I arrived late into Sydney and was delivered to Blue at Woolloomooloo by my taxi. I was impressed by the check in. My bag was whisked out of the taxi and the staff escorted me to the hotel reception…had to go up some stairs to reception so not sure how disabled people get there….check in was very good with a very nice lay back atmosphere and I was very quickly in my room.
The room was really spacious with very pleasant décor of white walls, white blinds and very crisp white linen on the bed. This was complemented by dark brown desk and benches, chaise lounge and seat at the end of the bed and the original structures of the building which gives it a really great feel. The first effect was one of yes this is nice!!! Nice touches of coffee plunger and small packs of coffee to make the ubiquitous pot of coffee …very, very nice.
The fridge was very well stocked ….a bit of a laugh were some of the things one could purchase from the stocks in the room….large container of lubricating gel and the like…. which was different.
Bed was just so wonderfully comfortable!!!! Need to take that home with me!!!
The flat screen TV was excellent, not that the offerings on the TV were very interesting…not the fault of the hotel.
The bathroom on first appearance was very slick but when you looked a little closer there was mould and rust in the shower bay…needs some maintenance!!.
Shower was excellent with the water wonderfully hot!!!

The view from the room is over the water which is always pleasant to see the movement of boats on the water although as it is a pier the view is not expansive….but very much nicer than looking at brick walls or rusty roofs.
Downside: The service when having breakfast was not good, very tardy and very slow and the cost of the breakfast is unbelievably high….Go for a wander to some of the other eateries around and you will get a far better breakfast and far better service!!!
Upside: The staff on reception were most organised, pleasant and always ready with a smile and genuinely were happy to help with any request re storage of luggage.

Having read one bad review of this hotel I was hoping to be prooved wrong - unfortunately I was not!

The room was tired - the handle of the fridge broken.

Dirty tape stuck to the floor of the shower.

Went to the bar for a drink and bar staff were rude, unhelpful and then charged a standard 10% for tip.

During my 4 week trip to Australia this was the only disappointment.

This is no luxury option. Sure the rooms were a great size, but they were tired and tatty on the edges. The service was insanely non-existent (could reception staff move any slower and look any LESS interested?).

During my stay i never really felt that i was in any way getting service, that the hotel was doing me a favour allowing me to stay in their bland 'art' space with their indifferent and casual attitude. This is not a hotel, it's an expensive place to crash. I felt like a teenager.

I just checked into the Blue hotel after spending two nights at the Establishment. First impressions, not so great.

1. Location. Despite what others have been saying, I find the location a bit inconvenient. Sure, it's away from the hustle/bustle of Circular Quay, the CBD, and the Rocks, but when a lot of the action is in those areas from a tourism perspective, it's a pain to have to walk such a far distance or cab it everywhere. I stayed in the CBD, and while it was somewhat annoying to have the suits around, it was very "central" to everything I wanted to see in Sydney. 5 minute walk to Circular Quay, maybe 10 minutes to shopping at the QVB and the Strand, 10 minutes to the Rocks for the BridgeClimb at Harbour Bridge, and 10 minutes to the Opera House.

2. Rooms. First room they put me in after checking in was noisy. Not sure where people get their info re: rooms that are protected from the lobby noise, but I heard noise from the lobby and noise from the pier/wharf. I called down and they put me in a room further down, which eliminated some of the pier/wharf noise, but I can still hear the folks in the lobby. Granted, the noise factor at the Establishment was pretty bad too -- I could hear the people next door to me make phone calls. Also, the first room I was given had a shower curtain that was moldy, which made the bathroom smell. The rooms are relatively clean, "modern" in that W Hotels kind of way, but far from spectacular. The carpet, which is a beige colour, looks old and worn. Bathrooms are decent though. Not sure why people keep talking about the security of using keys to get into the elevator. While it's a great feature, it doesn't seem full proof, and doesn't make me feel any more safe that a system without keys (I'm traveling as a single woman in her early 30s).

3. Price. Comparatively, the Blue hotel is not worth the money. I'd much rather stay at the Establishment hotel, which is truely boutique-y in my opinion. The room rate between the two hotels is virtually the same, if not a bit cheaper at the Establishment. List price-wise, the Establishment was $30 AUS more per night, but that rate include free wired internet in my room (Blue charges $25 per 24 hour -- and the wireless is very spotty) and free breakfast -- anything from their menu (breakfast at Blue I'm assuming costs more than $5).

Overall, the Blue is just okay in my opinion. It's definitely not one of your mainstream hotels, but it's far from a true unique or boutique experience. I would prefer the Establishment any day, despite how crazy their bar gets and the issues with the noise between rooms. I would say that the service, so far, has been accommodating and friendly, which is nice given the hotel's size. Every inquiry made or questions asked have been received graciously and have been accommodated as much as possible. I do like that about the hotel!