Everything I'd read online in the lead-up to my stay at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth seemed to focus on the food options at the five-star hotel located on Phillip Street in Sydney's CBD.
Although I only got to taste just a small sample of their offerings, it's easy to see why.
The Garden Court Restaurant, located next to a garden courtyard obviously, is an expansive space that offers breakfast and dinner. The selection at breakfast is almost too big. There's enough tempting options to last you the whole day if you wanted to.
I enjoy looking at the history of a hotel and the building it's located in. There's often an interesting backstory or nugget of information, and it turns out the Wentworth has quite a royal history.
The hotel hosted Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1973 when her royal highness opened the Sydney Opera House. Its ballroom also became well-known after a photo of Prince Charles and Princess Diana waltzing around the floor was taken in 1983 and was printed in newspapers around the world.
The Wentworth Hotel name dates back as far as 1800 when publisher William Wentworth built it. It relocated to its Phillip Street home in 1888 after the original structure was completely destroyed by fire.
Jumping forward to today and the rooms are modern and designed to maximise the feeling of space within the restraints of a hotel room size. The wooden desk is the only feature that shows any signs of being out of date, but the mirror above it provides an extra boost to the sunlight coming through the window.
From the outside, the Wentworth looks almost New Yorkese or Chicagoan in appearance. The curved brown brick exterior may be hard to see from the road, but it's worth a look from the courtyard.
The bathrooms are also a decent size with modern fittings. The bath is also very deep, which makes it perfect for a long soak after an equally long day.
The central location and attention to detail, especially when it comes to hospitality and service, also contribute to making this hotel worthy of its long list of five-star reviews and ratings.