3 hours ago
2
The place
Rydges Australia Square, Sydney
The building won’t win any beauty awards.
Check in
After a flight delay following another of Sydney’s increasingly common storms, it’s a relief to find no one waiting at the small check-in desk in the hotel lobby (though there are also self-check-in kiosks). Formerly the Tank Stream hotel (which I stayed in seven years ago), the property recently reopened as Rydges Australia Square after undergoing a refurbishment across its 280 rooms over 15 floors. The hotel is in the centre of the city, just a short walk from Martin Place or Wynyard stations if you’re catching the airport train.
The look
The revamped lobby.
The exterior remains the same – built in the 1960s as an office building, it certainly won’t win any architectural awards for beauty, though the top four storeys, added in 2015, feature curved glass on the facade which gives the property a modern touch. Inside, the lobby has been revamped to reduce the size of the aforementioned check-in desk. There’s no gym, but guests can access the nearby Anytime Fitness for free.
The room
Despite narrow windows, there’s plenty of light in the room.
I’m on one of the top floors, so my room features a floor-to-ceiling window not found on the lower storeys. It’s narrow and on my previous stay I was concerned it would mean non-north facing rooms would be dark. I’m facing east on this occasion and the room remains bright late in the day as the sun bounces off the Radisson Blue Plaza opposite. At this height, that hotel looks very European so my view leaves me feeling a little like I’m in Paris rather than Sydney. The design changes are subtle from my last stay – the bedheads and bedside tables have been replaced with more modern versions, as has the lighting and carpet.
The room is compact but functional enough, though something that bothered me last time – the desk sitting directly under the large TV screen – remains the same. The bathroom is also on the smallish side, with no bathtub, but at least it is an actual room with a door on it, unlike so many other modern hotel bathrooms. Toiletries are from Thankyou in large re-fillable bottles (though there’s no moisturiser).
Like many hotels these days, guests are encouraged to forego daily servicing ostensibly for sustainability reasons (though it also saves the hotel money, of course). However, in a nice touch, Rydges actually rewards guests with a $10 credit for food and drink every time they skip servicing.
The food
Le Petit Flot.
The restaurant remains the same as it was as the Tank Stream – Le Petit Flot, which features a French menu with Japanese flourishes, such as wagyu tartare, barramundi with seaweed butter or beef cheek with red wine miso jus. A new addition is the wine bar Poco off the lobby, with Italian-influenced share plates. Breakfast at Le Petit Flot is a standard buffet with all the items you’d expect.
Stepping out
You’re in the heart of the CBD, with the emphasis on the B, so you won’t find many attractions on your doorstep, but there is a multitude within a short walk. One of the closest is the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia at Circular Quay.
The verdict
While its original design limits what any brand can do with the building, Rydges has done a decent job of sprucing up the property.
Essentials
Rooms from $240, Rydges Australia Square, 97-99 Pitt Street, Sydney. See rydges.com
Our rating out of five
★★★½
Highlight
The central location means the best of the city is on your doorstep or at least a short walk or train/tram ride away.
Lowlight
My bed is rather noisy when getting up and down. It doesn’t bother me too much but might bother couples (particularly amorous ones).
The writer stayed as a guest of Rydges Hotels and Resorts.
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