My husband and I stayed here for just one night recently and were impressed. From the ease of parking to the attentiveness of the check-in staff as well as its central location, we could not fault it.

We stayed in a king room which was on the smaller size compared to our stays in Sydney at the Swissotel, Sheraton on the Park and Intercontinental but the room was comfortable and the shower even had Aquavision! The corridors were a little on the narrow size so we dod hear our neighbours from time to time.

The pool, spa and fitness area was second to none.

The staff on check-in accommodated us with a microwave as I needed to warm up a heat pack due to a neck injury and this was most appreciated. We would definitely return.

Following on from my stay at Hilton New York last month it would seem Hilton Sydney is going for that same run of the mill experience that New York offered.

As a Hilton Honors Diamond Member I was given an "upgrade" to an Executive Club Room which was pokey and although "modern" more resembled a Holiday Inn room than what I expected to find at a Hilton.

The bathroom was awkward with little room to maneuver and although offering a stand alone shower, was clear the bath took up so much room that it left little for the shower or rest of the bathroom.

The TV was too small for a room of this "standard" and offered a very poor selection of channels (no pay-TV and only a small selection of Free to Air Channels), the remote was difficult to use and ended up being more trouble than it was worth so was switched off.

The service was okay, great from some, average from others and found it disappointing that despite being addressed by my name at other properties when calling their central "magic" phone line, there was none of that here (not that I expect it, it's just a nice touch).

Their service really let them down, with our car not being ready when needed despite giving ample warning (it was admitted it wasn't even called for despite us calling their central phone line) and their "VIP" Amenity being pretty bland.

Location wise this hotel is great, it's in a great spot, and if they can iron out some of the issues experienced at a service and product offering level, this would be a fantastic hotel...as it is I can only judge it on my one and only stay and was neither overwhelmed nor underwhelmed, I guess I was just whelmed.

Hilton clearly had a very high expectation to meet for me being what it represented among luxury hotels and as such I am disappointed to report the standard king-bed guest room I stayed was just on par (NOTE: among 5-star hotels that is) and had nothing spectacular.

Firstly, there was confusion in the parking arrangement the hotel offers. Being in what must have been the busiest part of the CBD, car park is hard to come by, and I would appreciate the website detailing exactly what the valet parking would be. It now became clear to me that if you left the car at the hotel drop-off area (to be greeted by the porter on the ground), you would be charged hotel valet fee. If you drive into the underground carpark, the carpark staff would still park the car for you but you would not be charged for valet parking but the discounted fee. The arrangement wasn't bad, but not knowing that the actual carpark functions on its own, separated from the hotel itself, I was expecting help with luggage at the carpark and shocked to find none. Oh well...

Secondly, there was confusion about the room pricing. I am still not quite sure why I had to pay for an extra guest/bedding arrangement for just the two of us (two adults) in a room with a pre-arranged king bed.

Thirdly, the size of the room was rather small (smaller than I've expected at least) and on Lvl 23, siren from police/ambulance on street level could still be heard unfortunately.

Complaints aside, the facility was very modern and very clean, and the bedding/lighting was exceptionally comfortable. The shower was also very modern and well-designed; the TV set on the wall in the shower was non-functional, otherwise the shower I took there would have been the most interesting one I've ever taken. The location was definitely second to none, I can see QVB from my room and Sydney Tower/Westfield at the backdoor of the hotel; the monorail stations are very very close by also.

Would I return? Maybe I would try other 5-star hotels (many to choose from in Sydney CBD alone) instead next time. Being what it is, Hilton Sydney has very little value for money apart from the location it offers.