Australia

I'm a big fan of Four Seasons Hotels, but I was disappointed by the Four Seasons Sydney. I was surprised by how inexpensive (comparatively) it was-- I stayed in a deluxe opera view room for two in the beginning of the summer (December) and it was only about $300 USD, which, compared to other Four Seasons, is actually quite reasonable. Honestly though, you get what you pay for. The room was surprisingly tiny-- the bed (albeit an extremely luxe bed) took up most of the space, and a desk and TV were squeezed in. Everything was very clean and comfortable, but the room definitely should've been much bigger for a "deluxe" room. The view however was quite lovely, we were actually able to see both the Opera House and the Bridge, which were both beautiful. Definitely the best parts of the hotel were the room service, concierge/reception services, and the location. As always the staff was exceptionally accommodating and professional-- we arrived much earlier than the 3 pm check in, but they were able to open our room up to us by around 9 or 10 am. The foyer is also extremely beautiful with an enormous, grand staircase and extremely high, multi-level ceilings. Location wise, it was a very close walk to Darling Harbor, the Rocks, the Opera House, etc.-- very nicely located, couldn't have been more convenient. I'm not sure I would recommend it-- if I went back, I'd definitely try somewhere else (I hear the Park Hyatt is lovely), but it was a very comfortable place with great service. I just wasn't blown away. But definitely do NOT sit down at the breakfast buffet-- it looks and smells fantastic, but it's about $40 or $50 AUD per person which is absurd, and they charge an extra $10 for orange juice (crazy!). You can get a much less expensive and equally satisfying breakfast elsewhere.