Our review of the Four Seasons Sydney covers our quick one-night stay at the luxury property, but we came away in love with it.

Booking the Four Seasons Sydney

Official link to hotel: https://www.fourseasons.com/sydney/

I knew I was staying in Sydney for one night, so I needed to find a place to stay. My criteria was pretty simple:

• Large enough to fit all 4 of us in a single room
• In the city, ideally near Circular Quay because I wanted to hit up the Taronga Zoo
• Family-friendly
• Included breakfast would be a bonus but not a requirement

I considered the Park Hyatt Sydney, but the hotel didn’t have a standard room that fit us all. On top of that, I wasn’t sure how family-friendly the hotel was. So, I looked elsewhere. Knowing that I had a $250 Delta Stays credit to use up, I saw a decent option staying at the Four Seasons Sydney. We hadn’t stayed at a Four Seasons in quite some time, but why not now?

For $800 USD ($550 net after the $250 credit from holding a Delta Business Reserve credit card), I could get the following:

• A suite overlooking the Sydney Opera House that fits all four of us
• A full minibar that has practically everything included for free
• Access to Lounge 32, giving all of us evening appetizers and free breakfast

My informal “buy price” with Four Seasons hotels was at about $600 a few years ago when I stayed at the Oahu property. After accounting for the discounted price, this option seemed to hit all our needs and also got me under $600. How could I say no?

First impressions of the Four Seasons Sydney

We made it out of Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) pretty early in the morning, and the kids needed a pit stop at the McDonald’s right outside the train station. Australians are always looking for a shorter way to say everything, so don’t call it ‘McDonald’s’ and instead call it ‘Maccas’.

Anyways, we decided to take the train over to the Four Seasons. In retrospect, we probably could have taken an Uber over to the hotel for not much different price. But the kids were looking forward to the train, stretching their legs after the long flight. I can respect that. The hotel wanted $190 AUD ($133 USD) for a private transfer that fits all four of us but that’s a bit out of my price range.

In no time, we made it over to the Circular Quay Station, and from there it was just a short walk over to the Four Seasons. The hotel has a rather uninteresting exterior but that hides how lovely it is inside.

Inside the lobby, we could see how luxurious it was. Sure, there are more grandiose lobbies, but I liked the more subtle vibe of the Four Seasons Sydney.

We easily found the lobby, and tried checking in. But we showed up around 8AM and we weren’t surprised that there was no room available. As I always do, I inform the hotel ahead of time that I’m planning to show up early, acknowledge that I don’t expect a room to be available, but it would be awesome if they did. And like other times, it didn’t work out. But I don’t expect it to work out and therefore it meets expectations.

Despite there not being a room available, they went ahead and held our luggage for us. A friendly employee also gave the kids some Tim Tams. Ah, Tim Tam, how I’ve missed you. The hotel promised to text me when the room would be ready, but I didn’t want to turn on my phone’s cellular function. So, we just came back at 2:30PM after visiting the Taronga Zoo and it all worked out.

The room

Our room for this stay was up on the 33rd floor, and I believe our room was 3306. Go figure that in all the rush of the stay, I didn’t take a picture of the door to our room on this one. I did get a sign on our floor, but not sure how I missed the door. Sorry about that!

The bedroom

We booked the Sydney Opera Studio Club Suite, which, as its name suggests, faces the Sydney Opera House. But before we get to the view, we should at least show off the room. This is a studio, where practically all of the living space is in a single room.

This king bed was oh so comfortable and arguably the best bed we’ve stayed in since the Miraval Berkshires. Just to acknowledge the potential for bias, we didn’t exactly sleep in a real bed the night before because of our flight over here. But I feel confident in saying that the bed was truly one that I would love sleeping in every night.

The kids also had a bed of their own–a pull-out sofa bed that they loved. It faced the TV, which they thought was pretty neat. I laid on it briefly and it’s comfortable, but between this one and the actual bed, the actual bed is far more enjoyable.

On top of the bed was a few amenities for the kids: two bottles of water, two slippers that were designed to fit kids, and two kaleidoscopes for them to keep.

The TV above their sofa bed was the only one in the room. We watched a little TV and it was nice being able to just lay back in their bed and easily watch it.

Next to their bed is the mini-bar area, which we’ll get to in a little bit.

From this room, you’ll get two different views. The first is over by the closet, which faces out more towards Goat Island. There’s a tall building here (the Shangri-La) where guests can easily peer into your room. Keeping the shades drawn is recommended on this side.

The other view faces out towards Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House. This is the money-winning view that the kids absolutely loved.

Here’s what it looked like when we looked outside during the day.

And if you wake up before sunrise, you get an equally-lovely view of the Quay in the dark.

Walk-in closet

This room comes with a separate area for the closet. The kids used it to play a little hide-and-seek, which seems silly because shouldn’t they know where someone is hiding if they come in here?

The excellent news is that this closet has plenty of space for your clothes. Here is one side of the closet.

And here is the other. There is even a yoga mat in here if you want to do some exercise in your room.

Bathroom

This bathroom is huge, with a large shower stall, a bathtub, and a vanity in between them. Who doesn’t like having a large bathroom?

The kids love a good bathtub and this one is no exception. When they don’t get a chance to visit the pool, having a tub available makes them quite happy. It has to be large enough to fit the two of them and this one is.

The vanity is simple but elegant. The lights integrated into the mirror were bright enough to help light the room but not strong enough to blind you when using the mirror.

And the shower in the back of the lounge was large. The water could get hot enough to make it feel like a sauna and the water pressure was good. In all, I’d say this was a pretty effective shower.

Shower amenities are from Grown Alchemist, which reminded me a bit of the Delta flight we were just on.

In-room amenities

Let’s start with the amenities you get in the restroom. I actually overlooked these until Jenn pointed them out. What I like is that they give four toothbrushes because we had four in the room. It’s one of those simple things (along with the correct number of towels, which they got correct too) that many hotels overlook.

The hotel also provides a pair of binoculars to help you get a better look at the Sydney Opera House. You can do some good people-watching from here.

Over by the bar, there’s a stack of cookies and a glass of milk. It’s not clear to me if this is because we have children, but these are soft cookies and pretty delicious.

You get a total of three soft cookies and a couple of marshmallows. Yum!

If you need some water, you’ll get a couple of large bottles of Acqua Panna water. For staying in this room type (or the suites in higher categories than this one), you can get everything in the mini-bar for free. Be aware that the menu in your room suggests it’s not free, but the front desk will confirm with you at check-in that it’s free. If you’re here longer than just one night, you should know that it’s also replenished once daily.

In the first drawer are some teacups, coffee pods, and tea bags.

Next up are the snack jars, a bottle of wine, and two cans of Pringles. Yes, all of these are free in this room.

In the fridge are a variety of drinks, including some alcohol and soda. Yes, everything in here was free too in this room type. This helped tide us over for our next stay in Melbourne, where very little was included for free.

Why the Four Seasons Sydney is perfect for children

I am impressed by how family-friendly the Four Seasons Sydney is. Nothing epitomized this more than the Enchanted Room, which is right next to the front desk in the lobby. When we checked in, the agent specifically mentioned that we should go check it out before we head up to the room.

To access the room, you need a rather large key, which the hotel keeps hidden behind the front desk. Just flag an employee and they will bring it over and let your child open the door.

Inside is a rather large mural across one wall, which adds a bit of excitement as you step inside.

What else is in the room? A collection of candy, snacks, stuffed animals, and puzzles. What kid wouldn’t want to come check this out?

Candy options included Tim Tams, lollipops, chocolate koalas, Mentos, Haribo gummy bears, and others.

They have a Four Seasons-branded puzzle box if you want it, though it’s only 24 pieces.

The kids can choose from activity maps and juice boxes, because staying hydrated is important.

And also small stuffed koalas. Sadly, during our visit to the Taronga Zoo, Char chose this same koala as a souvenir. Too bad we didn’t know about this in advance so she could have chosen something else. Aside from the tag on the stuffed animal, it was the exact same as what you can buy from the zoo.

Dining options at the Four Seasons Sydney

Mode Kitchen & Bar

Website: https://www.modekitchenandbar.com.au/menus-landing/

Hours:

• Breakfast
  • 6:30AM – 10:30AM weekdays
  • 6:30AM – 11AM weekends
• Lunch
  • 12PM – 4PM Tuesday – Saturday
• Dinner
  • 5:30PM – 10PM Tuesday – Saturday
• Bar M.O.D.E.
  • 12PM – 10PM daily
• All-day dining
  • 12PM – 10PM Sunday – Monday

As we were staying in a room with lounge access, we had two options for breakfast. We could either dine in the lounge for breakfast or we could instead eat at Mode Kitchen & Bar. We’ll get to the lounge soon, but first, let’s talk about breakfast at Mode Kitchen & Bar. While we didn’t get a chance to experience breakfast at both spots, we had no regrets here.

We didn’t get a chance to eat other meals at Mode.

There was no wait to get a table when we showed up at 6:30AM.

We got seated at our table towards the rear of the restaurant. For breakfast, the restaurant is set up as a buffet, but you can also order egg dishes from the server. The kids sat down and immediately decided to start reading, which is one of their favorite hobbies.

As we generally do for buffets, we’re going to let the pictures speak for themselves. Unlike most buffets we’ve been to, this one was simply excellent. High-quality ingredients, everything supposed to be crispy is crispy, pastries made with care, and a taste that can’t be beat. We were in love with this buffet, which was as good as can be.

As an example of the egg dishes you can order at your table, here are some omelets we requested. These were tasty, though it was a lot of food.

In total, an awesome breakfast. The servers were also quite friendly and great with kids. We noticed them trying to play with a toddler at the table next to us. And if you are in need of some small utensils for a toddler, you’re in luck because they do have some for them to use. The normal price for this breakfast is $60 AUD ($42 USD) per adult or $30 AUD ($21 USD) per child. It’s great to have this included in the room rate.

Grain Bar

Website: https://www.grainbar.com.au/

Hours:

• 4PM – 11:30PM Tuesday – Thursday
• 4PM – 12AM Friday – Saturday

In the lobby to the right of the front desk is Grain Bar. As the name suggests, Grain Bar has plenty of alcoholic drinks, but you can also get food here too. That said, we didn’t get a chance to visit on our brief one-night stay.

On The Go Café

Hours: 7AM – 2PM daily

As the name suggests, this is a quick-service restaurant conveniently located in the lobby. It’s just under the staircase that leads up to the next floor, utilizing some space that otherwise wouldn’t have a purpose. In the display case are a variety of pastries, sandwiches, and other easy options. We didn’t have a chance to stop by and check it out, but it works if you need something quick (or otherwise don’t have breakfast included with your stay).

Lounge 32

Hours:

• 7AM – 10PM daily (drinks available 12PM – 9PM daily)
• Breakfast service:
  • 7AM – 10:30AM Monday – Friday
  • 7AM – 11AM Saturday – Sunday & public holidays
• Afternoon refreshments (coffee, tea, soft drinks, light snacks)
  • 12PM – 2PM daily
• Gourmet canapes, premium spirits, and wines
  • 4PM – 8PM daily

Upon checking in, we received a welcome letter from the front desk that outlined the benefits of lounge access that came with our Club Suite room. Children are fine to enjoy the lounge up until 6PM daily, which still gives them time to enjoy the canapes in the afternoon.

For avoidance of doubt, our Sydney Opera Studio Club Suite was registered with two adults and two children, and all four of us had complimentary access to the lounge.

We only visited Lounge 32 in the evening for canapes and drinks.

Seating in the lounge

As the name implies, Lounge 32 is up on the 32nd floor. In case you were thinking of sneaking someone else in, there is a greeter who confirms the room you’re in and escorts you to the dining area.

When we entered, there was no line ahead of us. Pretty easy and straightforward.

The lounge has nice views up on the 32nd floor, but frankly we enjoyed the views from our room a little bit more. There weren’t that many tables in the lounge when you compare it to how many guests are in the hotel. However, keep in mind that there are no elites that automatically gain access and only a small subset of rooms actually have access. You can also buy access, but on our dates, the cost was a whopping $114 USD per person.

Lounge drinks

When we arrived in the evening, the lounge attendant handed us a couple of menus and gave us a moment to review what we might want.

There is a nice selection of drinks to choose from, including classic cocktails, a good selection of wines and beers, soft drinks, and juice. Everything is included for free, making it a nice time to just sit around and relax.

All of the drinks are handled by a bartender in the corner. But there is no bar counter to drink at. Instead, just place the drink order at your table.

Jenn and I had a couple of drinks while up here. I didn’t get a good picture of the first drink we had (whoops), but here’s a beer I had. Nothing wrong with choosing the local option.

Evening canapes

In the evening, there is less of a focus of quantity and more around quality. Most of the food is contained within the L-shaped counter in the center of the lounge seen below. As we did for the breakfast buffet, we’ll keep the commentary on each item brief. That said, the best thing here was absolutely the Sydney rock oysters–very fresh. There aren’t many toppings aside from mignonette sauce and lemon slices, but that’s how we prefer them.

You can absolutely turn this into a meal, but keep in mind the food isn’t exactly catered to the tastes of children.

Pool and spa

On the third floor is the entrance to the hotel’s pool and the spa facilities. Once you find the entrance to the pool, you’ll head up a flight of stairs to reach the outdoor deck. The pool is open from 6AM to 8PM daily. There is direct access to the women’s changing area from here; any men wanting to use the dedicated changing area will need to head to the spa, though.

All guests can get some bottled water and sunscreen for free. They also have food and drink service running from 10AM to 5PM daily, but we didn’t make it here during these hours to see what it was like.

The pool shaped like a triangle (sort of, though technically it has 6 sides) and there is a hot tub in the corner. Unfortunately, the hot tub always seemed to have people in it when I came by. As we were here in winter, it also rained sporadically, making it less inviting to jump in. However, it looks like it would be popular during Australian summers.

Across the floor from the entrance to the pool was the spa, which is open from 10AM to 6PM. We didn’t get a chance to use the facilities on this visit, much to Jenn’s disappointment.

Recommendation: Yes, especially for families

The Four Seasons Sydney is an excellent hotel in a great location and with high-quality food. Bonus points to you if you can find an excellent price on the room rate, especially if you take advantage of hotel credits from your credit card like I did.

In my mind, what really sets this hotel apart is how welcomed my kids were. It’s simple enough just to have an expensive hotel cater to the adults–they’re the ones paying for the room, after all–and ignore the experience for children. That most definitely was not the case here, between the excellent service we observed not just for us but other families, a welcoming environment in the lounge, and the Enchanted Room that pushed it over the edge for us.

If you’re thinking of staying in Sydney, want a luxurious stay, and have children in tow, I think it’s hard to find anything that can reasonably top this. Well done, Four Seasons Sydney. You definitely earned a repeat visit from us. The kids keep asking me when we can come back here.

Have you stayed at a Four Seasons before? What was your experience?

View other posts in this series:

• A Brief Programming Note: Secret Trip 2.0 Is Here
• Trip Introduction: Secret Trip 2.0 is Back with New Players
• Secret Trip 2.0 Destination #1
  • Air France Lounge LAX Review: Great Food, Poor Location
  • Delta One A350-900 LAX-SYD Review: A Long But Great Flight
  • Four Seasons Sydney Review: One of the Best Luxury Hotels for Children (this post)
• Secret Trip 2.0 Destination #2
• Secret Trip 2.0 Destination #3
• Secret Trip 2.0 Destination #4
• Secret Trip 2.0 Destination #5