The Shangri-La Sydney

The Shangri-La Hotel
Sydney, NSW
Suite 1211
Since we needed two rooms and I do have somewhat of a budget, I passed on the Park Hyatt and found a great Amex FHR rate for a Deluxe Grand Harbour View King at only A$360 including daily buffet breakfast for two, $100 per room per stay food and beverage credit, and free wifi. Upgrade not available since the hotel was sold out on the 2nd day of our stay. Since we were happy with the room, we declined the opportunity to move mid-stay.

The room was quite lovely: large, luxurious and well appointed. The bed and sheets were wonderful, better than the MO.

And the view from our suite was nothing short of spectacular.

And even better at night.

For the price, I thought the Shangri-la was a great hotel, in spite of check-in/front desk issues when we initially got some resistance with relocation after we discovered that our original room had previously been occupied by a heavy smoker. For a large hotel, I found the food to be very, very good and of outstanding quality. The lunch buffet in Cafe Mix was one of the best buffets I have had in years. The staff was outstanding. Great location within easy walking distance of Circular Quay and the ferries, and the old part of the Rocks, especially Lord Nelson and the Bridge Climb.

The only negatives for us was that the hotel was just a bit large for our tastes and, at times, had the feel of a convention or tour hotel. Elevator service was erratic and slow at prime times. If you book here, check regularly for rats changes as the hotel appears to aggressively manage inventory, and will drop prices significantly if they have rooms in the week prior to arrival. (We originally booked at $405 but rebooked at the new rate just before arrival)