We have stayed at the Sydney Shangri-La several times over the last 15 months, each time choosing to stay in Horizon Club rooms for the extra service and amenities. We had developed a strong preference for this hotel, and hadn't been disappointed until now.

When we need to travel to Sydney for a wedding, I immediately booked a Horizon Club room at the Shangri-La, opting for the Horizon Deluxe Grand Harbour View room. The room itself was lovely and the view from level 32 was spectacular. The problem was the little things.

As regular Horizon Club guests, we have come to expect certain standards of the Horizon Club. This time, the in-room amenities (including tea and toiletries) was of a lower standard than usual, and when we asked for better quality tea, we were sent more of the same tea. The supplied toiletries were the standard hotel toiletries, rather than the more special ones usually found in Horizon Club rooms.

We went to the Horizon Club lounge for afternoon tea, only to find that there was virtually no food available, and very difficult to get hot drinks (there were no tea pots and the coffee machine was malfunctioning). We asked the duty manager, who to her credit, immediately tried to rectify the problems, but the result remained the same.

Then that evening, we found the bed too soft. This resulted in both my fiance and I sinking into the mattress (separately) and hardly being able to see or get close to each other. Not the ideal situation for a romantic evening.

Whilst the room was lovely and the service was excellent, the little things that were inconsistent based on past experiences and therefore failed to meet expectations, really marred our stay and our impression of Shangri-La hotels. Hotel management needs to ensure that the consistently high standards are maintained for the premium prices that are charged.

I was a regular business traveler to Sydney, spending a total of 12 weeks at the Shangri-La Sydney over multiple visits. Despite having status at another hotel chain, I decided to try something different, which turned out to be a great decision. As an American, I was unfamiliar with the Shangri-La chain, as it is Hong-Kong based and has few locations in the US (which is unfortunate). The first thing to point out is the service. The staff at the hotel are very attentive to the guests and truly go out of their way to make your stay enjoyable. Spend the extra money and get Horizon Club access - aside from sweeping views of the Bridge, Opera House and "Heads" from the 30th floor, 5 story windows, the personalized service and attention of the team makes the stay even better (if you usually have breakfast and break into the mini-bar, you'll get your money back through the food and beverage constantly available to Horizon Club guests). The rooms are large, bright, comfortable and feature the amazing harbor views...be sure to ask for a high floor facing the bridge. The hotel is located in the Rocks, right in the heart of the city.

If you value comfort, a great experience and a highly attentive staff, you should definitely give the Shangri-La a try.

A short walk from the city centre, overlooking the other harbour hotels, the Shangri-La has the most astonishing views. All bedrooms overlook the harbour, but the views inside the hotel are excellent too. The hotel entrance is not for the claustrophobic and is a bit of a let down, but the service and facilities is everything one would expect from the Shangri-La Hotel Group. Six stars!

We are currently in room 2513 which is a premier harbor view. That view is indeed fantastc and mesmerising as it changes constantly. The room is very well appointed with furnishings and spacious. We particularly appreciated the provision of a kettle.

However, one thing lets it down badly. The air conditioning is negligable. The control has a thermostat and a fan speed of low medium and high. However, with the fan on high and the thermostant on teh lowest setting there is hardly any fresh air into the room. If you sit at one particular spot on the bottom corner of the bed or stand on tiptoe and put your hand near the grill there is a sligh draft and that is it. The engineer who came to look at it for us indicated that it was working to its maximum, that all rooms were different and that we would have got a better airflow if we had had a smaller (cheaper) room! His advice was to keep the curtains shut at all times which make sense when we are out but surely for the price we paid for this room in one of the hottest countries in the world we ought to be able to cool the room and look at the view?!. Like all hotels the windows are sealed for fire purposes so the room is stuffy and it is not even the hottest temperatures Sydney gets. Very disappointing from this class of hotel in which the room should be a pleasant refuge after a hot day of sightseeing not something to be endured.
The swimming pool on the other hand is delightfully cool.