Our review of the revamped Sydney Park Hyatt

WITH views of Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, the Park Hyatt's multimillion-dollar refurb is impressive.

Escape park Hyatt Syd

WITH its impressive location at the tip of Sydney Cove, the Harbour Bridge on one side, the Opera House in front and the historic precinct of The Rocks on the other, the Park Hyatt has always been hard to beat.

Over the years the hotel has been a home away from home for celebrities such as Elton John, Bette Midler and Jerry Seinfeld.

But with competition increasing from new hotels such as the Darling at the Star casino complex in Pyrmont, the hotel's Japanese owners have not been resting on their laurels: they embarked on a multimillion-dollar revamp, taking the dramatic step of closing the hotel for 11 months while the refurbishment occurred.

The hotel has been virtually rebuilt from scratch, redesigned so all areas have views to either Circular Quay, the bridge or the Opera House.

The refurbishment has seen strong use of raw materials, with sandstone walls in keeping with the hotels natural surroundings and nearby historic buildings and wide wooden floorboards.

The colour scheme of torque, chocolate, beige and white blends in with the Opera House and the brick buildings of The Rocks and wooden sculptures in the lobby are made of driftwood from the harbour.

Ten Australian artists were commissioned for the artwork you see throughout the hotel, which includes a Ned Kelly sculpture, prints of the original settlement and black and white photos of Sydney beaches.

The exterior wall of the former lobby, now an all-day dining area, has been extended 2m and offices have been demolished to create more room for guests. With a desire to make guests feel at home, the area is called The Living Room.

The same philosophy has been applied to other parts of the hotel. The restaurant is called The Dining Room, the day spa is named The Spa and a new bar known as The Bar has replaced the old cigar lounge.

The Dining Room has been opened up and pylons removed so diners have unobstructed views of the harbour through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Brisbane-born executive chef Andrew McKee, who has worked in China, Japan and Hong Kong, heads the hotel kitchen.

He buys the whole carcass of a cow to cut up, makes his own sausages and bacon, and bakes bread in-house.

He also sources as much produce from NSW as he can and chooses organic if possible.

"We're doing things the hard way," he says. "You're kind of paying the same amount but what you're getting is far superior."

The attention to detail is impressive. The highlight of my meal is a chicken dish that is poached so it is soft inside and grilled so the outside is crispy.

Although it has been open since mid-February rain delayed its planned December relaunch the hotel is still a work in progress.

When complete, there will be an early arrivals lounge with a bed and shower you can use while waiting for your room to be ready.

A fourth level has been added during the revamp. It houses a reshaped rooftop pool, right beside one of the southern pylons of the Harbour Bridge.

The guest rooms have been reconfigured and redesigned to feel more like apartments. The most expensive is the Sydney Suite, which will set you back $16,000 a night (it has a two-night minimum stay). It covers 350sq m, making it the biggest in town and a certainty to continue attracting big-name celebrities.

British chef Jamie Oliver has already tweeted about staying there since the hotel reopened.

My room, a City Harbour king room, costs a little less at $795 a night. On the third level, it has views towards The Rocks, but it is peak cruise ship season and there is a ship blocking the view to Circular Quay. From one end of my balcony I can see the Opera House.

My room has a media hub where you can connect your camera, video camera or laptop to the TV. And all rooms have Japanese-style Toto toilets, which have heated seats and the ability to play music and blow air.

The bath and shower are housed in a "wet room", divided from the rest of the bathroom by a glass door. There is a rain shower and the bathtub sits diagonally within a marble slab, with a mirror behind it that makes the room feel bigger.

When I wake on the final morning of my stay and the blackout screen lifts, I see, right in front of me, the Queen Mary 2 berthed at Circular Quay for the first time. There's no other Sydney hotel where you can experience that.

** Go2 **

Sydney

Staying there

City Harbour King rooms from $795.

More: Ph 9256 1234 or see Sydney.park.hyatt.com.au.