfied, but also nothing wrong: a good shower, air-con that dealt with Sydney's humidity well and that all-important decent bed.

With a location directly opposite Wynyard train station and easy walking access either down to Circular Quay with its famous Bridge and Opera House, or in the other direction to the shopping and eating of Darling Harbour, we can't complain, and we'd happily stop by again.

[Photo: NoneColumbus]

Tags: Sydney Hotels / Holiday Inns / New Years Eve 2009 Hotels / → All Tags

Sydney Hotels Filling Up Fast for New Year's Eve

Where: 68 Harbour Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000

With an ever-shortening countdown to New Year's Eve, it's hard to get a good rate in Sydney for the big night. We already decided the Shangri-La's rates were no great deal and now there are just a handful of central Sydney hotels with rooms still available.

One of them is the Holiday Inn Darling Harbour. Now, we're not usually big fans of Holiday Inns but when New Year's Eve is fast approaching, well, you know the saying 'bout how we can't be choosers.

The Holiday Inn still has some packages going for New Year's Eve (at least it does on lastminute.com.au--weirdly the hotel site itself claims fully booked like everywhere else in town). For A$699 ($450) you get breakfast and a bottle of sparkling wine. We still think this rate is far too high--you can stay at the same hotel for A$169 the week before--but if you're running out of New Year's choices then you'd better book fast.

One important thing to know is even though Darling Harbour rates a mention in the hotel's name, you shouldn't be expecting any harbor views. The Holiday Inn is kind of sandwiched between other buildings and good views are pretty much non-existent, so be sure to head out to celebrate the turning year.

[Photo of sandwiched hotel: Manigat]

Tags: Bad Rate / Sydney Hotels / New Years Eve 2009 Hotels / → All Tags

Shangri-La Sydney Not Worth Double Price for NYE

Where: 176 Cumberland Street , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000

We wanted to complain about the overpriced rate for New Year's Eve at the otherwise above-average Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney but obviously there are enough people out there with cash, because it's sold out. Or let's imagine instead, that pre-economic crash, cashed-up Aussies booked this rooms and are now regretting paying up.

The Shangri-La's special New Year's Eve rate was going from A$650 ($420) a night and up, with a three-night minimum stay and full payment required in advance. Rooms with fireworks and harbor views would have gone for much more than that. Yet for nights around New Year's which are still available, you can get single nights from A$275 ($180) (we found one on December 27), yep--less than half the price.

Paying a ton of cash for New Year's Eve is often not worth it, especially in Sydney--if you really want to experience it, you want to spend the balmy summer evening out with the crowds at Sydney Harbour soaking up that fireworks atmosphere.

Much more appropriate for economic crisis mode, we recommend not even booking a hotel for New Year's Eve in Sydney--check out cheaply on the 31st and then celebrate properly before crashing back into a hotel on January 1. If more people did that instead of buying up big at places like the Shangri-La, the hotels would have to start offering reasonable rates again over New Year.

[Photo: ciarao]

Tags: Sydney Hotels / Housekeeping / Tips / → All Tags

The Cleanest Sydney Hotels From the Housekeepers Who Know

If you've ever been particularly impressed by the housekeeping standard in a Sydney hotel, then perhaps the staff were members of PHAN, the Professional Housekeepers Association of New South Wales. We figure this proactive bunch of hotel housekeeping experts has some good tips about the cleanest hotels in Sydney: if they're impressed, we're impressed.

The housekeepers have been recently impressed by the Blue Hotel which has public areas they label "unusual"; it sounds like unusual in a good way, not bad. These housekeepers also liked the Radisson Suites Sydney because it had "immaculate corridors" with not a scratch or mark in sight.

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