Sheraton On The Park, Sydney

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to spend the weekend at the Sheraton On The Park in Sydney.

I had a lovely king-sized room with choc-vanilla striped decor (very lolly-shop-like!), art prints on the wall (including a Picasso sketch), a plush bed, and a luxe bathroom that was definitely out of my (humble) league, but the thing that wowed me from the start was the view over the park.



To me, the Sheraton has never seemed like an overly tall building, out of lofty sync with the skyline, so I was surprised by how high over the treetops my room was. There is no way my dinky camera could capture the phenomenal view – it's a simple park with very few flourishes that, at the right angle, is breathtaking. In a review in the magazine, I wrote that it's worth getting a room where you can see "the leafy trees sprawl below like clouds".



The light over the park was ridiculously stunning and I was even lucky enough to get a rainbow on St Mary's Cathedral, just to crown the perfectness of the view! I also enjoyed spying on the old men who play chess with the XL-size pieces near the entrance of Hyde Park.



If this seems like a view-obsessed look at the Sheraton, I guess I should mention that there are five-star amenities – should you not want to spend all your time sinking against a window in daydream mode.

There's contemporary high tea in the ground floor salon and an Executive Club lounge (where I had incredible bocconcini and olives over a complimentary evening drink and, later, stole a few too many hash browns for breakfast) and a pool/spa lounge (where I watched raindrops fall down the window like tiny spiders as I got a beginners-friendly massage). And yet, I have to mention that those two latter experiences involve an entrancing perspective over the greenery, treetops and skyline.



The brasserie, however, averted my gaze for a few minutes, where I hogged out on all the patisserie-like treats for desserts. This is my plate of shame, but if you get to go to the Sheraton, I'm sure you'll handle yourself in more elegant fashion.

For a virtual look at the Sheraton On The Park (and to book a room) click here. I recommend a king room over the park, if you're lucky enough to get it.

Lee Tran, deputy chief sub-editor