Sydney - Australia 2004 - page 106

apartments are also well worth considering because you can save a bundle by
cooking your own meals; many also have free laundry facilities.
Almost all hotels offer nonsmoking rooms; inquire when you make a reserva-
tion if it's important to you. Most moderately priced to very expensive rooms
will have tea- and coffeemaking facilities, and an iron. Like elsewhere, there's an
increasing trend to rip off guests with pay-per-view movie channels (around
A$14/US$9.10 per movie), rather than to provide full access to a range of free
cable TV channels. In Australia, by the way, a “double” room means you get one
double, queen-size, or king-size bed in a room.
The websites www.wotif.com.au and www.lastminute.com.au offer substan-
tial discounts year-round.
The price categories used below are defined as follows (for a double room):
Very Expensive, A$250 (US$162) and up; Expensive, A$150 to $250 (US$97-
US$162); Moderate, A$80 to A$150 (US$52-US$97); Inexpensive, below
A$80 (US$52).
THE ROCKS/CIRCULAR QUAY
VERY EXPENSIVE
Observatory Hotel This exclusive hotel, a 10-minute walk uphill from
The Rocks and George Street, is a turn-of-the-20th-century beauty competing
for top-hotel-in-Sydney honors. (In 2001, Zagats named it hotel of the year in
Australia, and the 11th-best hotel in the world.) Up there with the Ritz-Carlton
Sydney for unadulterated style, it's fitted out with antiques, objets d'art, and the
finest carpets, wallpapers, and draperies. Plus, it's renowned for its personalized
service. Rooms are plush and quiet, and the huge bathroom is a great place for a
glass of champagne and some takeout sushi. Some rooms have city views while
others look out over the harbor. The pool here is one of the best in Sydney: Note
the Southern Hemisphere constellations on the roof. The health club offers a free
float in the flotation tank for early arrivals coming in from overseas.
89-113 Kent St., Sydney, NSW 2000. & 1800/806 245 in Australia, or 02/9256 2222. Fax [phone].
www.observatoryhotel.com.au. 100 units. A$415-A$450 (US$270-US$292) double; from A$510 (US$331)
suite. Extra person A$66 (US$43). Children under 14 stay free in parent's room. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking A$30
(US$20). Bus: 339, 431, or 433 to Millers Point. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; chemical-free heated indoor
pool; floodlit tennis court; sauna; health club with flotation tank; concierge; business center; 24-hr. room serv-
ice; laundry service; dry cleaning. In room: TV w/pay movies, VCR, CD player, dataport, minibar, hair dryer, safe.
Park Hyatt Sydney This artistically curving property on The Rocks fore-
shore is the best-positioned hotel in Sydney. It's right on the water, with some
rooms having fantastic views across the harbor to the Sydney Opera House. Its
location and general appeal mean it's usually full and frequently has to turn guests
away. The room rates have skyrocketed in recent years, and unless you have
money to burn, there are plenty of places that are far cheaper and just as nice.
The building itself is a pleasure to look at, and from a ferry on the harbor it
looks like a wonderful addition to the toy town feel of The Rocks. Every possi-
ble luxury has been incorporated into the good-size rooms. Room rates here
depend on views; the least expensive units have only glimpses of the harbor.
(The most expensive rooms look over the Opera House.) Each of the 33 execu-
tive suites has two balconies with a telescope.
The Verandah on the Park restaurant offers good buffet food indoors or out-
side on the edge of the harbor, and is worth a visit even if you don't stay here.
7 Hickson Rd., The Rocks, Sydney, NSW 2000. & 02/9241 1234 or 02/9241 1234. Fax [phone]. www.
sydney.hyatt.com. 158 units. A$650-A$700 (US$422-US$455) double depending on view; A$820-A$920
(US$533-US$598) executive studio; from A$1,000 (US$650) suite. Extra person A$55 (US$36). Children under