Sydney
Australia


The Experience

There's no need to ask, "Where the bloody hell are you?" Choose any of the 314 north-facing rooms in the 43-story Four Seasons, and the iconic view could only be Sydney -- to the left is the Harbour Bridge and to the right the unmistakable sails of the Opera House. It's located right in the center of Circular Quay (where Europeans first settled in 1788). The Four Seasons is as serious a business hotel as you can get in flip-flop-wearing Sydney: Australians never lose sight of the good life, and the hotel is likely to have a fair smattering of expats-made-good who base themselves here for a bit of work and a whole lot of play.

The Rooms

With such breathtaking views it hardly matters that 60 percent of the standard rooms are just 280 square feet. (The suites range in size up to 1,679 square feet.) Such squeezing doesn't happen in the standard bathrooms, however, which are fabulously large, with marble countertops, double sinks and L'Occitane bath products. As for decor, there's nary a curve in sight, with tapered legs and boxy desk alcoves taking their cue from the ramrod-straight decorating of the Four Seasons New York. For the best rooms it's a case of balancing vertigo with insomnia -- some of the magnificent harborview rooms on the lower floors contend with traffic noise from the Cahill Expressway.

The Service

The service at all levels is five-star formal without losing the friendliness. Australians are known for their affability, and doormen, for instance, are eager to share tips on their favorite pubs in the historic Rocks district. Kids also get royal treatment with mini bathrobes and complimentary cookies and milk.

The Highlights

The hotel's previous incarnation was as a Regent, and it still nurses the occasional mahogany-and-brass hangover from its 1990s heyday (though an interior refurbishment scheduled for 2007 should bring it up to par with other Four Seasons). On the third floor, the 66-feet triangular pool isn't exactly Olympic proportioned, but hey, swimming is what Sydney's famous beaches are for. Make the most of jet lag by rising early for a surf at Manly (just a half-hour JetCat ride from your doorstep), then repair to the executive club for breakfast. Later, grab a martini and half a dozen Sydney rock oysters in the bar, and head to the second-floor Kable's restaurant for barramundi with native paperbark-baked asparagus and lemon-thyme butter. Retire early (local shiraz in hand), and watch the boats bob in and out of Sydney Harbour.

-- Adam McCullough

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