W Sydney — Hotel in Sydney

An Exceptional Experience

It is with great pleasure that I write this review of W Sydney.

From the outset, the location is truly outstanding. Situated in the heart of Sydney’s entertainment precinct, the hotel offers immediate access to Darling Harbor, harbor cruises, the IMAX Theatre, and a vibrant collection of restaurants, clubs, bars and cafés. Within minutes, guests can walk to the iconic Queen Victoria Building (QVB), with its blend of above-ground and underground shopping, or access Town Hall Station, a major transport hub connecting you to every part of the city via train and tram.

Whether it’s Asian culinary delights or authentic Australian cuisine, the diversity of dining options within walking distance is unmatched. For both business and leisure travelers, the W Sydney’s location is second to none.

As Sydney natives now living overseas as expatriates and travelling globally in a professional capacity, my wife and I have stayed in hotels across the world and more than a dozen in Sydney alone. Without hesitation, I can say that W Sydney offers the best experience in the city.

While car parking can be a challenge at the hotel, the many public Wilson car parking houses located within walking distance take the hassle out of parking if you don't mind a short walk. Parkhouse bookings are available via the Wilson App at a discounted rate when booked ahead of arrival. That said, when staying at the W-Sydney, a car is really not required, with great public transport options all around.

The property itself is exceptional. The in-house restaurant provides an excellent breakfast selection in the mornings and converts to a great restaurant in the night, while the hotel features three distinctive bars: a vibrant reception-level bar popular with business professionals, the spectacular rooftop bar on Level 29, and an exclusive bar on Level 30 offering unmatched views, particularly of the Darling Harbor drone show.

Our stay began at another five-star Sydney property due to being misguided by certain reviews. However, transferring to W Sydney on day 2 was the best decision we made. Any initial reservations quickly disappeared, as our personal experience far exceeded expectations.

While the facilities are superb, it was truly the staff interaction that elevated our stay and made it unforgettable. We would like to extend heartfelt thanks and recognition to:

Manny and Ariana (Reception Desk) – always helpful, professional, and eager to assist.

Sean (Bell Captain) – kind, welcoming, and attentive.

Dean – who provided excellent insider advice on the perfect timing and vantage point for viewing the drone show from Level 30.

Jade (Restaurant) – attentive and gracious.

A gentleman from the restaurant originally from Turkey – whose warm dinner service we will not forget, though regretfully his name escapes us.

The twin sisters that served us at the rooftop bar, whose energy and attentiveness added a special touch (and no, it wasn’t the cocktails making us see double!).

And above all, we wish to extend our deepest gratitude to Ms. Emma Trinidad, Guest Experience Manager. Emma was truly the pinnacle of hospitality and professionalism, embodying what seven-star customer service should be. Her consistent care, follow-up, and attention to detail throughout our week-long stay transformed the W Sydney into a true home away from home. Having travelled extensively and interacted with countless hotel leaders across the globe, I can confidently state that few, if any, compare to Ms. Trinidad. She is without question worthy of recognition as Hotel Manager of the Year and a true asset to the W brand of the Marriott Group.

In summary, W Sydney has established itself as the hottest address in town, combining world-class facilities with exceptional staff who set the standard for hospitality.

Thanks to Emma Trinidad and her outstanding team, Manny, Ariana, Sean, Dean, Jade, and the many others, we will without hesitation be returning to the W Sydney on every future visit.

W Sydney is not just a hotel; it is...

It is with great pleasure that I write this review of W Sydney.||||From the outset, the location is truly outstanding. Situated in the heart of Sydney’s entertainment precinct, the hotel offers immediate access to Darling Harbor, harbor cruises, the IMAX Theatre, and a vibrant collection of restaurants, clubs, bars and cafés. ||||Within minutes, guests can walk to the iconic Queen Victoria Building (QVB), with its blend of above-ground and underground shopping, or access Town Hall Station, a major transport hub connecting you to every part of the city via train and tram.||Whether it’s Asian culinary delights or authentic Australian cuisine, the diversity of dining options within walking distance is unmatched. ||||For both business and leisure travelers, the W Sydney’s location is second to none.||||As Sydney natives now living overseas as expatriates and travelling globally in a professional capacity, my wife and I have stayed in hotels across the world and more than a dozen in Sydney alone. Without hesitation, I can say that W Sydney offers the best experience in the city.||||While car paring can be a challenge at the hotel, the many public Wilson car parking houses located within walking distance take the hassle out of parking if you don't mind a short walk. Park house bookings are available via the Wilson App at a discounted rate when booked ahead of arrival. ||||That said, when staying at the W-Sydney, a car is real required, with great public transport options all around.||||The property itself is exceptional. The in-house restaurant provides an excellent breakfast selection in the mornings and converts to a great restaurant in the night, while the hotel features three distinctive bars: a vibrant reception-level bar popular with business professionals, the spectacular rooftop bar on Level 29, and an exclusive bar on Level 30 offering unmatched views, particularly of the Darling Harbor drone show.||||Our stay began at another five-star Sydney property due to being misguided by certain reviews. However, transferring to W Sydney on day 2 was the best decision we made. Any initial reservations quickly disappeared, as our personal experience far exceeded expectations.||||While the facilities are superb, it was truly the staff interaction that elevated our stay and made it unforgettable. We would like to extend heartfelt thanks and recognition to:||Manny and Ariana (Reception Desk) – always helpful, professional, and eager to assist.||Sean (Bell Captain) – kind, welcoming, and attentive.||Dean – who provided excellent insider advice on the perfect timing and vantage point for viewing the drone show from Level 30.||Jade (Restaurant) – attentive and gracious.||A gentleman from the restaurant originally from Turkey – whose warm dinner service we will not forget, though regretfully his name escapes us.||The twin sisters that served us at the rooftop bar, whose energy and attentiveness added a special touch (and no, it wasn’t the cocktails making us see double!).||And above all, we wish to extend our deepest gratitude to Ms. Emma Trinidad, Guest Experience Manager. Emma was truly the pinnacle of hospitality and professionalism, embodying what seven-star customer service should be. Her consistent care, follow-up, and attention to detail throughout our week-long stay transformed the W Sydney into a true home away from home. Having travelled extensively and interacted with countless hotel leaders across the globe, I can confidently state that few, if any, compare to Ms. Trinidad. She is without question worthy of recognition as Hotel Manager of the Year and a true asset to the W brand of the Marriott Group.||||In summary, W Sydney has established itself as the hottest address in town, combining world-class facilities with exceptional staff who set the standard for hospitality.||||Thanks to Emma Trinidad and her outstanding team, Manny, Ariana, Sean, Dean, Jade, and the many others, we will without hesitation be returning to the W Sydney on every future visit.||||W Sydney is not just a hotel; it is...

Several Things Not Quite Right

We had a mixed experienced staying at W in Sydney which left us feeling it just wasn't quite right for us. Let's start with good things: -We stayed one night, booked at the last minute so we got a reasonably attractive rate. Good. Check in was smooth enough. Good. The decor is going for 'funky and fun' and is contemporary throughout as it is still fairly new. That is a positive. Our room was simple and had a nice view of Darling Harbour. Good. (Be aware though, the hotel is right next to a busy road, so if you are on lower floors that may affect you. We were up high so no problems). Things we liked less: the hallways and bathrooms are generally dark colours (ours was deep blue in the bathroom for example). This gives the hotel more of a dark funky vibe than a light luxe vibe. Not personally to our taste but some may like it. We arrived in our room to find a stuffed toy shark on our bed. We understand they are going for fun and funky but somehow we're just not sure this struck the right note for us. Things that bothered us: When we went to the cocktail bar on level 29, it was about 6pm and no one else was in the bar. We asked if we could sit on one of the couch areas which looked cosy, but the staff member informed us those were for "larger groups". We pointed out that the bar was completely empty but the staff member seemed unmoved by this, so we sat at the bar. (It would not have been difficult to say "ok sit on the couch but we may have to move you if we get large groups arriving"). The cocktails at the bar left a bit to be desired. I am admittedly a cocktail snob, but they just really weren't great. The bar staff were friendly but just didn't have the skills to make great cocktails, and they charged $27 each for the cocktails, so for that money, the cocktails were quite disappointing. The freestanding bath in our room looked really funky, it was round, but once you got in, you realise it is essentially too small for an adult to stretch their legs out. And so you have to sit completely upright with your legs crossed (and even then a bit cramped for legs). The bath is only about a foot deep, so no way to get properly fully underwater. This was clearly a triumph of aesthetics over function. If I am going to have a bath, I need to be able to stretch my legs out or at very least get under the water properly. So the bath was really only suitable for children, not big enough for a normal sized adult. (I am not a large person). That was frustrating. In the morning the fire alarm went off. Initially the loud speaker said "Wait for instructions" and then after a few moments it said "Evacuate, evacuate", so we trotted down the fire stairs which came out into the breakfast area. There was a staff member holding the door open as we came down the stairs but there was no instruction given as to where to go. We just kind of wandered into the breakfast area and sat down. The alarm was not sounding in this area. Everyone seemed to be going about their business as normal. After about five minutes of wondering what we were supposed to do, we heard one of the other guests say that the lifts seemed to be working again so we just went back up to our room. Very underwhelming. No announcement, no instruction from anyone. The staff seemed oblivious to what was happening. Imagine if there actually was a fire! So look overall the hotel is not terrible, but there are a few things that were just not quite right. We didn't love it and probably wouldn't be in a...