Swissotel, Sydney

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bathroom photos – they rock!

date of visit: Friday 12 October 2012

I know this isn’t a travel blog but I love staying in hotels – can you tell it’s something I do infrequently?!

Our stay in the Sydney Swissotel (on Market Street, in the CBD) was for just one night. We were attending a wedding and the happy couple had opted to stay in the Hilton. At the best part of $400 a night it was a bit pricey so most of our group elected to stay at the nearby Swissotel. We snared our rooms for just under $200 a night, which I think is pretty good for a Sydney CBD hotel.

The hotel is a bit odd in that reception is on the eighth floor. The entrance is actually very small and you are greeted by a concierge/doorman who directs you upstairs.

The real reception is very spacious and is right next to the cleverly screened off bar. We didn’t get a chance to critique the bar but it was obvious that it’s had a recent refurbished. Andy was not so secretly disappointed that he wasn’t going to be able to while away a couple of hours there.

While our room was a reasonable size by the time we’d fitted in a cot bed (one of the best we’ve come across, incidentally) and positioned luggage so it was out of the way of small helpful hands, there wasn’t really a ton of space. For me, this isn’t a criticism of a hotel room but quite often you read those type of complaints on review sites.

The bathroom more than compensated space wise. Bath and walk in shower were separate and the shower was very generously proportioned. It was also hot and high pressure – most important! The usual toiletries were provided.

Everyone we encountered was unfailingly polite and helpful but one thing that needs to be addressed is the ordering of taxis. We ordered one at reception but the staff member was unable to give us a wait time, suggesting we check with the concierge. Of course, he had no idea and while we waited an age what seemed like 100 empty taxis went past the hotel.

Overall the Swissotel rated highly and we’d definitely stay again on a similar room rate. Of course, it is a big hotel chain so aspects of the stay were a little generic but if you’re looking for a slick hotel stay in a big city SwissĂ´tel Sydney will certainly do the job.

Bona Fides, Sydney

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date of visit: Saturday 13 October 2012

Barely 24 hours in Sydney saw us attend a wedding before heading to the UK, as well as find an hour or two to cram in brunch with an old friend.

We needed to eat somewhere close to our hotel and while I’d done a little research in advance we ended up stopping at an unknown quantity while on our way to somwhere else. We were wandering down Druitt Street when I spotted Bona Fides and suggested we stop there (yep, I was hungry). A small outdoor seating area down a lane by the side of the cafe meant we could park up the pram without causing too much havoc (and take the opportunity to enjoy a last little bit of sun).

This is no greasy spoon when it comes to breakfasts. I enjoyed a HUGE plate of gluten free muesli, served with yoghurt, honey and strawberries and Andy chose scrambled eggs with chorizo – rather scarily called the Brazilian Breakfast! We ordered raisin toast for the Toddler but of course he preferred the chorizo. Our friend ordered the eggs benedict.

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The food was all beautifully presented – even the fruit toast was artfully arranged and finished with a dusting of icing sugar. And it did taste good. I really enjoyed the muesli – not something I’d typically order but on this occasion it absolutely hit the spot, and Bona Fides scores big points with me for serving it with plain yoghurt.

Service did the job: friendly and efficient although it did tail off a bit once we had received all our food.

My gripe is the cost. Now, I have no benchmark for breakfast/brunch in Sydney so it’s possible that this is standard but … $64 for 3 people for brunch, no booze involved?! The fruit toast alone was $5.90, while my muesli was $11.90. The two cooked breakfasts were $16 and $18. Coffees were all around the $4 mark.

A lovely breakfast but too pricey. If these are usual Sydney CBD prices I daresay the locals are more likely to head to the suburbs …

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