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Inside Blue Sydney at Woolloomooloo

Where: 6 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo, Australia, 2011

Ok, we need to make this quick because we just got a call from the front desk saying if we were not checked out of here by high noon they were going to charge us $50 AU for each additional hour. Our location is Blue Sydney, W Hotels former first international W ever.

The wharf is gorgeous inside and out, but it feels a touch like "the ghost of W" in the lobby area. The bar, which was called "souless" by one Aussie we met, is almost always empty day and night. However, the rooms are nice, bright, and have incredible views out over the wharf.

If you're not a walker or a cabber, the location may not be for you. The hotel is located on the far side of the Royal Botanical Gardens. Actually, the 20 minute walk to Circular Key has been kind of nice; then again, not every traveler wants that kind of hike. Cabs are plentiful outside the hotel, but all in all it is isolated.

Room: 412

Type: Standard

Square Footage: ~350 square feet

Best Feature: The bright sunny view and the wharf quiet.

Biggest Surprise: Wolloomooloo is a very small quiet area and you will need to cab it out of here to most places if you are anti-longish walks.

Sydney Hotels / Art Hotels / Hotel Closings / → All Tags

The Storrier Art Hotel Is No More

Where: Springfield Ave, Potts Point, New South Wales, Australia, 2011

Bad news. Sydney’s attempt to open a bunch of art hotels seems to have stumbled early on. Remember The Storrier Hotel in Potts Point? Even the NY Times considered the Storrier exciting enough to check out, with its walls full of Tim Storrier’s neo-surrealist artworks.

But just a year on, the Storrier has been taken over. Come December 1, it will be officially renamed with the pretty boring name of the Quest Potts Point, when the Quest Apartments group takes it over. Quest chairman Paul Constantinou says they haven’t decided yet whether the artwork will stay or not but we think losing the name kind of spoils that boutique art hotel image anyhow.

The word is that the art hotel business might work out better down in culture-conscious Melbourne, so perhaps there’ll be a Storrier reincarnation in Australia’s second city soon.

[Photo: Cattermune]

Sydney Hotel Reviews / → All Tags

Sydney's Simpsons of Potts Point Gets #1 Spot

Where: 8 Challis Ave, Sydney, Australia, 2011

We've tried out lots of great hotels in Sydney but the current #1 on TripAdvisor has so far eluded us, probably in part because it's such a small boutique hotel that it only has twelve rooms. But we're intrigued anyway about the Simpsons Hotel of Potts Point in Sydney, which is housed in an old mansion originally built in 1892--that's very old by Australian standards.

TripAdvisor guests give plenty of good reasons to justify Simpsons #1 rating, including the breakfasts in the sunny solarium, the free high speed internet service, a cosy living room with a fire burning in winter, the short walk from Simpsons to downtown Sydney, and the friendly staff who have plenty of good recommendations for sightseeing, transport and restaurants.

Rates aren't even that exorbitant, starting at A$175 (US$144) for a single as a rack rate. Special (higher) rates do apply at Christmas, New Year and Mardi Gras--which should be a good clue that it's also ranked highly as a gay-friendly hotel. But then again, Sydney's a gay-friendly city, so we figure we're all welcome at Simpsons, anyway.

[Photo: lifesgood]

Related Stories:
· Simpsons of Potts Point [TripAdvisor]
· Sydney Hotels [HotelChatter]

Valentine's Day Hotels / Hotel Packages / Sydney Hotel Reviews / → All Tags

Valentine's Day Hotel Packages: The Blue, not Red, Hotel

Where: 6 Cowper Road, Woolloomooloo, NSW, Australia, 2011

If you're planning a romantic Valentine's Day in Sydney, then Blue Hotel has a deal for you. Check out this list of package inclusions:

Bottle of Australian NV Chandon & Strawberries, Full Breakfast for Two, 2 Magdalena Love Cocktails in the Water Bar, a late checkout of 12.00 noon and a book of The Simple Truths About Love to take home as a memento of your special time at Blue

Exactly what a love cocktail includes is something we're not 100 percent clear on, but the strawberries and wine are already a good start. As for the Simple Truths About Love?--we just can't believe it's so simple.

Anyhow, Blue is still getting good reviews (it once was the Sydney W Hotel), and even a few famous Australians like to hang out there, so it might be a good place for the big V-day. Rates start at around $300 for a basic Pier room and up to $800 for the Ultra Loft.

Related Stories:
· Blue Hotel reviews [Trip Advisor]
· From W to Blue [HotelChatter]