Novotel Sydney Central

With its multiple conference rooms, the Novotel Sydney Central is definitely a business hotel above all else, though its Chinatown location near the city's major sights means that it gets a fair few tourists, many of whom are visiting from China. The hotel has a beautiful Art Deco facade, above which stands a much larger and more modern tower that houses most of the rooms and facilities. The lobby has soft lighting from round and oval lamps strung from a column-supported ceiling and instead of traditional sofas and chairs, it has a carpeted area with plush bench and stool seating in shades of orange, olive, and tan-gray. Off to one side of the lobby is the spacious bar, which has a mix of easy-chair and high stool seats. Overall the atmosphere is sleek and a touch corporate.

The Novotel is located in the center of Chinatown in an area surrounded by cafes and restaurants. There's a Chinese supermarket nearby and the Sydney Institute of TAFE, an enormous vocational school, is just around the corner. The CBD is a 15-minute walk from the hotel. The Australian Museum and Hyde Park are a 20-minute walk (or five-minute drive, without traffic) away. The Sydney Opera House and historic The Rocks both take about 10 to 15 minutes by car. The Taronga Zoo and Bondi Beach each take around 20 minutes to reach by car, traffic permitting. The Sydney Airport takes a minimum of 15 minutes by car and can also be reached by the Airport Line (T2), which stops at nearby Central Station. The entire trip takes around half an hour door-to-door. 

There are 251 rooms and four suites at the Novotel Sydney Central. Standard Rooms are the base category and each has one king-sized bed or two queens, a large desk, a minibar, an electric kettle, an iPod dock, a safe, and a flat-screen TV with cable and on-demand channels. Balcony Rooms are more or less the same, but cost a little more and have furnished balconies with nice views. Executive Rooms are aimed at business travelers and come with free Wi-Fi, bottled water, and Nespresso machines. The four suites have views of Darling Harbour and come with dining and sitting areas. In-room decor is consistent throughout rooms, and most have brownish patterned carpets (Suites have navy carpeting instead), white beds with brown bed skirts and two-toned mustard and brown throw cushions, yellow accent walls, and a mix of white and light-wood furniture. Suites have generic, sterile bathrooms with large walk-in showers and white tile walls along with basic toiletries, wall-mounted hairdryers, and big counters with huge vanity mirrors. Rooms have shower/tub combos and slightly warmer-toned bathrooms, with golden honeycomb tiling above the sinks and smallish mirrors. 

The Novotel has a good selection of extra services and features for a hotel of its size, including a concierge and on-site currency exchange services. The hotel also offers laundry and a business center with a couple of Mac computers; printing, faxing, and secretarial services are available on request. Wi-Fi is available throughout the property for a fee (though it's free in Executive Rooms). One of the hotel's biggest selling points is its numerous meeting and event spaces -- 16 in total -- including a pillar-free ballroom that can fit up to 350 people and a rooftop garden. Audiovisual equipment and catering are available on request. There's a parking garage with 600 spaces right next to the hotel though it's privately owned and is expensive; that said, hotel guests and conference delegates get special rates. Other on-site amenities include a fantastic fitness center with mirrored walls and hardwood floors. Equipment includes multiple treadmills and other cardio machines, a rack of free weights, a few benches, and some weight machines. There's also a small outdoor swimming pool with a few lounge chairs, though it's not big enough for hardcore lap swimmers and it's surrounded by buildings, so it doesn't get a ton of sunlight. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are available every day of the week at the on-site Field House Restaurant & Bar, which focuses on meat-based Australian dishes (steak, lamb, and some seafood), although they do have a couple of small vegetarian dishes. Along with beer, wine, and cocktails, the bar offers an all-day menu of light snacks, sandwiches, and burgers. Rooms service is also available 24/7 and there are some children's items on the room service menu.