Hyatt Regency Sydney

The housekeeping staff were kind and tried to help as much as they could. This feels like a management problem. For a supposedly “5-star” hotel charging $400 a night, the answer to an unacceptable bed shouldn't be layers of padding instead of moving us to another room. The king bed was two twins pushed together. One side was mildly uncomfortable but usable. The other was so worn it had no support, and we could feel the metal springs in our backs. It was the worst mattress I've slept on. We called the front desk several times. First they offered a duvet cover, then a mattress pad. Those covered the springs but didn't fix the lack of support or make the mattress acceptable. It felt like a college student trying to make a dorm bed tolerable as cheaply as possible. I feel I wasted my money and a night at the Hyatt regency in Sydney, and I'll avoid Hyatt in future. We chose it because reviews said the beds were comfortable, but that wasn't our experience. Guests should beware that at least one mattress is hideously uncomfortable. After a 15 hour flight in basic economy, I slept better than at this hotel.

The view over darling harbour was nice, and the room had a good amount of space. The lobby is lovely, though it gets busy at check-in and that can slow down collecting bags. Staff at check-in were friendly. Good cocktails at the ground floor bar, and plenty of restaurants nearby. It's well located, not far from Town Hall train station.

The room was small and basic, with a rock-hard bed and plain linen. Not even a bottle of water was provided. Cleaners left rubbish behind, didn't collect used bathroom towels, and crumbs from a meal were still on the floor. We paid top dollar but got a second-floor room overlooking a roof and a noisy road, even though we'd booked over 5 months ahead, so I'd have expected a better room. Reception staff were nice, but this isn't 5-star standard. The location isn't great either. I don't recommend it.

The room was very basic, with no hot tub or pool, but the service was amazing and the staff were super friendly. We stayed 5 nights over New Year. Breakfast had lots of choices, and the Rooftop bar and Club access give you nice views of Darling Harbour. It's an easy walk to Darling Harbour and the train station, and about 25 minutes on foot to the Opera House.