This was published 5 years ago
Fraser Suites Sydney review: Great location offers more than just a room
By Craig Platt
Fraser Suites Sydney offers more than just a room.
The location
On Kent Street in the heart of Sydney's CBD, Fraser Suites is in a great location for exploring the city. Every direction holds attractions. The Town Hall is just a block north, while Chinatown is a block to the south. To the east is Hyde Park, while Darling Harbour is to the west. All are within a few minutes' walk.
The space
The Sir Norman Foster-designed building.
The 41-storey building features 201 rooms in various configurations, ranging from simple studio apartments through to a three-bedroom, 192-square-metre penthouse. There's a gym and sauna, along with an indoor pool and jacuzzi. The reception area is stylish though not as grand as you'd find at a five-star hotel.
The building was designed by famed British architect Sir Norman Foster, the brains behind now-iconic structures such as London's "gherkin" building and the dome of Berlin's restored parliament building, the Reichstag.
The room
The indoor pool.
Fraser Suites offers serviced apartments, not just a room, so everything you need to take up residence is here. The entry of my one-bedroom "executive" apartment leads to a passage containing a wall kitchen, complete with stove top, dishwasher and microwave, and a European laundry with washer and dryer.
The large living space offers a four-seat dining table, a long desk, L-shaped couch along with a leather armchair and footrest. It's a stylish space with dark furnishings and curtains contrasted with the light carpets and walls.
We're on the 40th floor, so the floor-to-ceiling windows offer great views of the city, Darling Harbour and beyond.
The separate bedroom features a king size bed and a large wardrobe (though the layout means one of the wardrobe doors is blocked by the bed). The bathroom has no tub, but the shower is large and powerful and the L'Occitane toiletries are excellent.
The food
There's no restaurant at Fraser Suites, but there is a dining area where a decent buffet breakfast is served in the mornings. While you can't eat lunch or dinner within the hotel, there is 24-hour room service with a menu featuring burgers, pizza, and a variety of other favourites such as eye fillet steak, roast chicken and barramundi.
Stepping out
Rather than eat in your room, take a short stroll to Chinatown where you will find a mouth-watering array of Asian restaurants to choose from. The appropriately named Eating World offers a Singapore-style food court, with Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Malaysian and other cuisines. It's not fine dining – the communal laminex tables, short stools and low prices help make this feel like an authentic Asian dining experience – but the worst thing about it is the difficulty you'll have deciding what to order.
The verdict
I'm a fan of serviced apartments, since they often offer the same size rooms as luxury suites at regular hotels without the high prices. My apartment here is no exception. It would be quite easy to live here (as I'm sure many business travellers probably do when on an extended stay).
Essentials
Rooms at Fraser Suites Sydney start from $290 a night. See sydney.frasershospitality.com
Highlight
The spacious, comfortable living area is great.
Lowlight
On the 40th floor, trying to leave before 9am in the morning means a very long wait for the lift, and many stops to pick up more passengers on the way down. If you're in a hurry, leave early.
Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter
Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.