Amazing looking building, inside and out. Great location. We walked to the opera house and circular quay every morning through the botanical gardens / along the sea front (takes about 20 mins to walk). Rooms lovely, quirky, large and nicely decorated. Huge beds. Friendly and helpful staff. Nice bar with a pool table.

Only thing I can think of is that the room service (beds made, new towels, tea / coffee) is slightly mysterious. It takes place unusually late in the afternoon and didn’t seem to happen at all on one day. But just possible that we didn’t understand how it worked or messed up the rhythm (we left early for breakfast, came back mid afternoon and then went out again in the evening most days).

Reception staff was very friendly and helpful. The rooms are large and very comfortable. We had a harbor view which had a beautiful view of a small yacht harbor and the city skyline. The hotel is within walking distance to the Royal Botanical Gardens and ultimately to the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Public transport is easy and there are always taxis waiting outside. The building is a very interesting and exciting monument and has been very sympathetically designed for reuse.

It is very cold in the reception and breakfast areas (we visited in winter). There are ample heaters placed around the breakfast area but due to the sheer size of the building, it is hard to keep the open public spaces warm - be sure to dress appropriately for an early winter breakfast.

I really loved the spacious layout of the room — it felt open and comfortable. Having Chromecast was a great touch, and the full-length mirror plus well-placed power points (even in the bathroom) made the space super convenient. The reception team were genuinely lovely, and I really appreciated the late check-out.

That said, a few things let the experience down. The bed wasn’t especially comfortable, which stood out since that’s usually a highlight of any hotel stay. The bathroom floor was quite slippery, and the bathtub didn’t seem properly cleaned — once I filled it, the grime became obvious. I’d booked the room specifically for a relaxing soak, so that was disappointing. Also, the cordless phone was surprisingly frustrating. I tried dialing 1 and a few other options to reach reception, but nothing connected — in the end, I used my mobile to call the front desk just to extend my check out. Small issues, but enough to take away from what could have been a much more seamless stay.

Location & the uniqueness of the property. Staff were exceptional on this stay. From checkin ( early thank you), Rachel was lovely & very friendly. I was glad that breakfast was included. I’m generally not a breakfast person & happy with coffee & pastries, but was pleasantly surprised with the choices & juices each day. The lady at breakfast was awesome. (I didn’t get her name but long hair in a ponytail). She was very helpful & kept the other staff busy always attending to guests if not clearing tables. A very pleasant sight as I’m a former FOM @ Sofitel, Gold Coast.

I’ve stayed at the property before, even in the “Blue @ Woolloomooloo” days. I must admit I much preferred the navy & chocolate tones back then. Not a big fan of the current room decors unfortunately so was glad to hear the receptionist mention of a refurb later in the year. My last stay was for World Pride in Sydney.

Staff were incredibly personable, greeted everyone each time they passed through the lobby, the lolly station was so much fun, the rooms were very funky, well equipped and comfortable.

Stayed here because we wanted to try a funky hotel, we normally stay in the CBD, it was a bit more of a walk (up stairs) to get into the city so it was less convenient that we would have liked but the hotel itself was lovely and staff were amazing so it wasn't a big negative. Just something to bear in mind if travelling and wanting to easily pop in and out of the hotel throughout the day, this might not be the place.

The staff was very nice and friendly also very accommodating, they made sure I feel very welcome. The front desk staff at check in they accommodated me on a room with the marina view, thank you so much! They left me a birthday cake and a bottle of bubbly to celebrate NYE, that made my stay so special! I travelled solo for NYE and I felt very well care in the Ovolo. The breakfast was very tasty and good variety of food, the restaurant staff was very nice they remember me and my food likes, The housekeeping staff they made sure my room was ready and I have everything that I needed like towels, amenities , one time they came and I was in the upstairs so they left a note to let me know they came and that if I wanted my room service to call them. The hotel and rooms are very unique, the bed very comfortable, the decor is very tasteful and location it couldn’t be beat, close to major attractions and in front of the bus stop for the Hop-in, hop-out red bus line I will definitely recommend it!

The pool is hidden away not easy too find but I guess is limited due the architecture, the pool area is nice but I don’t like indoor pools, is a preference thing I guess.

We stayed for a week and we enjoyed the location of the hotel, easy access for walking and exercising, many restaurants at varying price points. The loft room was very clean and perfect for our needs. The bed was comfortable and shower terrific. The staff were friendly and very helpful. The hotel had many comfortable areas we could work outside the room. Breakfast was pleasant with nice food options.

The air conditioning intimately turns off so when sleeping at night it gets warm. Some of the areas within the hotel had a little too many props/decorations.

Location, room Size

The included breakfast is very average. It’s bare minimum for an included breakfast and quite surprising considering the cost to stay here. One morning I tried to order a coffee to my room and there was a $5 delivery fee! What? You charge people $5 per order for room service? Actually disgraceful that my coffee was then priced to be $13 to have delivered to my room from 2 floors away. If coffee is included in the breakfast if I go downstairs to the restaurant, why am I being charged $13 to have that same coffee in my room?

The ideal hotel when travelling with a large group - we could meet and hang out in the very spacious lobby and common areas. Plenty of nooks, a bar, cafe-style eating, a pool table along with a great pool and gym. Walking distance to fine pubs, restaurants, the NSW gallery and the Botanic Gardens.

No stairs to reach the floors. We were on level 3 and could see the lobby just metres below on the next floor, but had to wait for the lift to go up and down. But it was a small inconvenience, in the grand scale of things.

Loved the vibe, the decor, the friendly and helpful people, the laundry facilities, the location. The restaurants and service people were outstanding and went above and beyond! The candy made my husband happy and the tea made me happy! Being in the historic building was fun. We also loved the statuary near the restaurant inside the building. Having the Botanical Gardens close by was a bonus and made walking into town a treat! We loved Sydney, its people and our 5 days there!

The carpets in our unit were really dirty and stained.