Hotel choice in Sydney
 

We are helping to organize a surprise trip to Australia for friends (their first time) and are looking at hotel choices in Sydney. On a prior trip we stayed at the Park Hyatt in the harbor and loved it with the view out of our window of the Opera House. However, I'm not sure our friends can afford the Park Hyatt. Do you have any other suggestions of another quality hotel with a nice harbor view but maybe not as expensive at the Hyatt?
Bob B.

Consider the Four Seasons (at Circular Quay) or the Shangri-La (higher floors and main harbour facing)

There's probably some others ?Intercontinental.

Here's a few which have harbour views. Of course, you'd need to specify when you book because they all have rooms without harbour views too.

http://www.sydney.visitorsbureau.com...mmodation.html

www.wotif.com.au is useful as a price guide - and often you can do as well yourself, if you negotiate with the wotif price as a reference.

(Sorry Bob - just hijacking for a second)

Margo - how did you fare in the downpour yesterday? Cheers from web-foot.

Admittedly I have not stayed here for a while, but this hotel does have amazing views and the ferry ride from Lavender Bay is a delight.
http://viewhotels.com.au/north_sydne...iew/index.aspx

I took my mother to Sydney last fall and the best thing I did was book a room at the Intercontinental. We booked a room on the uppermost floor of the Club level and it was much less expensive than the Park Hyatt. We had use of the lounge on the top floor with its fully glassed 180 degree view of the harbor where they served morning breakfast and evening drinks and appetizers. Service was top-notch.

I love the intercontinental too Elnap... it is pricey, but sometimes specials can be found. This was George Bush's hotel of choice when in Syd for Apec. BTW, we had an apartment in The Rocks at this time and as George was going to drive down our street we had our car towed away and nobody could locate it for hours! They left it unlocked too... just as well it wasn't stolen! Also, can you believe this... when we went to bed, our car was legally parked, but overnight, because Georgie was going to drive near us, they put up no parking signs and actually booked us although we were there when it was legal. BTW, we refused to pay the fine and they just ignored us!