Review: Four Seasons Sydney, where luxury is the love language

At Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, the essence of luxury can be felt in a generosity of access, an abundance of warmth and in treating every guest as an individual.

What defines true luxury in an era of travel when triple-digit thread counts and rooftop pools are the norm? What elevates a hotel to the next level of sophistication and grace?

The essence of luxury at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney is in its unique perspective. In its generosity of access. In its belief in equality. In its language of love that speaks to each and every one of its guests.

The essence of luxury

The singularity of the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney experience begins as soon as you arrive at the property, which sits in a peerless position on the city’s sparkling harbour, with uninterrupted views to Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.

In room breakfast, Harbour View Room, Four Seasons Sydney

Marvel at uninterrupted views to Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge from your Harbour Room.

Guests don’t so much check into a room, rather the staff invite you to trust them with your stay. Little questions inform the experience you will have: your name is on everyone’s lips when they greet you; your special occasion becomes a collective celebration; your preferences are the benchmark for your stay.

In your room and throughout the hotel, such personalised focus on the individual presents itself in the little things that conversely have huge significance: special in-room dining menus that reflect your tastes and indulgent treats waiting for you; access to bespoke experiences that cater to your interests (from private tours to a pampering personalised bath experience tailored to your mood); meeting – and exceeding – your wildest desires (like being ferried across the harbour in a sleek motor boat or securing a private booking to climb the Harbour Bridge).

Woman in bath harbour views, Royal Suite, Four Seasons Sydney

Relax in a bath prepared from your personalised Bath Butler menu, pictured here in the Presidential Suite Bath.

Such effortless service, attention to detail and resolve to deliver the moments of humanity that transform every stay into a story is the quintessence of Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, and form the guiding principles to everything it does.

The generosity of access

While close proximity to the city’s sights and experiences is a given during your stay, it is the access that guests have to the property’s staff that is another element that sets Four Seasons Hotel Sydney apart.

The knowledge, experience and imagination of its people are an intangible value proposition, as is the time they spend on learning about your personality, your needs and what you love.

It’s in the way Josh Blake, the hotel’s chef concierge and a member of the prestigious Les Clefs d’Or (The Society of the Golden Keys), puts together a bespoke historic walking tour of the surrounding neighbourhood of the Rocks, painstakingly researching the heritage of the buildings and the local characters who once dwelt there, and peppering his commentary with quirky facts (and cafe recommendations) to feed the imagination of a guest’s daughter studying for her HSC history exam.

Adam Lau, bartender at Four Seasons Sydney

Have every cocktail explained to you by Grain’s bar manager, Adam Lau.

Or the approach of Adam Lau, the manager at Grain, the hotel’s atmospheric ground-floor bar, who will explain the timbre of each cocktail and spirit on the extensive bar menu, before happily making you something completely unique after discovering your likes, your dislikes and your current mood.

He will also gladly provide a tableside experience with the bar’s new Macallan Trolley, featuring rare bottles of whisky to enjoy.

It can be experienced in the meticulously curated tastes produced in Mode Kitchen & Bar, where the cultural influences and finely honed skills of executive chef Francesco Mannelli and his team play out on the plate in surprising, flavoursome ways.

The clean simplicity of the restaurant’s signature minestrone soup is the perfect starting point at lunch (one of many pleasing vegetarian and vegan options from a dedicated menu), followed by sides like roasted eggplant drenched in a sticky miso glaze and crispy Tasmanian potatoes with fried rosemary.

Mode Kitchen team at Four Seasons Sydney

Enjoy the meticulously curated tastes at Mode Kitchen.

At dinner, the Chef’s Coorong Angus T-bone, a one-kilogram T-bone cut of grass-fed, three-weeks dry-aged beef, represents a true five-star feast.

And for a theatrical end to the evening, the frozen Pavlova with rhubarb, strawberry and pistachio arrives at table in a trailing haze of pearly white smoke that will have everyone in the restaurant staring in wonder.

It is also in the delicious feeling of splendour bestowed by the property’s ‘bath butler’ who takes pride in the task of drawing a bath for you at turndown, imbibing the water with fragrant botanical elements and making sure everything is just so.

An elevated approach

There are many aspects of a residence at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney that elevate it beyond the everyday, and the every hotel, including gaining exclusive access to its club lounge, Lounge 32.

Enjoy breakfast in your room with incredible views.

As the name suggests, the stylishly appointed enclave takes pride of place on the property’s 32 floors, offering up jaw-dropping vistas of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, and out to the Sydney Heads beyond.

On a clear-sky day, sitting at a table by the window, enjoying the complimentary breakfast offering or all-day menu and endless views is an ultimate Sydney bucket list experience.

And make sure to return as the day fades to see the international city light up, with cocktails and canapes within easy reach.

An equality of experience

The Four Seasons Hotel Sydney’s inclusive approach to its guests in residence includes even its smallest – and its furriest.

Its unique perspective on hospitality means that there is no differentiation in the sense of belonging created for a couple, a six-year-old child or a 10-year-old terrier.

Kids can enjoy a special single-bed tent.

Families entering their suite are greeted by a delightful set-up of a special single-bed tent, filled with children’s slippers and bathrobe, toiletries, snacks and Flynn, a cuddly koala toy with his own Instagram account (#FSFlynn); entry to Taronga Zoo to visit a real koala is also part of the fun.

As for four-legged members of the family, the Pet Paw-fection package pampers with exclusive perks and amenities such as organic treats, luxurious Australian bath products, a plush bed designed by Australian Indigenous artists, and a natural wool-felt toy, with everything from dog walking to recommendations of dog-friendly cafes available from the concierge.

Even your furriest friends are welcome at the Four Seasons Sydney.

Luxury is their love language

In the end, the true luxury of Four Seasons Hotel Sydney is about creating a meaningful sense of belonging. It’s the simple elegance of empathy. It’s an abundance of warmth. And it’s the ever-present embrace of kindness.

To start your journey of luxury, for more information and bookings, visit Four Seasons Hotel Sydney.

Welcome to the first instalment of Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels, exploring not just the rooms, but the stories, service and settings that make each stay unforgettable and worth adding to your wishlist.

Hotel stays have quietly become my thing. Long before I became a travel journalist, I was booking staycations just for a change of scenery. Some had charm, some had character, some had neither. Once, I even stayed in a hotel directly opposite my own apartment – partly for the novelty, partly because I wanted to see my life from a different angle.

For me, hotels represent a kind of mystery – I find myself wanting to know what these buildings contain. Many of them are designed with intention: lighting, materials, scent and sounds that often reflect the city they sit in. Time seems to gently pause in these spaces, which have increasingly become the destination itself for modern travellers.

It only felt fitting for the first hotel in this series to be in my home city and at the hotel that’s been at the top of my list: Capella Sydney.

A sandstone heritage building and palm trees

Capella sits within an Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building.

An email with a hotel program from the “Culturist Team” lets me know this will be a luxurious stay. There’s a guided walk around the Botanic Gardens, a weaving workshop and a Sydney contemporary art tour – the kind of addition that signals a hotel that’s tuned into the finer details, and one that’s not surprising given that Capella’s ethos centres on delivering personalised, immersive experiences.

Capella opened in 2023 within a transformed Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building in Sydney’s CBD that was originally designed by renowned Scottish-Australian architect George McRae. I often walk past this building and once attended an event inside – I distinctly remember being surprised by how beautiful it was. Bar Studio, Make Architects, and stylist Simone Haag were engaged to sensitively adapt the building for contemporary luxury while honouring its past, in collaboration with Heritage NSW and the City of Sydney.

When I arrive, I’m greeted by three different staff members along the way to reception. There’s a lovely subtle scent, which I later learn combines notes of bergamot, green tea leaves, peony, freesia, vetiver and cedarwood. This hotel strikes such a beautiful balance between grandness and intimacy, with large floral bouquets, contemporary artworks, impressively high ceilings that give it an international feel and quieter nooks to unwind in. Each space is unique, but they’re all unified by a warm, textural and layered design.

Sydney has been deserving of a hotel of this calibre for quite some time, with many of the accommodations in the city looking and feeling dated.

A modern hotel reception with high ceilings

The design strikes the perfect balance between grandness and intimacy.

I have a treatment booked at the hotel’s Auriga Spa prior to check-in. The space is ultra-luxe, moodily lit and intimate, featuring timber joinery, green walls and a sleek design that’s so perfect it almost transports me to Japan. I opt for the Replenish Beauty and LED Facial – a strategic choice with a TV segment on the horizon, and a hopeful bid to look extra fresh for the camera.

The treatment begins with me sitting in the softest robe of my life, wearing slippers and sipping chamomile tea. I’m then whisked away to my private treatment room, which has its own bathroom, a large skylight and a small Japanese-style garden. The treatment is extremely relaxing and moves through cleansing, exfoliating, massaging (arm, head, neck and face) and LED Light Therapy. There’s so much attention to detail – even at the end, the facialist puts my slippers back on me, while I’m still lying down.

Spa treatment room with a massage bed, featuring timber walls and a serene Japanese-style garden visible through a window.

A treatment at Auriga Spa might be the best way I’ve ever started a hotel stay. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

While this treatment certainly hasn’t had a Benjamin Button effect, my sister seems to think I’m glowing, so I walk away happy, or at the very least, zen.

Auriga Spa has a sauna, steam room, ice fountain and a beautiful indoor heated swimming pool. There’s also “experiential showers” – new to me, but essentially it combines water flowing from different places, changing temperatures, mood lighting, gentle sounds, and a subtle lemongrass scent.

You could easily spend the better part of a day at the spa and pool, even if you’re not a guest.

The indoor heated swimming pool with glass ceiling at Capella Sydney.

Guests outside the hotel can use the spa and swimming pool. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

I’m escorted to my room, drunk on relaxation, but I make sure to take note of how noisy the hallways are – answer: dead quiet. My room is 50 square metres, which is huge by hotel standards, but particularly for one in the CBD. It feels like a high-end apartment with floorboards, a freestanding bath and a seating/dining area. My eyes are immediately drawn to the line-up of macarons waiting for me on the dining table.

I’m thrilled to see the mini bar armoire includes a small wine fridge stocked with Minuty Prestige Côtes de Provence, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Handpicked Wines Pinot Noir, and Moët Grand Vintage. Not that I plan on using it (I simply could not justify the prices) – but it’s a nice extra that makes the room feel that much more luxurious. The drinks lineup reads like a who’s-who of local favourites – Young Henrys, Maybe Sammy cocktails, Four Pillars gin and Archie Rose gin. Snacks include Tyrell’s chips, Pringles, Natural Confectionery lollies, and a Carman’s oat bar.

Some small touches I appreciate that some hotels don’t offer: the option to choose your housekeeping time, an iron that actually works well, a Bluetooth speaker, the beloved wine fridge, aluminium water bottles and a bathroom without a glass door or screen that awkwardly exposes you. The one downside is that some of these rooms don’t offer much in the way of a view.

A modern hotel room with a monochrome paletter.

I stayed in a Premier Room which was elegant and relaxing. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

4:30pm is Swill Hour – a daily tradition that nods to the historical “six o’clock swill” in Australia. This one-hour event takes place in the Living Room and invites guests to gather and enjoy each other’s company with a signature cocktail in hand. This afternoon’s tipple is a Eucalyptus Gimlet, a clever, herbaceous little cocktail, by the multi-award-winning Maybe Sammy Team, served on coasters depicting drawings of the historic building. The canapé of the day is a tomato and stracciatella tart. I noticed several staff members chatting with guests like old friends, asking how their adventures earlier in the day went – clearly remembering previous conversations from earlier visits.

Dinner is booked for 6:30pm in Aperture – arguably the most beautiful area of the accommodation. It’s decorated with Australian flora and features a kinetic sculpture hanging from the roof that opens like flowers, with softly changing lights. Tyler, who is serving us, clearly admires the Capella brand, speaking enthusiastically about the other international properties he’s been to and sharing how he sometimes brings his five-year-old daughter here to use the pool.

Interior of Aperture at Capella Sydney, featuring lush greenery and a striking ceiling-mounted sculpture.

The scale of Aperture gives it an international feel.

I kick things off with a basil melon margarita – a winning recommendation – before tucking into the best prawn toast I’ve ever had. For mains it’s crispy Ōra King salmon and spaghetti with mud crab.

When I arrive back at my room, there’s a vegan leather journal on my bed with a note that says: “The ritual of journaling allows us to pause, reflect and focus.” This is part of the turndown service, and my slippers are neatly lined up next to my bed. Will I journal? No. Do I think it’s a nice touch? Yes.

Brasserie 1930 at Capella Sydney, where Art Deco elegance meets contemporary Australian cuisine.

Brasserie 1930 boasts Art Deco elegance.

The next morning, I make the predictable choice of smashed avo for breakfast at the on-site restaurant, Brasserie 1930. There’s also a buffet brimming with all the usual suspects.

Afterwards, I head to the pool to relax for a few hours before the 11am checkout. Despite my earlier resolve not to journal, I find myself reflecting nonetheless – an irony not lost on me – on my 21st hotel stay in Sydney. I write this with growing assurance that great hotels don’t just provide a place to stay; they create memorable moments, thanks in large part to fantastic staff. Kudos to the hiring manager.

Next stop: The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart!

The Language of Love at the Four Seasons Sydney

At Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, the essence of luxury can be felt in a generosity of access, an abundance of warmth and in treating every guest as an individual.

The essence of luxury

The generosity of access

An elevated approach

An equality of experience

Luxury is their love language

To start your journey of luxury, for more information and bookings, visit Four Seasons Hotel Sydney.

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Welcome to the first instalment of Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels, exploring not just the rooms, but the stories, service and settings that make each stay unforgettable and worth adding to your wishlist.