Spicers Potts Point

We stayed in two rooms at the hotel sandwiched between a couple of nights at the Spicers Sangoma Retreat. We really enjoyed our stays. The hotel is in a great location - much more atmospheric than staying in the CBD and still only a 40 minute walk to the Opera House. The hotel is set in three Victorian terrace houses nestled amongst other lovely old buildings and the whole of Potts Point has a relaxed vibe that is taken through into the hotel, both by the furnishings and the friendliness of all of the staff. Breakfast was tasty and plentiful, though I do prefer a buffet (rather than a la carte).

This property is very comfortable. The room we stayed in was well laid out . The breakfasts were good. The staff were so helpful to first time visitors to Sydney. The way this property has been converted must make the architect very proud. I would recommend Spicers as a place to stay.

We loved everything about Spicer Potts Hotel in Sydney. A warm welcome from Lana with lots of information about local restaurants ( also in a lovely booklet). We tried Apollo, the Butler and Fei Jei all outstanding for food and service so the hotel knowledge was invaluable. Our room 19 was wonderful, we thought for comfort and pillows the best hotel bed ever ( we have travelled widely so feel qualified to make this judgement ). The staff were so lovely, friendly, kind and helpful. Breakfast freshly cooked to order and truly delicious. We love walking and the route into the main attractions via the Botanic gardens each day was lovely. The neighbourhood has some lovely old buildings and felt safe. Special thanks to Lana who we loved though all the staff were wonderful and nothing was too much trouble. We would definitely recommend this hotel and would revisit. Five days was not long enough.

When I arrived in Sydney, I went to my hotel, and at first, I was like why did they put us here. On a quiet residential neighborhood a good 20-30 minute walk from the major attractions, it seemed an odd choice. I wound up loving it. First. the neighborhood is eclectic. It gave me a New Orleans vibe. The hotel itself is clean and very nice. The staff is super doting and helpful. It is a 5 minute walk from Kings Cross on the metro, which gets you to the heart of town in 5 minutes. There are plenty of great restaurants in walking distance. Next time I am in Sydney, I will come back here. It's quiet, nice, and wound up being a perfect location for us.

The vibe of this small hotel is obviously to ‘feel like you are at home’. I think that might well be an attraction for a longer stay but in hindsight we probably would have appreciated a traditional hotel for only two nights - for instance a fully functional bar to be served drinks, rather than an honesty bar, and then the standard five star (I’m not sure how they say they are five star!?) expected inclusions like a coffee machine in the room and complimentary bottled water were missed. These days it feels like a rip off if these bare basics are not included - for $600 a night!!! The renovation has been beautifully and artfully done, no question, but that price tag is indeed questionable! And it was a rate booked well in advance too. Maybe it’s to cover the cost of the very nice Leif products The bathroom and large bath were lovely but the sliding door wouldn’t completely close and had a weird door/curtain combo that was quite irritating and not user friendly when you are in a rush. The hotel produces a nice little publication of recommended eateries etc in the area so definitely pick that up when you check in; it led us to The Butler across the road, a gem of a place for a drink with a great view and all-ages atmosphere. Not that the person who checked us in pointed it out or gave it to us….she didn’t show any enthusiasm or do anything to make us feel like we’d made a good choice choosing Spicers indeed or Potts Point generally (which, as well as the Spicers facade itself, has really lovely pockets of beauty architecture-wise). She used the bare essential words she needed to for the check in process. It’s not in the booklet, but to get good coffee definitely go and try Primary Coffee, not far away.  Obviously boutique hotels suit certain preferences and we have stayed in many, but for the $$$s spent we left wanting this time.