I had high expectations of Capella Sydney after staying multiple times at Capella Bangkok and being treated as though I were the most important person in the hotel, just like all of the other guest who stay there are. The attention to service detail at Sydney location unfortunately failed very short to meet my expectations. The booking process on the website was glitchy and the pricing was inconsistent, sometimes showing pricing including tax sometimes not without indication and only upon receiving confirmation via email from reservations was the price confirmed, which did not match the screenshots of the reservation when I placed the booking so I had to go back and forth with reservations via phone and email to simply confirm the accurate pricing for my stay. After creating an account to log on to their booking platform although the option of modifying the booking was offered, the feature did not work on the site, so you had to cancel the booking and book a new booking if you simply wanted to extend by 1 day. This is before I even arrived at the hotel. When I did arrive, it is of course, no small feat that the restoration of this historic building was carried out with the utmost respect for the architecture, from the flooring material to the fenestration and even the internal grand stair way was brilliantly retro-fitted with current code requirements for the handrail in a historically appropriate yet contemporary solution. The hotel does not have many floors, so I encourage anyone to take the stairs to experience the beauty of the restoration work. The recognition of the strong identity of the urban location and sense of place in Sydney’s CBD offers us a promise, an encounter, as the space of the possible. I wish I could say the same about the interior design. There was a real disconnect between the intent of the architecture and that of the interior design. The decoration at best seemed vague, and so for the guest experience, how could one of have a point of view about the effect of the design? The space of the expectant “possible” relationship I was expecting from the simple activity of stepping into Farrer Place’s south entryway marked Department of Agriculture, as local stories interpreting colonial history with ancestral elements of the Eora people by Waayni artist Judy Watso unfolded, or the sense of expansive freedom through the bronze Palazzo doors on Loftus Street into the latent quiet luxury of the grand stair was lost when I was met with the contrasting designs and colours of the lift lobby vestibule axminster carpet and that of the corridor carpet to the guest rooms, able to be seen in the same frame. Although an argument can be made about eclecticism and the use of curating a collection of exceptional vintage and contemporary objects this was not the case here, it read as a mismatched bric-à-brac (to borrow a Victorian word from the building time period that's true meaning in French means ”any old way” or ”at random”). This hap
4 night stay for Vivid. Chose this as an Accor member and that it was close to the Harbour. Upgraded to a Prestige Suite, Club benefits and was not disappointed. Yes the building is not new, it’s not like the shiny new hotels in town, but it’s solid and my sleeps were uninterrupted and rarely heard noise from the hall. My Suite 930 was spacious, clean, well appointed, Sofitel Bed topper and electric sockets to plug in my adapters to charge. Like other reviews no USB ports but I’m sure most sensible travellers have an adapter. The Club Sofitel access was the perfect addition. Early check-in and waited with a hot tea while my suite was made up. It was 9:30am but the room was rushed and 30 minutes later I was unpacking. Evening canapés and drinks from 5:30pm. Table drink service by Alley and her dedicated, personable, attentive team. They remember your preferences pretty quickly and it became an oasis from Vivid hoping and sightseeing. My suite completely blocked out the light and slept through 2 alarms, it’s the Sofitel Bed topper. Breakfast at Club Sofitel, peaceful, plenty of options to choose from, salmon and capers to a great gluten free station, eggs cooked to order and a great way to start the day. Try the Dilmah Blood Orange and Eucalyptus tea. Thanks Lara. Afternoon Tea served from 2:30 and daily sandwiches , scones, cakes and complimentary drinks, tea, coffee and soft. On entering the Club Lounge, always a friendly greeting, your preferred drink served and a relaxing space anytime of the day. The Club team really made my stay, they work really hard to make your stay great. Housekeeping always made up my room before my afternoon return. Always a Bonjour as you walked past them in the hall. My stay was great. All the staff were friendly and helpful. The Lobby is grand and the history of this hotel makes her great. Not the newest but I prefer tradition and good honest service. Definitely not the style of hotel for everyone but my expectations were met and exceeded beyond imagination. Club Sofitel is a must. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My partner and I stayed here for three nights just before Christmas. The hotel is absolutely perfectly located very close to Museum station and in the rain coming from the airport it was almost all undercover. Being and Accor diamond, they certainly looked after us. We had a beautiful room overlooking the park. It was very well appointed and quite large, although I would have to say the tech that controls everything in the room was probably a bit of an overkill. Although I do like all the gadgets, I do also like manual options The hotel breakfast is fantastic and the staff in that restaurant are amazing. They even made a great coffee, which often is lacking in hotels. The only thing I would say wasn’t negative is the reception staff are very curt. I didn’t feel particularly warm talking to them and they didn’t really make me feel particularly welcome. They seem to be very busy with their heads in the computer and every time you walk past they never with their heads and say hello which I thought was a bit weird. But to be honest, that’s my only gripe. This is a great hotel beautifully designed in an amazing location and I think being new they can just on a few of the kinks out and all will be fantastic
ゲゲストA great place to stay near Light Rail, Chinatown, Central, and shopping. Our room was excellent, and we found the reception staff always welcoming and helpful. We really enjoyed our stay. It is an excellent hotel for location, for guests who may have difficulty walking up and down sloping streets, as it is in a comparably level area.