BillJ

We are booked at the Quay West for 4 nights
in early October for our first trip to Sydney. Am I to understand there is an escalator up the hill to the hotel? I guess I didn't realize it was THAT much of a hill. We have some health issues, nothing serious, but the escalator would be great. Can someone give me more info on the hill / escalator? Thanks loads!

Alan

Hi, BillJ!

First things first. There is only a hill if you are walking up from Circular Quay... but then, you'd expect that, because sea level is always lower than anything else in town, thank God.

Secondly, it's not much of a hill anyway, and you have the choice of stairs or the sidewalk.

Thirdly, there is no escalator from Circular Quay to the Quay West (as far as I'm aware), but you can avoid the climb by returning to the hotel via Wynyard Station and taking the York St exit... and there is certainly an escalator leading from the station to York St. Maybe that's the escalator you have heard about. Walking down York Street, there's no hill.

MissB99

Hello BillJ
We stayed at the Key West in January 2004. Had a two bedroom Harbour view apartment (booked thro'wotif),it was fantastic. Views of the Bridge and Opera House, felt like you could reach out from the balcony and touch them. The apartment was very spacious, two bedrooms each with ensuite, heaps of storage, laundry, fully equipped kitchen, dining and lounge as well as three balconies. we overlooked the rooftop terrace of the Canadian Embassy.
The swimming pool area on Level 23 also had stunning harbour and opera house views (although the spa area could do with a little upgrading).
Regarding the access, the address is Gloucester St, but there is a lift (elevator) which goes down to the carpark entrance which is in Harrington st(there is a 24 hour convenience store there). This places you at the back entrance of the Four Seasons which you can walk through to access George St or you can take the escaltor diagionally opposite the Harrington St entrance to the Quay West down to (or up to )George St in the Grosvenor Place Complex.
Do not worry about uphill walking and have a great time, in a very pleasant hotel in a great location

itspat

Similar question as this poster, so I resurrected this 7-year-old thread. I don't expect the hill to have gone away, but wondering if access has changed at all during that time (sidewalks, paths, stairs). We aren't worried about day to day walking, but more getting luggage from Circular Quay railway station. Also, it looks to be near a "freeway" intersection of sorts - do you have to go under strange unsavory bridges to access the hotel from Circular Quay (late at night, if you get my drift...)?

Also, if we are looking to get some jogging in during our stay in a relatively flat yet scenic section of the city, should we get pretty far away from the hotel to do this? I don't get too excited about uphill jogging. Best to come down the hill near the pier? Is the general area near the Rocks where Quay West is pretty congested with tourists/shopping, making jogging less ideal?

Thanks.

Susan7

With bags it would not be an easy walk from the railway station to Gloucester st. Unless you are on a very tight budget, I'd get a cab from the aiport. It's a very safe area, with a fair amount of people in the pubs in George and Cumberland st. The freeway joins up with the bridge just above the street you are in higher up the same hill.

You could jog along the waterfront, particularly if you get up early. Otherwise, Botanical Gardens and the Domain is where most people jog, particularly at lunch time.

itspat

Susan, thank you for your reply. I know these probably seem like trivial questions in the grand scheme of things... but sometimes silly little things set the tone of a trip - so thanks for taking the time to reply!

We were between Quay West and Intercontinental, and QW probably wins out since it has the kitchenette and laundry. There are lots of things to like about the IC, though... near the Botanical Gardens and just as much in the "heart of it all" it seems, also perhaps without "the hill" issue... !

I looked on Google and it seems - as was suggested above - that trying the Wynyard Railway Station to walk to Quay West might be more desirable - would you agree? It seems maybe a tad closer and maybe not as much of a hill. We are definitely not against a cab getting from airport to hotel (especially after a very long plane journey) but are just big fans of cities' public transportation systems and would love to utilize it as much as possible. It will probably depend on how much luggage we actually end up with.

Susan7

The train fare is about $15-17 (not especially cheap); if there's two of you the saving is hardly worth it. The cab fare will be $40-$45 depending on if you use the tollways.

There really isn't that much of a hill, it's a climb up from George st, but it's certainly not daunting unless you have serious mobility issues--it's only one street.

The CBD of Sydney is fairly dead by international standards, it wouldn't be my choice to stay there, unless I had a view, at least the Rocks area has restaurants and so forth. It's the better choice of the two in that respect.