Quay Grand Suite (Sydney)

As usual...my usual erratic, random and non chronological posting.

After staying in several rather disappointing major hotels in Sydney (which frankly isnt up to par compared to Asia standards), I finally found one accomodation worthy of my expectations. Recent stay in Quay Grand Suite (located near the Sydney Opera house along Macquarie street) proved to be a rather comfortable and convenient experience.

Quay Grand is actually a service apartment and not a hotel, so the one bedroom comes equipped with a proper kitchenette and laundry services. We chose the room overlooking the garden as we wanted more tranquility and green. The alternate is the harbor view but I have enough of harbor view after living in Sydney.

The bed was a good size (unlike in HK, Australians probably cannot fathom any couple cramming in small mattress), the bathroom comes with a jaccuzzi bath and seperate walk-in shower. The only thing that remained a relic and time for an update is the music player. Who on earth still uses a cd with casette tape player in such modern days? It's about time someone tells the management to stop being cheap and change it to an MP3 and Ipod player soon.

The only time where I had a shock was to discover how dirty the mechanism of the jaccuzzi bath was. I had expected there to be grime but seeing the black grimy stuff sitting and floating atop the bubbles was honestly a little disgusting. I never intended to use the spa pool function since I knew it wont be clean but I just hit the button on for fun after i was done with my soak. Eeeeewwweeee..... that is why - never install those fancy jaccuzzi bath at home unless u are willing to spend time and money to upkeep it. A normal bath tub is good enough though in Australia, taking bath is a decadent luxury for the longest decades (previously) due to the rainfall scarcity. And now, the sky is dumping truckload of gallons of rain on them across the country.... Joy to the farmers...

Anyway back to hotel review.

The contemporary bedroom and living spaces are both rather spacious by Australia standards. It even comes with a small outdoor balcony for the die-hard cig puffers. The room is rather well insulated from noises, which is a big welcome change from the usual lame wafer-thin plaster wall-dividers in other major hotels.

I stayed in Sheraton Sydney hotel in this trip as well.
The breakfast was good and worth waking up for. Its bathroom is big but noise from corridor is an issue for me. I didnt like being awaken by drunken neighbors stumbling back from wee morning drinks, or hyperactive screeching children racing down the hotel corridors from the rooms to the lift. Plus, I could faintly pick up a not so pleasant smell in the toilet with my ultra sensitive nose. Perhaps the toilet bowl area needs a good scrub down from previous occupants' lack of good aim.... or perhaps someone ought to conduct global wide seminar on why "Men should learn to aim right before peeing" followed by bonus session 2 - "Men should learn to WIPE down if they miss" It's such a BIG hole, how does one miss it? *Shake head*

Another good thing about Quay Grand Suite, its situated near the bus stops that goes to city. In fact there is even one free shuttle bus that picks up people along QVB street that heads street back to the harbor terminal. So its really great for people who doesnt want to buy Travel Ten (a local bus pass for 10 trips)