W Hotel Sydney Review: The Brand New Gem In Darling Harbour’s Crown

In the years preceding its recent grand opening, W Sydney — the latest addition to Marriott Bonvoy’s ever-expanding fleet of ‘W’ Hotels — occupied something of an ambivalent spot in the hearts and minds of the city’s residents due to the long build time and less than appealing visage of the construction site, perched on the edge of Darling Harbour.

However, last month we were invited to spend a night in the newly unveiled location and, suffice to say, it blew our expectations out of the water to such an extent that we swiftly awarded it our Best New Australian Hotel gong in our 2023 Brand And Product Awards.

Tasteful and well-appointed rooms are complemented by a cutting-edge spa and wellness centre along with a wonderfully friendly staff. And yet, it is W’s food and drink offer that really sets it apart from competitors in the city and far beyond.

W Hotel Sydney Quick Facts

WATCH: Our Stay At W Sydney

The Hotel

The W Sydney building is a large, lopsided glass-and-steel behemoth that overlooks Darling Harbour from its northern end, sharing the space with a vast, semi-underground IMAX cinema that is set to play host to some of the biggest movies of the summer. The shamelessly contemporary, striking aesthetic embraced by the outside of the building extends seamlessly to its interior…

Marked by vast, concrete-lined spaces, the W Hotel interior had every opportunity to be nothing more than a back-in-time brutalist mess with all the associated hard edges and discomfort. However, thanks to intelligent and tasteful interior design, the building is softened with colourful furniture and a seemingly endless supply of glittering lights perched in evermore elegant fittings, bringing a 1960s shell screaming into the 2020s.

The staff, who greeted me at a busy reception filled with tourists from America, had the same effect as the light fittings, bringing a brightness, lightness, and sparkle to the hotel. From check-in and all the way through to my departure, they were attentive, polite, and keen to accommodate my every need.

They were, in all honesty, flawless, and I wanted to call that out before we get into the nitty-gritty of the rooms and amenities because, quite frankly, none of that matters if the staff aren’t willing or able to make you feel at home…

The Rooms

After check-in, I ventured up to my room — a ‘Spectacular’ King Room with a view of Darling Harbour. The room definitely lived up to its name; not only was I greeted by a bottle of chilled Rose, a delicious lamington, and a large plushy shark adorning the bed, all of which made my entrance that little bit sweeter, but the room itself was perfectly provisioned and proportioned.

Though it may not have the largest footprint of all the hotel rooms I’ve stayed in, the way W Sydney uses that space is flawless. An entrance corridor is made to feel larger through the careful use of mirrors before it opens up into the room’s main atrium. Made incredibly bright through low-level and ceiling lighting options, the space feels soft and airy thanks to the clever placement of the ‘desk’ and chaise lounge by the window rather than at the foot of the bed.

As well as cutting-edge tech integrations — electric curtains people, you know we love them — a walk-in wardrobe and well-stocked, art-deco cocktail bar do a lot to elevate this room above the unmovable coathangers and mini-fridges that many travellers have reluctantly become accustomed to over the years. A large TV has all your entertainment needs sorted and the bathroom… deserves its own paragraph.

The bathroom in my suite was a thing of beauty. Set apart from the rest with a navy blue colour scheme, it radiates relaxation or — should you be suitably in the mood — the sexy edge that so many surgically-lit hotel rooms lack. With ample floor space, a beautiful mirror and basin space, and powerful showers, the main event in this room is the circular bath. While I may have looked a little unsightly as I squeezed my 6’6 limbs into its circumference, it undoubtedly added a level of luxury to the space.

Food & Drink

As I mentioned at the very outset, even though my room at W Sydney was a delight, it was actually the hotel’s food and drink options that formally positioned it as being in a league of its own compared to many local competitors. Here’s what I ate and drank during my stay…

29/30 (Rooftop Bar)

Situated at the very top of the building and supplying appropriately stunning views of Darling Harbour and the city skyline, ‘29/30‘ is a cocktail bar that also offers light bites in addition to carefully curated drinks and makes for the perfect pre-dinner pause or — perhaps if you’re travelling in a larger group and looking to keep things lively — could play host to a whole evening of its own accord.

Though I can’t speak for the food at this venue as I was saving myself for the dinner that followed, the cocktails were divine. First, I enjoyed a smokey and fruity ‘Abso Bloody Lutely’, featuring La Gritona Reposado, Marionette Groseille Lique, Lime, Blood Orange Soda, and Smoked Chilli Salt. Served in an adorable and very green Tiki-style cup, this was the perfect start to proceedings.

I followed this with a warm and ‘spirit-forward’ ‘New Fashioned’, featuring Sandra’s New-World Rum Blend, Mango, Pumpkin Spice (bear with me..), and Xocolatl Mole Bitters. I generally advise bars, especially brand-spanking new bars, from meddling with classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned… but this one survives its transfiguration in excellent shape. By the time I’d sipped this one down, my pallet was warmed and my inhibitions suitably allayed.

All the meanwhile, my partner enjoyed an adorably feminine ‘The B Of Bondi Beach’, a Samphire-Infused Blanco Tequila cocktail complete with edible unicorn tattoo before moving on to a mezcal and kombucha creation known as ‘Power & Passion’. She reported that both of these were delicious too and, though I didn’t try any myself, we heard anecdotal reports from visitors on either side of us that the food was excellent too.

BTWN

Immediately after our priming beverages, we took the elevator back down to the bottom of the hotel to sample the wares at BTWN, W Sydney’s main restaurant. To cut a long and very pleasurable story short, this was the standout event during my stay. The wait staff were friendly and knowledgable while our sommelier — who had been flown in specially from Melbourne to help get things up and running in Sydney — was a well of knowledge with a winning attitude to boot.

After much deliberation, we settled on a delightful bottle of Portuguese white wine before ordering our food. To start, we shared the Duck Neck Sausage with Davidson Plum Ketchup and Macadamias as well as the Vannella Straciatella with Candied Fennel and Romesco. The duck was… out of this world, while the stracciatella provided a welcome cool and creaminess to cut through the richness of the sausage.

For mains, my partner ordered the Poached Murray Cod with Jarvis Bay Mussels, Sauteed Cavolo Nero, and Smoked Dashi Butter while I opted for the Harissa-Rubbed Arcadian Spatchcock with Bunya Nut Tarator, Labne, and Golden Raisins with a side of fries. Doing justice to good food through wards is hard but doing justice to great food with words is nigh on impossible…

As such, I will say little more on the mains other than that I cannot recommend strongly enough that you visit BTWN and try them for yourselves. The spatchcock and cod were revelations while the ambience of the venue and attentiveness of the staff rounded out an altogether flawless dining experience. Even if you have no plans to stay at the hotel, come for BTWN.

It’s also worth noting that this is the same venue that hosts the breakfast buffet each morning. While it naturally serves up a very different menu and vibe at this time, it still makes for a great space to start your day surrounded with a plethora of food and drink options — from freshly squeezed and bottled juices through to pastries, cooked foods, cheeses and a whole lot more — you’ll likely be rolling your way home.

2AM Dessert Bar By Janice Wong

After dinner, even though I was already fit to burst, I couldn’t resist taking a short stroll over to the hotel’s flagship dessert bar ‘2AM’, founded and curated by Singaporean sweets legend Janice Wong. While they do offer a full degustation menu — which, due to the volume of food consumed thus far, I reluctantly turned down — we opted for two desserts.

All inspired or influenced in some way by Australia’s rich Aboriginal history, the first we tried is simply known as ‘Water’ and comprised of a Chocolate H2O, Salted Caramel, Chocolate Soil and Yuzu Sorbet. The second was ‘Bubbles’, a Berry Oat Panacotta with Rosella Bubbles and Nitro-Rose Ice Cream. As a parting gesture, we were also given some one-bite lemon delight whose name I have forgotten but that quite literally exploded with flavour on first bite.

I may not have needed to eat anything further after my immaculate dinner but, my lord, I’m glad I did. Each dessert from 2AM was perfectly presented and tasted even better than it looked. The whole experience was elevated by the seating perched around an open bar/kitchen space so that not only could you watch your chef assembling the desserts but, with unbridled passion, they were also willing and able to discuss their creations at length.

Whether you’re a so-called sweet tooth or not, I strongly recommend giving 2AM a try. I have a sneaking suspicion that there will be something on that menu that even the most committed dessertphobe can enjoy and, even if I’m wrong, these puds are works of art that must, at the very least be seen.

Amenities

Away Spa & Gym

I rounded out my stay at W Hotel with a session in their state-of-the-art Away spa. On arriving, I was handed a potent little drink that apparently contained all the various micronutrients I would need to kickstart a long overdue cleanse of my insides. Then, after filling out a short but detailed self-assessment of what I wanted from my treatment, I was led away for a quick tour of the spa and onto the changing areas. 

The space itself is almost space-age in design; built around the elevator’s main escalator and in the same brutal-come-futurist style that defines much of the hotel, the changing areas were some of the most polished and well-provisioned I’ve ever seen, including those at hotels with a far higher price tag than W. From there, I moved through to the spa itself… 

With a steam room, sauna, power showers, relaxation pods, and a whole host of healthy snacks and drinks at your disposal, you could easily spend hours here without actually indulging in a 1-on-1 treatment. However, I was lucky enough to be whisked away for a one-hour Performance Massage by one of the in-house team. 

Not only did my masseuse make me feel comfortable and relaxed as you may expect, but I felt that she really went above and beyond to understand any specific issues I was having with my body before spending additional time working through those. Overall, this was a brilliant experience from end to end, and I left feeling significantly better than on arrival, which is the ultimate benchmark for any spa worth its salt. 

Attached to the spa is also a very well-appointed gym. While I didn’t have time for a workout during my stay (too busy actually enjoying myself…), I did make sure to poke my head in and see what the space offered. Suffice to say, if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t let a family holiday get in the way of your workout, you’ll be good to go.

Pool

While I didn’t try the pool myself, a quick look at a few photos will speak for themselves: situated directly next to the 29/30 bar on the hotel’s uppermost floor, the pool is absolutely stunning. Offering panoramic views over the harbour and plenty of poolside beds in which to enjoy them, this is a perfect spot for bobbing around or for getting some laps in, whichever is your tipple of choice.

While I would suggest double checking, I believe the pool is open quite late into the evening, so I’d suggest adding a nighttime swim into your routine for an unrivalled chance to see the city skyline at night. This definitely suits my sleep schedule well, but I can also imagine that a sunrise from this spot would be quite awesome too, so early birds need not fear.

Bottom Line

I had an amazing time at W Sydney, with the experience far exceeding my admittedly middling expectations. From friendly staff to immaculate rooms and, perhaps most exceptionally, to the unparalleled food and drinks on offer, this is one staycation spot that is not to be missed.

If you have friends and family visiting the city, recommend W Sydney to them. If you don’t, come along yourself — a night’s stay did wonders and even if you’d rather sleep in your own bed I cannot recommend 29/30, BTWN and 2AM enough; they would make for a perfect evening out in their own right. 

Whatever you do, don’t let the long build time of this beautifully lopsided site put you off; it was more than worth the wait, and Darling Harbour can now consider itself to be in possession of one of Sydney’s greatest spots.