Quick Look: Park Hyatt Sydney

Park Hyatt Sydney (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)

My quest to visit every Park Hyatt around the world continues. Here’s a quick look at the Park Hyatt Sydney, which has always been one of the best hotels in Australia. Some might say the best, although that was debatable in recent years. When I recently checked in, pop star Lady Gaga was staying in the hotel. Her entourage had taken over the entire fourth floor. I also spotted Thor star Chris Hemsworth, and when he saw my camera, he automatically assumed I was the paparazzi and darted in the opposite direction, which made me chuckle a little.

Park Hyatt Sydney

The hotel recently reopened following a year-long total gutting and refurbishmnent, which definitely brings the hotel back inline with some of the finest Park Hyatts worldwide. Park Hyatt is one of my favorite luxury hotel brands, and the Sydney hotel is now certainly one of the best in the portfolio. The location in The Rocks is hands-down the most coveted in Sydney, perched directly on the waterfront overlooking the iconic opera house. The new design is exquisite—clean, modern, elegant, and so incredibly relaxing—exactly what draws me to Park Hyatts. My only complaint: The french fries in the restaurant and lounge were frozen fries rather than being made from scratch. I expected better from a hotel of this caliber. OK, sure, the potatoes were fried in duck fat. But, still, they looked and tasted exactly like frozen french fries, because they were. And that’s a complete waste of valuable duck fat. Oh, well, I guess everything can’t be perfect. The hotel itself comes pretty close, though. Here’s a quick look around: