On arrival at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney late on Sunday evening, I was immediately impressed. The location couldn’t get any better. The hotel overlooks Sydney Cove, where Captain Arthur Philip first landed in 1788 to establish the Colony of New South Wales. This gives it sweeping views of both Sydney Harbor and the world-famous Opera House. The Four Seasons itself dates back to 1982 and was built on the site of a one time colonial jail in the historic Rocks harbor side precinct. The design aesthetic is worth mentioning as it blends contemporary furnishings and fixtures with classic design elements. The hotel features a dramatic grand staircase which links the sunlit atrium lobby with the second and third floors. Originally opened as The Regent, this hotel was managed by the Four Seasons since it was built but was rebranded with the company name in 2002. I was quickly checked into a Full Harbor King Room on the 33rd floor with an amazing view. Although it was dark at the time I entered, I knew this corner suite would be filled with natural light in the daytime. At 570 square feet, my room was very spacious and featured a sofa, a small dining table and a separate work area. The marble bathroom had a stand up glass shower and a deep, soaking tub. All in all, it was a lovely room and it wasn’t long before I dozed off and enjoyed a very good night’s sleep.
Lounge 32 was the Hotel’s Executive Lounge available exclusively to all Full Harbor and Suites guests. I had breakfast there on the Monday morning and each one thereafter during my three-night stay. Continental offerings were on tap as well as eggs cooked to order in the open kitchen. The lounge was staffed by a dedicated concierge. In addition to the breakfast service, evening canapés and drinks were also available. These included an open bar stocked with premium spirits and sommelier-selected Australian and international wines. All-day refreshments were also available, including freshly brewed coffee and tea, as well as soft drinks and light snacks such as house-baked pastries. Complimentary, premium high-speed Wi-fi was available in both my room and in the lounge, which also featured access to daily newspapers and magazines as well as a shoe-shine service offered free of charge to lounge eligible guests.
I’ve been very fortunate to visit this world-class city on multiple occasions but the excitement never wears off. After breakfast on Monday morning, I set out for a walk through nearby Sydney Cove. This bay on the southern shore of Sydney Harbor is a focal point for community celebrations due to its central location between the Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Situated in the very heart of Sydney Cove is Circular Quay. It's a vibrant, bustling area with ferries leaving every few minutes to different parts of the harbor. Aside from catering to tourists, Circular Quay s a vital link for Sydneysiders commuting to and from work and serves as a gateway for the thousands of locals journeying to Manly's surf beach on weekends. The Quay is always throbbing with activity and this part of Sydney is one of the oldest, most attractive and most interesting. Much of its appeal lies in the great many outdoor eating areas set up nearby. On the eastern side, there are banks of open-air restaurants that take up much of the upper and lower promenades between Wharf 2 and the Opera House. I stopped for lunch at one such restaurant called Rossini’s. I enjoyed a small pizza at this lively harbor-side spot with outdoor seating and spent a relaxing hour people watching and soaking up the Sydney atmosphere.
Over the next several days, I played tourist in the city. Walking through Hyde Park, Australia’s oldest public parkland, I first came upon St. Mary’s Cathedral, located at the corner of College Street and Prince Albert Road. It’s the seat of the Archbishop of Sydney and also known as the Mother Church of Australian Catholicism. The cathedral stands on the site of the first Catholic Chapel in Australia. Constructed in local sandstone, the Gothic Revival style of its architecture is reminiscent of the great medieval cathedrals of Europe. This is the second church on the site as the original St. Mary’s caught fire in 1865 and was destroyed. The ”new" cathedral is very impressive and well worth a visit.
The Sydney Tower was only a three-minute walk from the cathedral along the outer edge of Hyde Park via College Street and Prince Albert Road. The tower is the city’s tallest structure and the second-tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere (the tallest being the Sky Tower in New Zealand which I recently reviewed in An Auckland Adventure). An important part of the Sydney skyline for over thirty years, the tower is ranked as one of the safest buildings in the world, capable of withstanding earthquakes and extreme wind conditions. At over 1,000 feet tall, it took only forty seconds in the elevator to get to the top. There, I discovered two levels of restaurants, a relaxing coffee lounge and an Observation Deck where all the magic happened. Here, I was treated to an unobstructed, 360-degree view of the city as I walked around the enclosed deck. I could have taken advantage of the Skywalk, also known as "Sydney's Highest Outdoor Adventure." Doing so would have seen me stepping out into the open air on the tallest building in the city for a breath-taking 60-minute guided tour with the Central Business District at my feet. But, I passed on that adventure. As dusk settled over the city, I realized that this tower would be the first place in Sydney to see the sunrise and the last point in which to see the sunset.
Every time I have the pleasure of visiting this world-class city, I always make time for a harbor cruise. It provides the perfect opportunity to see the sights from a different vantage point while enjoying the refreshing breezes that time on the water affords. This time, I chose the Hop-on Hop-off Ferry that departed from the No. 6 Wharf at Circular Quay nearly once an hour beginning at 9:30 in the morning. The 90-minute cruise was a very relaxing way to see this beautiful harbor while taking in stunning views of the city skyline and the best part is that the views are always changing. Back at Circular Quay, I walked along the Western Promenade towards the Sydney Harbor Bridge. My son and I completed a Bridge Climb during an earlier visit (outlined in Savoring the Sights of Sydney) so I opted to take the walking trail on the eastern side of the bridge. I covered over six miles walking across this famous bridge and back that day, so I certainly got “my steps in.”
By the time Wednesday rolled around, it was time to head home and I relished another Emirates chauffeur-drive to the Kingsford Smith International Airport. My 14-hour and 30-minute flight to Dubai on the A380 was scheduled to depart at 9:10 that evening so I arranged my chauffeur pick up so I’d arrive at the airport several hours earlier, giving me plenty of time to explore an upscale lounge. Premium customers traveling on Emirates are given access to Qantas Lounges and, with Sydney as their headquarters, I knew their International First Lounge would be outstanding. I was not disappointed. The Qantas First Lounge stretches along the terminal with wide, sweeping views across the tarmac and on to Sydney in the distance. The lounge is divided by a central marble walkway. Along the windows, it’s arranged in sections with large, curved wooden beams clearly defining dining and lounging areas. The other side of the space is dominated by the signature Qantas Marble Bar, which features a fully-stocked bar with an extensive range of premium drinks, as well as an onsite barista. Dining options in the lounge are created by Neil Perry and the Rockpool Dining Group and include a full å la carte menu as well as many self-serve options.
vlgartMy readers know I covered any number of the Emirates A380 First-Class amenities in earlier posts but I saved one of the best for last. The in-flight shower suite! There are two suites available at the front of the upper deck in the cabin with one on each side. Each First Class passenger can shower once per flight. You can typically spend thirty minutes in the shower room, although you only get five minutes of water. Typically, either before takeoff or immediately after, one of the two shower attendants will come by your seat to present you with a brochure about the spa and let you make a reservation. Yes, that’s right. Emirates literally has two full-time shower attendants. They’re simply responsible for the showers and periodically cleaning all the other restrooms. First of all, keep in mind that the shower suites can be used as bathrooms as well. There’s a third lavatory in first class behind the galley, but if the shower suites aren’t occupied you can use them at any time as bathrooms as well. While you’re of course free to bring a change of clothes and your own toiletries into the shower, it’s well stocked with Bvlgari toiletries and Timeless Spa products. It’s so well stocked they actually have two lines of toiletries — “relax” or “revive,” depending on your mood. The shower has good water pressure, much better than you’d expect on a plane, in my opinion and the controls are intuitive. There’s a timer with green, yellow, and red lighting. The good news is that you can turn the shower on and off as often as you wish. So ,you can get wet, apply shampoo/body wash, then wash yourself off, and then keep rinsing under hot water for a minute or two until your time runs out. Suffice it to say, that showering on a commercial aircraft hurtling through the sky at nearly 600 miles per hour at 38,000 feet was a wonderful experience I’ll never forget!
It was another great journey on Emirates to Dubai, where we landed about 5:15 on Thursday morning. I went directly to the First Class Lounge for some additional down time before hopping on another Emirates flight. This one took me back to Chicago on one of their B777-300 aircraft. We landed at O’Hare around 3:45 PM after another 14 hours and 50 minutes in the air. My connecting flight back to Raleigh was delayed by some early November snow so it was well past 11:00 PM before we landed at RDU (after waiting for a gate for 15 minutes). I slept wonderfully in my own bed soon after with the sounds of jet engines in my head lulling me into a very peaceful sleep after my twelve-day, 33,707-mile odyssey!
Until next time…safe travels.
Well, what a trip - fantastic rooms both in flight and in hotel accommodation! Gudonya Sport!