The third W hotel on Australian soil, W Sydney stands out from its sisters in Melbourne and Brisbane, and indeed from any of the brand’s 65+ properties around the world: this design-forward 588-room address is the first of a new generation of W hotels to channel a more grown-up and glammed-up philosophy. That being said, it’s still great fun.
It would take dedication for any regular visitor to Sydney to stay abreast with the changes that have taken place in the city’s Darling Harbour neighbourhood in the last few years. Recent developments have made this part of town a hub for both business and leisure travellers who wander around the area in search of culture, gastronomy, community and entertainment. At the centre of this bustling neighbourhood sits its newest icon, the late 2023-opened W Sydney. Its curved structure by architecture firm Hassell breaks with tradition, foregoing both the tried-and-tested skyscraper as well as the rising-in-popularity ‘landscraper’ formats, for something a little less conventional. It’s sort of the point, seeing the property is inspired by the Australian character of the ‘larrikin’, a boisterous but good-hearted rule-breaker.
A large W, stylised to remind arriving guests of the local Waratah flower, welcomed us to the hotel as we walked through the front door and up a staircase framed by strip lights. The whole scene could’ve been lifted from Drake’s viral 2015 Hotline Bling music video, although a glimpse around the corner revealed an alternative route up to the lively check-in desks, where plants grow out of copper-coloured honeycomb walls and the lifts greet you with carpets that feature daytime-specific welcomes. The staff change the latter every few hours and when, on occasion, they ran late during our stay, it made us smile each time (‘Good morning’ at 2pm? For some guests, it may well be).
Of the 588 rooms at W Sydney, 162 are suites, including 5 Wow Suites and 1 Extreme Wow Suite. We chose to stay in a 40 sqm/430 sqft ‘Spectacular Room’ on the 20th floor, with blinds that automatically opened as we entered the room, to reveal floor-to-ceiling views of Darling Harbour below. We found the room itself to be equally darling, which is no coincidence: the hotel’s proximity to water is reflected in the white, sail-like ceilings with mood lighting, waves that ripple across the blue carpet, and even a large, cuddly shark on our kingsize bed. It’s an interior style that’s somehow recognisably W, simultaneously bold and minimal, with the sole contrast being crimson-red walk-in wardrobes covered in pink Waratahs, another nod to the flower.
A feature of our room we thoroughly appreciated was the seductively stylish Art Deco minibar, which hawked back to the 1920s, when Sydney became the city it is today, with prominent structures like Harbour Bridge having been built at the time. This boasted the usual coffee and tea-making facilities, a small fridge, premium spirits as well as ‘boxed’ water (responsibly packaged in paper, not plastic). Our bathroom also sought to break with conventions. With oversized, dark blue tiles and featuring a circular bathtub alongside Davines and W-owned /skin regimen/ toiletries (including, mind you, cleansers for skincare-obsessed millennials), it also came with diffused, mirror-side lighting designed for the perfect selfie.
The bathroom certainly hit the zeitgeist in some respects, but the hotel’s twist on traditional light switches meant we frustratingly never quite managed to turn on the lights properly. Meanwhile, the tap also operated differently from what you’re used to, although instructions on how to use amenities in our welcome letter provided some assistance – not that reading instructions was our idea of a fun welcome. In its quest to do things differently, the larrikin evidently prioritised talking points over functionality at times, and we occasionally wished that W Sydney had done away with the gimmicks and gotten all the basics right – starting with sound insulation that prevents you from hearing the alarm clock of the guests in the next room… or their screaming baby in the middle of the night.
The odd mishap aside, the property’s anything-goes approach to hospitality shines across its food and beverage outlets. There’s the signature Living Room venue in the lobby, where locals and guests mingle around a circular bar and seating inspired by the nests of the Australian Bowerbird. Some 29 and 30 storeys up, you’ll find the two-level 29/30, with the lower, cocktail-serving space having been inspired by the underwater world, while the top floor serves vintage champagnes with a side of spectacular Harbour City views. Aesthetically, these venues are colourful and contemporary in a way you’ll have seen in other W hotels, but we found the themes more original and the spaces, overall, more elevated and grown up.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Hedonist | SYD | GMT +11 |
| While you’re Out There |
| W Sydney is around the corner from the city’s Chinatown, which is well worth a visit. A particular highlight is the Chinese Garden of Friendship with its stunning landscaping, lakeside pagodas and small exhibition spaces. We felt positively transported to China upon visiting this serene oasis within a bustling part of town. |
This deeper-rooted take on design is executed to the greatest effect at the property’s BTWN restaurant, so named due to the location of W Sydney between two major expressways. Everything plays with the idea of the surrounding streets here, from the traffic-themed graffiti by local artist Sophi Odling to headlights over the bar. And as for those elongated, red lights on the ceiling? They evoke the look of tail lights when photographed in slow motion – that, to us, was as smart as our meals were tasty. BTWN prides itself on New South Wales produce and at the time of writing is under the supervision of head chef Chris Dodd. From our cocktails and aubergine tempura with miso and tahini dressing to a mushroom ragout, everything we laid lips on was downright delicious, and the only thing we wished for was more plant-based options, so that as vegans, we wouldn’t have to repeat-order.
A truly immense breakfast buffet to end all breakfast buffets awaits guests at BTWN in the mornings and you’d be well advised to arrive early to avoid queues: it does get busy between 9 and 10. We could’ve spent half a day just eating our way through all that was on offer here, and were furthermore impressed with the hardworking staff who were clearly motivated and served each coffee – even if it was our third cup – with a genuine smile. In fact, the team at W Sydney was one of the hotel’s standout points to us, for down till the very end of our stay, when our key card malfunctioned and we were in a rush, with a staff member calling us a lift and accompanying us to our room, the team always endeavoured to provide swift help and keep us happy. Perhaps, we thought, this consistently proactive level of service was also part of the brand’s new, more mature disposition.
Straddling the above-mentioned 29/30, a heated 30-metre infinity pool on the open-air WET Deck in theory offers an opportunity to relax, although seeing as the space was as overrun with children as a designated indoor family pool on another floor when we visited, we instead headed for the property’s AWAY Spa in search of some R&R. The spa is cleverly hidden between two floors and accessible only via an escalator in the lobby. Five treatment rooms, including one couples treatment suite, round up an offering of extremely photographable mani and pedi ‘pods’, a sauna, a steam room, experience showers, and a beauty bar, where light bites and juices are served for a social spa experience. We found the wellness area to be beautifully designed, with out-of-the-box visuals by artist Bradley Eastman and a cosy, ‘tucked away’ feel that made it a destination in its own right. What’s more, unisex and accessible toilets and shower facilities with braille signage mean that every guest will be able to enjoy the facilities – bravo!
At first glance, you might think W Sydney is just the latest property in the brand’s growing portfolio. But staying here reveals layers of meaning woven into the fabric of the hotel that signal a departure from older Ws, if a ‘soft’ one. Its storytelling, conveyed through imaginative design, envelopes guests in the destination, and, for what it’s worth, we thought that furnishings were more refined, not to mention nicer to the touch. The luxury element also shows in how the hotel has something in store for each type of guest. Though still a lifestyle address, W Sydney isn’t all about seeing and being seen – the property’s wellness offering is thought through, its dining exquisite, the service immaculate. It’s a hotel that’s a perfect fit for the finger-on-the-pulse neighbourhood it’s in: all grown up and taking itself seriously – just not too seriously.
Photography courtesy of W Hotels
