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| View from my Harbourview window |
Where do you stay if you live in country NSW and want to spend a few days in Sydney? That is what I had to work out recently so that I could see the hit musicals "Grease" and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and the "Sculpture by the Sea" exhibition at Bondi. I knew that my next-door neighbors had travelled to Sydney for a weekend each year for the past few years so I asked them where they stayed and if they would recommend it to anyone else.
The answer was the North Sydney Harbourview Hotel, and yes, they would recommend it to others. This was the first time I had heard of the Harbourview, so I decided to stay there. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the Harbourview and I would recommend it to others as well.
Two things stood out to me about the North Sydney Harbourview Hotel. First its handy location. It is easily accessed by public transport as it is just a few doors away from the North Sydney train station. The Sydney CBD is just a couple of stops away over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. For those driving, an undercover car park is available. Nearby the hotel are the North Sydney cafes, food courts, restaurants, pubs, roof gardens and supermarkets. Opposite the hotel is a shopping center with a variety of shops.
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| Night View |
The second is the knockout views from the large 12x5 foot windows in the guestrooms. The Hotel is of a semi-circular design, so most of the guest rooms overlook the georgous Lavender Bay, Luna Park, Sydney Harbour, the CBD, and Sydney Harbour bridge. Fortunately the old terrace homes between the Hotel and the waters edge have been retained so there is no highrise to interrupt the view. The view is great during the day, but spectacular at night with all the lights lit up on the CBD buildings. The many private yachts moored in Lavender Bay could be seen both day and night, and it was a pleasure to see the various types of watercraft glide over the Harbour waters. I was fortunate to be in my room when a ten minute fireworks display burst through the night sky over the harbour. It was only small in comparison to the annual New Years Eve firework display, so I could imagine what a terrific hotel the North Sydney Harbourview Hotel would be to stay in and view them.
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| Comfy bed |
There is a wide variety of styles of rooms to chose from, including 159 Harbourview and North Sydney Queen Rooms, 13 Twin Rooms, 28 King Rooms, 10 Family Rooms, 3 Suites and Interconnecting rooms. My guestroom was high up on the 12th floor, accessed by lifts from the hotel lobby and reception area. The room was spacious and modern, with a very comfy queen bed and choice of pillows. There was also a table and chair, work desk, hanging wardrobe with coat-hangers and a safe. It was a nice touch to see a print of the Sydney Harbour Bridge taken in 1938 by the famous photographer Max Dupain on the wall. The welcome chocolates in the room were also appreciated.
The room was air-conditioned with controls that I could adjust myself. By the bed was a telephone, alarm clock and radio. A hairdryer, iron and ironing board were available for use tucked away in the wardrobe.
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| Buffet Breakfast |
Internet access was available either through wired broadband access or wi-fi in the room. As I did not take my laptop with me on this visit to Sydney I went down to the Business Centre to make use of the computers and internet available for guests use.
The 32" flat-screen TV was just at the right height for viewing lying on the bed. A choice could be made from the free-to-air digital stations, Fox sports, news or comedy channels or pay movies. It was a hard choice deciding between watching my favorite programs on the TV or enjoying the spectacular view out the window!
A well stoked mini-bar fridge and tea/coffee making facilities were available with a choice of coffee, hot chocolate, and English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Chamomile, and Green & Jasmine teas. I arranged a wake-up call in the morning so that I had time to read my choice of complimentary newspaper. I had a shower in the very clean and modern bathroom, enjoying the rain head shower. I then went down to LB’s Harbourview Restaurant, which overlooked the terrace houses down to Lavender Bay, for a delicious buffet breakfast. There was a wide variety of cereals, fruits, cheese, fruit juice, breads, croissants & danishes and hot dishes to satisfy my appetite for a busy day ahead. Tea and coffee were brought to my table and empty plates were taken away by the friendly staff.
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| Buffet Breakfast |
Unfortunately lack of time meant that I could not make use of the complimentary pass provided to the nearby North Sydney Olympic Pool or a discounted pass to a local fitness centre. I also didn't drop down to the piano bar on the ground floor next to the restaurant which provides live music on some nights.
As I was leaving the North Sydney Harbourview Hotel I noticed people having a morning tea break from a conference being held in one of the seven conference and meeting rooms. The convenient location of the Hotel with good access to public transport would make it ideal for conducting a meeting or social gathering.
When I checked out it was nice that they offered to look after my bag without me having to ask them, as I had several hours to fill in before before I actually left Sydney. I returned later in the afternoon to collect my bag for the train trip back home that night.
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| Piano Bar |
The North Sydney Harbourview Hotel was a wonderful find for my stay in Sydney. It was in an easily accessible location and had a great view both day and night from my guestroom window. The room was quite, modern, and very clean. It had all the amenities to make my stay in Sydney memorable. To top it off all the staff, from those at reception, the restaurant and cleaners, were all very professional and friendly in the excellent service they provided. I would recommend the North Sydney Harbourview Hotel for any person traveling for business or leisure purposes.
North Sydney Harbourview Hotel
Website:
http://viewhotels.com.au/nshh/
Address: 17 Blue Street, North Sydney, New South Wales, NSW 2060 Australia
Phone: Toll Free 1300 785 453, T +61 2 9955 0499, F +61 2 9922 3689
Email:
hotel.hv@viewhotels.com.au
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