Came to Sydney, Australia for a little holiday. Someplace that I have always wanted to go. The first night was spent at the Aaron's Hotel in the Hayward Market area. A very basic hotel, but nice clean and cheap at about $89.

The 2nd and 3rd nights were spent at the Sydney Marriott Hotel.

Let me be clear, because I was confused at first. There are two Marriotts in Sydney. The Sydney Harbor Marriott Hotel is the most expensive and located within a 5 minute walk from Sydney's popular harbor area. I stayed in the Sydney Marriott Hotel, which is about a 15 minute walk from the other one. It is facing Hyde Park on College St, (I think) and is located in the CBD (Central Business District).

The hotel room rates when I checked online were about $200 per night, but honestly, I used 'frequent sleeper' points that I had gathered up over the years.

Experience: I was upgraded to an executive type suite (nice) and loved the room. It was very large with lcd type television, the furnishings looked new and modern. The large jacuzzi type tub was great, because I was still recovering from a 14 flight almost 24 hours earlier. The staff was courteous, knew my name immediately and quite helpful in pointing out points of interest.

It was a great place to stay for business folks. Now you want to know if I would have paid the $200+ per night for it? Based on the initial price alone on the web, NO! However, now that I've been there, YES, I'd pay for it next time.

Sorry, I didn't take any pictures of it. However, I did for the Aaron Hotel review.

I'd recommend it for business travelers because of its location and amenities and folks with a couple of kids because of its location across from that really nice Hyde Park. Oh yes, I found a Thai (I usually don't like Thai food) restaurant two blocks away. The food was fantastic. I think it was called 'Thai Princess'.

Thank you!

The Marriott Hotel College Street Sydney was right up to expectations. The staff are particularly customer aware and friendly. The hotel is well situated to the central CDB and the stroll across Hyde Park each morning and evening was very pleasant . Just a little gtrizzle- the In Room internet charge is too expensive. AUD$29.00 per 24/7. Don't connect- hop round the corner to the Vodafone internet cafe. Very clean and well set out. $2.00 for 30mins. All I needed for checking email etc.
Some nice restuarants nearby, Oxford Street has many, but the street is dirty and though I did not feel unsafe, it seems to be the gathering place for the gay and lesbian people and the homeless. The Museum Station ( underground rail) is on opposite corner of Hyde Park and ideal for taking the Airport train to Sydney Airport. $14.00 one way.
Would recommend Marriott for visitors wanting centrally located
accomodation and adjacent facilities.

Really recommend the hotel buffet breakfast. Especially the omlettes. Nice rooms. Great pool on the roof.

We stayed at the Marriott on Saturday night the 29th March, 2008. We arrived early to check in which was quick and easy and our luggage was stored. The staff were very friendly and helpful. There was no wait at any stage for the lifts.
The room was very large with a sofa, desk, bed and cooking facilities such as hot plates and sink. Basic dishes and utensils were provided. The TV was old but worked well and had pay TV as well as free to air stations. The room was a little worn (or not brand new) but was spotlessly clean and very comfortable. I had four guests over to visit for a couple of hours and there was plenty of room.
The bathroom is very large - lots of bench space, a large spa bath and plenty of towels. Toiletries are good quality.
We did not have a room overlooking Hyde Park but as it was a corner room we could see the park from the side window. Our main view was to the Eastern suburbs and you could see a bit of the harbour as well. It was a very pleasant view. The room was extremely quiet. We did not hear any noise at all - either from the street or our neighbours.
There is an outdoor pool and an indoor spa. My daughter used the spa and said it was great.
The buffet breakfast, although not having a huge choice, had everything we wanted and the setting was very picturesque.
However the best feature of this hotel is the location. It is walking distance to the city and most facilities and attractions. But it is just far enough away from the hustle and noise of the centre of town. The walk in the other direction is also very interesting. Public transport is very close.
Overall we were very satisfied with our stay at the Marriott and we have already booked again for our next visit to Sydney.