On the 13th October this year, the W Hotels group (part of Marriott) announced the highly anticipated opening of W Sydney.
Located in a dramatic curved structure rising over Darling Harbour, W Sydney was promised to be a coveted destination for travelers and Sydneysiders alike, bringing new energy and a modern take on luxury to the city and harbour waterfront.
Well, having been nearly one month to the day that it opened we wandered down to Darling Harbour to see what all the fuss was about.
To be honest, it had been hard to stay away for so long when the offering seems too good to be true - W Sydney has launched not one, two or three but an incredible FOUR new dining and bar venues across three of W Sydney's levels.
On entering, it's hard not to be immediately impressed by the scale and grandeur of the operation. A blue, neon lit escalator ride feels like you're being transported into another world and feels how you would expect a Vegas hotel to, but with more class.
As we had arrived in the middle of the day, we were promptly usherd to BTWN, the bar considered the centre of W Sydney's culinary journey. Thanks to its unique placement in the building, BTWN actually runs directly parallel to the fly over (as pictured above).
At first we were sad that the view of the harbour had been restricted by the cars, but the BTWN space draws on its urban surroundings and weaves the iconography of night food markets into its architecture and feel, making the space feel cohesive with its unique views. And after a while, the stream of cars provided perfect 'people watching' entertainment.
We ordered two cocktails, the Golden Wattle which was described by the menu as being nutty and fruity, and the Rainforest Lychee which was still fruity but with a fresher palette. The two cocktails plus service came to approx $71.
The Golden Wattle has similar characteristics of a Negroini. It’s flavours are layered, complex and designed for slow sipping. The Rainbow Lycee was the complete opposite - refreshingly fruity without tasting too sweet the egg white and serving glass made us feel like we’d been transported to a tropical island.
The bar isn’t just a bar, if you’re to believe the marketing around it. Just as other restaurants in town are winding down, BTWN comes alive with 2AM: dessert bar, a late-night hotspot created in collaboration with Singaporean dessert guru Janice Wong.
However, maybe take this with a pinch of salt… when we googled the opening hours Google was very clear that the bar closed at 10:30pm, So if you want to turn up at 2am ready for a pudding, that’s your risk to take!
Elsewhere there’s loads to explore - Living Room’s menus embrace the hotel’s location on the edge of Asiatown with a focus on Sake and Soju, as well as Asian small bites.
29/30 is a two-level bar with uninterrupted harbour views, the perfect place to celebrate Sydney.
A beacon at the apex of Darling Harbour, the WET Deck (pool) level bar evokes an underwater world with coral-inspired lighting and is a great spot for casual tapas and cocktails. While Level 30 above takes things up a notch with elevated cocktails, a menu of vintage Champagnes by the glass and the above-sea-level décor of a superyacht.
For more information and to book your next night at W Sydney just visit wsydney.com
