Who's Going
Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Imbruglia
Reason to Stay
Business Hotel, Luxury Spa, Gourmet Eatery
Hotel Type
Luxury Hotel
It's a choice most 5-star travelers are forced to make when visiting Sydney, do I stay at The Langham or at the Park Hyatt? The Langham is located away from the Quay, near The Rocks, on a quiet walking street that houses the four-story building with manicured stucco facade. The hotel manages to edge out competitors like the Four Seasons and Shangri-la with a more intimate size and local vibe with two-story lobby lined in creamy marbles floors and lounge with plaster columns and formal floral furnishings that could use some design pizazz.
Built and decorated with business travelers in mind, a series of drawing rooms lead the hotel's bar home to afternoon high tea and late night lounge service. Galileo is the hotel's fine dining room, undoubtedly one of the city's best hotel based eateries. The space, however, looks like a turn-of-some-century boudoir with gold curtains and faux French, sort of Italian looking polished walnut decor that should result in a decorator meeting their professional guillotine.
The Room
For those that remember the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton brands in the US circa 1994 when a world of overly polished wood furnishings and floral fabric prevailed, The Langham is a reminder that not all of the world's grand hotels have been brought to a modern design aesthetic. Creamy-colored carpets and almost matching walls cleanse the palette for bold patterned drapes and shiny wood furnishings with harsh lines that make design snobs thankful to spend most in-room hours with eyes shut. Upgraded rooms come with fancier four poster canopy beds and windows that reveal surprising views of the inner Sydney Harbour of Walsh Bay and Darling Harbour. A basement spa, however, fulfills every expectation with indoor pool, sauna circuit and full fitness center where even local pursue membership.
Preferred Room
Junior Suite
Special Features
Fitness Center, Business Crowd, Gourmet Eatery
Amenities
Restaurant, Cafe, Bar, Lounge, Spa
