The Westin Sydney is a magnificent hotel located in the heart of the city. The exquisite architecture and warm interiors are mixed with modern and luxurious amenities. The hotel is built upon the landmark Sydney General Post Office constructed in 1886. In 1996, the building was sold, and refurbished, and turned into shops, offices and the Westin Hotel.

The Lobby & Check-in :
The lobby is grand and welcomes travelers from all over the world with traditional and comfortable furnishings. I was greeted as soon as I arrived by the bellman and felt very welcome. He took my bags and showed me to the Starwood Preferred Guest Check-in line. The check-in process was simple and quick. I had two reservations – one paid and one reward reservation – and the hotel combined them for me and ensured I could stay in the same room the entire stay. Upon checking in, I was told about the Executive Lounge, free internet access (due to Platinum Status) and Westin Workout options.

The Room:
Wow! What else can I say? I was upgraded to an executive room with a king bed and it was spectacular (I’m not sure the pictures do it justice!) The room was modern and bright and made me feel at home. From my room, I could see the clock tower, which is beautiful, and had a great view of the city. The room had a king sized bed, desk and gigantic bathroom. The bathroom had a large soaking tub and separate shower. The wall separating the bathroom and bedroom was glass and had an electric curtain that could be raised and lowered as needed. I absolutely could have moved in and felt right at home. The room had wired internet connection – no wireless in the rooms. The room was very clean and housekeeping came by in the evening for turn-down service refreshing the towels and bottled water.

Executive Lounge:
The lounge was very nice, but very crowded. There was free wireless internet in the lounge and therefore there were always people (including me) on their phones and iPads and other devices. The appetizers were plated and served by the staff – so you were stuck with what they gave you. The appetizers were pretty, but not to my liking. There was cheese and veggies available for self-service. All drinks were complimentary and also served by the staff (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). While the staff was very friendly and very accommodating, it was a little odd to have to ask for a bottle of water or apple juice every time I wanted one.

The hotel:
A block from Sydney’s central shopping district (Pitt Street Mall and Queen Victoria Building), close to all major attractions and with easy access to public transportation the hotel is in the perfect location for visitors (business and holiday alike). The hotel’s restaurant is overpriced and service is poor. I arrived on Christmas Day, and there weren’t many dining options. I had a Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken and a coke and with taxes my bill came to $48. The salad was good, but expensive (I should note that the coke was $6.)

Under the hotel are a variety of restaurants and shops – however none of them were open during my stay since it was Christmas Day, Boxing Day and then everything was closed the day after Boxing Day because it fell on a weekend. I found myself walking down the street to the Pitt Street Mall and enjoying the restaurants and Westfield Food Court for most meals.

Overview:
I loved the Westin and will stay there any chance I get. The hotel and the staff are amazing.

I arrived in Fiji on Sunday Dec 18th much later than anticipated and I was extremely happy that the hotel had arranged a taxi to meet me at the airport. I was a little surprised that the taxi was a beat up old Subaru, but the driver was extremely nice and the ride only cost $30 FJD. I was immediately struck by the poverty as we drove towards Denarau Island. The diver shared some of the history of the area with me and I learned that Denarau Island is a man-made island built to house four and five-star resorts, the marina and million dollar homes – quite a contrast to the scenery on the drive to the hotel. Unlike some places like Phuket, Thailand or other island resorts, once you get to Denarau Island, you’re completely isolated and sheltered from the poverty.

Check-in & The Rooms
Upon arriving at the hotel I was greeted and welcomed by the staff. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. Before arrival, I requested a room with two beds or 1 bed with a sofa bed – since I’m a Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) Platinum member I felt confident that they would be able to fulfill this request. I was quickly checked in and escorted by golf cart to my room. It was a beach front room, but as soon as I saw it, I realized that it only had 1 bed and no sofa. The bellman took me back to the front desk where I spoke with reception and they found me a new room with two beds. I also inquired about a room upgrade and was told nothing was available. When I got to the room, I noticed right away that the bathroom wasn’t clean. I called the front desk and they sent someone immediately to clean it. There was also no drinking water (which they usually provide to Platinum members) or other typical SPG amenities in this new room they moved me to.

After speaking with the manager on duty, Tom, he had water sent to my room and ensured that things would be taken care of that week. The following day, I inquired again about an upgrade and was told by Tom that there was a junior suite open that we could move into. We took him up on that. The suite had two rooms. A bedroom with king size bed, desk, chair and bathroom which had separate tub and shower (the non-suite room only had a tub) and a sitting room with a sofa (that could be used a bed) dining table and bathroom (tub and toilet – no sink though, which was very odd and also meant that the person sleeping out there had to come into the bedroom to use the sink. The suite was definitely much more spacious than the non-suite room and meets our needs much better. As many people have said on Trip Advisor, the beach front rooms lack privacy as they face a main walkway, but the view is spectacular.

I had also read on Trip Advisor that the air conditioning in the rooms is very loud – and that is quite true – but I got used to it pretty quickly and by the second night, it didn’t bother me. The air conditioner did create a pool of condensation on the floor – or whatever was under the unit (including my suitcase one day) due to the humidity and temperatures.

The Hotel
The hotel is old and in need of some refurbishments. The furnishings look very dated and everything could use some sprucing up. The hotel is currently undergoing renovations and they’d just completed work on the bathrooms at the pool when I was there. One of the great things about the hotel though, is that the rooms are very quiet. We never heard anything from our neighbors.

The staff is friendly and welcoming. Everyone greets you with the traditional “Bula” which means life in Fijian. In fact, Tania at the front desk remembered me by name and said hello every day. While the people are friendly, service in Fiji is not what you’ll find in other parts of the world – everything runs on Fiji time (which can be great sometimes.) I will say that the one exception to this was the service at the V restaurant at the Sofitel (more later about V). Otherwise, don’t expect good or great customer service anywhere on the island.

There are several shops at the hotel including a market (very overpriced), a few clothing stores (I didn’t venture in after seeing the prices at the market) and a duty free store. I checked out the prices at the Marina and compared them to the duty free store at the hotel, and they were the same. So I ended up purchasing some Pure Fiji products (to get the VAT Tax back at the airport, you have to spend $500 FJD from an authorized retailer.) In addition to the stores, there are local craftsman who sell items like carved wood, jewelry, shells, grass baskets and purses, etc… (it’s important to note that many countries, including Australia and the US don’t allow you to bring back untreated wood or shells.) The prices seemed a little high for these “local” crafts.

The Pool
The Westin pool is beautiful, but small and on very sunny days, the lounge chairs filled up fast. Most of the days I was at the hotel it was overcast and much easier to get a chair. You have to sign out pool towels and on busy days they limit the number of towels you can have – that’s a bummer. In fact, on Christmas Eve day they ran out of pool towels and it was over an hour before they had clean ones to give out again. That was the first really sunny day we had been there so it was disappointing to lose that hour of pool time. The beach is not so nice at the Westin, but that was fine with me as I prefer pools. As a guest of the Westin, you have full access to the Sheraton which is a short walk or bus ride away. The Sheraton has a much larger and nicer pool and a bit nicer beach –this area doesn’t really seem like a great beach spot in general – I’m told you really should go to the islands to lounge on the beach.

There is an ice cream stand at the Westin pool – which makes great milkshakes and they’re not terribly overpriced. There are also several shops that sell drinks, sunscreen, hats, etc…and they’re all very, very overpriced. You’d be much better off going to the marina and picking things up there.

There is a small island across from the Westin and you can take a boat there from the hotel. I was warned by other guests we met not to eat from the vendor on the island. I guess they had a very bad experience eating there.

Dining Options @Westin
On the Westin’s website, they describe the dining options as a “seemingly unending selection of dining choices.” In reality, there are two restaurants at the Westin and 1 bar – Zing which serves breakfast and dinner and Moo Moo which serves lunch and dinner. You can order drinks and lunch from Moo Moo poolside as well. Zing was good, though the service was not what you’d expect from a restaurant at a resort like Westin. I enjoyed the chicken teriyaki stir-fry and had it twice in fact. The dim sum was fair, I wouldn’t order it again most likely. Overall, the two meals we had a Zing were good and the cost of the food was fair. The drinks and taxes are what make the meals expensive. All meals have 20% tax added. If you eat at Zing around sun-down, you can watch the Fijian fire dancers, a torch lighting ceremony and other Fijian dancing.

We went to Moo Moo a few times for lunch and we had the burger every time. It was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. The Wagyu Beef burger was topped with beetroot and orange relish and came with truffle fries. It’s definitely worth a try!

Spa
The Westin Heavenly Spa is quite expensive – in fact, it’s the most expensive spa on the island (compared to Mandara Spa at the Sofitel, the spa at Denarau marina and Fiji Beach Resort and Spa managed by Hilton.) The Westin Spa is very relaxing and welcoming. We had pedicures and they were extremely luxurious and soothing for $116 FJD plus 20% tax which came to about $70 USD (a bit expensive for a pedicure, but it was a Christmas/Hanukkah treat so we indulged). The spa uses Pure Fiji products and I loved them. The spa did offer 20% discount on massages booked for early morning or late night. At the spa, there was a lap pool and the Westin Workout Center.

Westin Overall
The Westin Denarau is old but the staff is very friendly and that makes up for a lot of what the rooms lack. The restaurants are good, the pool is calm and the spa is relaxing. Overall, I liked the Westin and if I was in Fiji again, would either stay at the Westin (I’d like to see what the rooms are like after the renovations are complete) or at the Sheraton next door.

The Sheraton
We went to the Sheraton one night for dinner and wound up at the buffet restaurant called Feast. Boy, I wish I had read some of the reviews online before eating there. Needless to say, it was the single worst meal of my entire vacation (did I mention I’m on week four of a four week vacation?) Both my guest and I got sick after eating at the buffet. The buffet was also incredibly over-priced. It was $75 FJD per person – had we known that ahead of time, we wouldn’t have eaten there to begin with. The interesting thing is that a few days later we went to the cultural show at the Westin and two other groups of guests sitting with us had similar experiences. The guys at the table asked for food recommendations and we said stay away from Feast. Everyone at the table unanimously agreed and said it was the worst food on the island. There did seem to be many more dining options at the Sheraton, but after our experience with Feast, we decided not to eat there again.

As I mentioned before, the pool at the Sheraton is great and as a guest of the Westin you have full access. Another nice benefit is that you can charge to your room at either the Westin or Sheraton which is nice because many shops and restaurants offer room charge only.

The Marina/Port Denarau
You can take the Bula Bus ($7 FJD for ticket which is good for 1 full day) to the Marina and enjoy the many restaurants, cafes and shops. Many people seem to leave the resorts to have lunch or dinner at the marina. We went to just about all of the restaurants for lunch or dinner – with the exception of the Hard Rock Café – and didn’t really have a bad meal. There is a traditional Fijian restaurant – Nandina- which was okay (my meal was bland and disappointing, but my friend absolutely loved hers), an Italian restaurant called Amalfi – we didn’t eat there, but others recommended it, a seafood restaurant called Bone Fish which we liked very much, Cardo steak and seafood restaurant – which was good, Lulu cafe – we also liked that, and there was an Indian restaurant we didn’t make it to.
In addition to the sit-down restaurants, there were several fast-food restaurants offering pizza, kebabs, chicken and ice cream. There is also a small market called Yees and they sell food, beverages, beer, wine, and other items you can bring back to the hotel. The prices are much more reasonable.

There are also several day spas and salons at the marina. The Oasis Day Spa is definitely not worth your time. It’s the least expensive option on the island, but there’s a reason for that. It’s small – 1 room with a small, flimsy divider wall separating the service area from the cashier/reception. That makes it noisy when people come in inquiring about services or arrive for their appointment. It was also very poorly air-conditioned and in the heat and humidity of Fiji ,that’s necessary at a spa. We had pedicures and they were so bad that we decided to get a pedicure at the Westin Heavenly Spa at the end of the week.

There is another day spa, nail salon and hair salon as well at the Marina. The nail salon –Professional Nails – was okay for a quick manicure, and a little more expensive than Oasis, but not by much. It did smell like nail products though (a sign of bad ventilation) and had no frills like a spa would. The nail tech was extremely friendly and told me a lot about Fiji and the culture. My friend got her hair cut at the salon – called Spoilt Rotten – and was very happy with the cut and the price. We didn’t try the day spa next door, but it looked much nicer than Oasis.

Sofitel – V restaurant
The V restaurant at the Sofitel was not only the best meal we had in Fiji, but also offered the best service. The restaurant is comfortable and quiet (there were no children in the restaurant.) The chef, from New Zealand, offered an array of creative and interesting dishes on the menu. The meal started with an amuse-bouche, a small watermelon cup filled with goat-cheese and crusted with pistachio. I had the baby Chicken with grilled vegetables in a rich wine sauce. It was refined and delicious. My friend had the local Fiji Walu fish and she enjoyed it. They suggested we order a side dish – everything is a la carte – so we got the grilled zucchini. It was good, but we found that it wasn’t really necessary since my meal came with grilled vegetables (one of which was zucchini) and the fish dish was incredibly large. We ordered a dessert to share, a chocolate dessert accompanied by a rose granita and berry compote. The chocolate dessert, which was several layers of chocolate, reminded us of a candy bar, and was rich and decadent. The berry compote was a great accompaniment. The rose granita was pretty, but not to our liking and didn’t really add anything to the dish. I would highly recommend a visit to V if you’re in the area.

The double bed hotel room (non-suite)

Junior Suite King Size Bed

Bathroom Sinks and Tub (the tub was very old)

Fijian Dancers at the Westin

Sheraton Beach

Westin Pool

Moo Moo Seating & View

As a fan of Toms Shoes, I was inspired by a contest Toms ran called “Books for Bloggers.” Toms selected bloggers and gave away two copies of Blake Mycoskie’s new book, “Start Something That Matters.” Bloggers were asked to read the book and keep one copy for themselves and give the other copy away on their blog, Facebook or Twitter. I received the books just before my annual vacation and instead of carrying around a heavy hard-back book, I decided to download a copy I paid for onto my iPad.

I read the book while in Fiji. Fiji is a country of extremes. Extreme poverty – where the average wage is $2.50/hour (US) and a liter of gas was $2.83 (on 12/24/11). I drive a Honda Accord and usually put about 15 gallons in my tank to fill it up. 15 gallons equals just about 55 liters. So a full tank of Gas in Fiji would cost about $155 US dollars! The average worker would make about $100 a week. As you can imagine, most people don’t drive. The other extreme is the tourism industry which built a man-made island to accommodate half a dozen four and five star resorts where people can spend in one day what some Fijians will make in one month.

Blake Mycoskie’s journey starts in Argentina where he is inspired by the poverty and people in need. The book focuses on how he developed the idea, how he started the company and the obstacles he faced along the way. Inspirational quotes and stories are scattered throughout the book. Much of the book focuses on Blake’s mentors – the founders of companies and organizations like Zappos, charity: water, The FEED Project, and Method.

Blake says this book is for you if:
- You’re ready to make a difference in the world – through your own business, a nonprofit organization, or a new project.

I was left inspired and would love to start something, but I was left wondering what to do. Blake provides questions at the start of the book to help you find your passion – but I haven’t figured out how to make my passion into a project, company or nonprofit yet.

- You want to love your work, work for what you love, and have a positive impact on the world – all at the same time.

I have a good job, one that affords me the ability to travel to places like Fiji and Thailand and Australia – however, I can’t say I “love” it. Blake provides great ideas and stories about how to make a workplace great – perhaps I should give a copy of the book to our CEO because I can’t make that type of change occur. I would have loved to read about how to create that type of change when you’re not the leader.

- You’re curious about how someone who never made a pair of shoes, attended fashion school, or worked in retail created one of the fastest-growing footwear companies in the world by giving away shoes.

I did find it interesting to hear Blake’s story and learn how Toms became what it is today. It was inspirational to hear about the risks Blake took, the humble beginnings of the company and how they’re keeping their mission and values intact as the company grows. It did make me wonder if I could make one of my dreams a reality – but at the end of the day, I was left asking more questions rather than jumping into action.

Blake talks about social media and how important it is. He talks about Toms uses social media and how other companies use social media to communicate their messages. After finishing the book, I had a question. So I decided to reach out to Toms & Blake on Twitter. I tweeted 5 times and got no response. I then decided to email Toms and Start Something That Matters and again, got no response. I mention this for two reasons. First, it left me feeling like Blake and his company isn’t practicing what they’re preaching. I interact with companies like Starwood Hotels and American Airlines on Twitter who respond quickly – occasionally within the hour – so it can be done. Second, as part of the Books For Bloggers program, I was told that for every copy of Start Something That Matters which is sold, a child’s book will be donated to a child in need. My question for Blake is: do you donate a book to child for a copy of Start Something That Matters downloaded from Amazon or iTunes? To this day, I still can’t get an answer to that question from Toms, StartSomethingThatMatters.com or Blake on Twitter.

I was inspired by the book, but I wasn’t fulfilled by the book. I was left wondering and asking myself a lot of questions – which is good, but I had hoped to get a little bit more out of the book so I could turn those questions into actions.

I go back to Fiji and the disparity between the worlds I saw and wonder; how I can I make a difference. What can I do that will really matter. Maybe before I return home at the end of January I’ll have figured out the answers to those questions.

The book was interesting, and worth the read – especially since a child in need will receive a book for every copy purchased (though I’m still not sure if that means only hard copies or includes downloaded copies as well.) I would recommend you read this book if you’re a fan of Toms, you’re into charity and giving back or just want to be inspired by some great stories.

I will be giving away two copies of Start Something That Matters (both copies given to me since I’ve got one on my iPad now). To find out how to win a copy, follow me on Twitter @VeryGoodPoints or on Facebook. Contest will start on Jan 2nd 2012.

The Marriott Brisbane is located at the end of the CBD and adjacent to the river. The hotel is beautiful – both architecturally and design wise.

I had a room on one of the executive levels – the 24th floor- which offered an amazing view of the river and city. The room was small, but very nicely decorated and comfortable. There was a king bed, chair, working desk and large TV. The bathroom had both a shower and tub, and was very clean. The executive lounge is very large and offers breakfast and appetizers/desserts 7 days a week .

All Marriott’s in Australia offer free wifi to al Marriott Rewards Members – such a great perk. And the internet speed was very good (unlike many of the hotels I’ve reviewed so far in Australia.)

The staff was incredibly helpful and went out of their way to make me feel welcomed. In fact, one of the waitresses at the restaurant, Motion, noticed the tour brochures I was looking through. After asking me a few questions , and learning that I was on my own, she recommended a different tour. She went downstairs – to the concierge – and brought back a brochure. And she was right – the tour was great.

Motion, a restaurant and Bar, was a very popular spot – not only for guests, but locals as well. The bar was packed every night and the outdoor patio was booked with special events each night. The food was very good – surprisingly good for a hotel. Separate review to follow.

I am very pleasantly surprised with how great my stays at Marriott’s in Australia have been. I was a loyal Platinum Marriott Rewards Member for many, many years and recently dropped to Gold (as a result of my switch to Starwood Platinum) However, after the last month in Australia, I am reconsidering that decision and may switch back to Marriott for 2012! That’s how impressed I have been with the Marriotts.

I highly recommend the Marriott Brisbane.

Photos:

Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa Gold Coast

I choose the Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa because the pools looked beautiful on the Starwood Website and because there was a spa. Two things required for any vacation. Being directly on the beach was a bonus.

The hotel has become notorious for its snake fence – yes, that’s right, I said snake fence. A thick glass wall encircles the resort – theoretically keeping the poisonous Eastern Brown Snake, the second most deadly snake in Australia – outside of the resort. The snakes nest in the sand dunes located outside of the resort. Thankfully, I did not encounter any snakes on this trip.

The Room
The hotel is currently undergoing renovations to its rooms and common areas. I was not lucky enough to get a renovated room, however I was “upgraded” to an Oasis Room on the first floor which included a small patio overlooking the oasis pools. The room was very large and had a king size bed (well, actually it was two double beds pushed together,) a small sofa pull out and a chaise lounge. There was also a small breakfast table with two chairs and a work desk with Ethernet cable. The bathroom was definitely the highlight of the room – a large marble bathroom with a soaking tub and shower.

There were some drawbacks to the room – first, there were no blackout shades or privacy shades on the windows or sliding glass doors. The sliding glass doors were covered by wooden slat blinds and when the sun rose at 4:45 a.m. the room was filled with light (so wakeup calls weren’t necessary). Second, my room faced the restaurant and conference rooms and main walkway to the reception area, so I constantly had to close the wooden blinds for privacy, blocking the lovely oasis view.

One thing to note is the speed of the internet connection (wired and wireless) at the hotel and in the room. It was painfully slow and had I been on business, wouldn’t have been workable.

The Restaurants
The hotel has 1 restaurant, a bar and a swim-up pool bar. The restaurant, Terraces, is a buffet but also has an a la carte menu. When I arrived late on a Sunday evening, I tried to go to Terraces, but was told that reservations were required and there was a two hour wait for a table. I was directed to the bar, Oysters, where they served food as well. I was not impressed with the sandwich I got there. Room service was another option for food at the hotel. Overall, I was shocked at the prices – $26 for a club sandwich, $28 for a burger, $28 for a margarita pizza, $19 for a cup of soup (though it did come with bread) $25 for a Caesar salad, $35 with Salmon, Chicken or Prawns, $45 for the beef filet, $43 for Asian duck. A side of garlic bread was $10. For dessert, you could get a chocolate brownie with butterscotch sauce for $21. At the pool bar, all cocktails were $18 and non-alcoholic beverages were $6 (no refills.) The other options were to walk across the street to the Mirage Marina and dine there (good choices) or to take a bus or taxi to Surfers Paradise.

The Pool & Beach
The pool looks huge on the website, but the majority of what you’re seeing on the website are the oasis pools and not the swimming pool. On the first day of my stay there were not enough lounge chairs (or any kind of chairs) at the pool. After about 20 minutes of wandering, I finally got a chair.

On my second day, the situation was much better and on the third day, the pool area had a makeover (I assume part of the renovations) and there were dozens of new chairs, new chair cushions and umbrellas added. The pool bar staff spent most of the time I was at the pool moving the chairs and tables around (it was entertaining) I guess they were excited about all the new chairs and tables too.

The beach was very private and looked nice, but unfortunately during my stay the weather wasn’t great and the ocean was very choppy. I didn’t venture in.

The Spa
The spa is not part of the hotel, but directly next door and does allow room charges. The spa, which is connected to the gym and next to the tennis courts, is very nice. It provides a very tranquil atmosphere. I got a manicure and pedicure and was very happy – though as with everything in Australia – it was very expensive. This is not a spa destination – rather a hotel with a spa next door. If you’re looking for a spa retreat –this isn’t the right location.

Overview –
Australia is very expensive and the Sheraton is extremely high priced – be prepared. I would love to see the Sheraton after the renovations are completed – I think it will significantly improve the hotel. What I saw on my visit made a great difference. In addition, as with most Australian hotels, a credit card fee of 1.5% will be added to all transactions settled by credit card, so be prepared for that fee. I wouldn’t rule out another stay at the Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa, but I would probably try the hotels closer to Surfers Paradise first.

Pool

Room View

Pop restaurant describes itself as a Modern Australian Cuisine with European flair. Located on Hardware Lane, I was drawn to Pop because they offered Kangaroo on their menu.

Hardware Lane is two city blocks full of cafes and restaurants and full of energy. Each restaurant is competing for dinners and as such, offers great specials. Pop offered us a complimentary glass of wine with each entrée and the house tapas – on the house.

We dined outside at Pop and the only drawback is that smoking in Melbourne is very popular and detracts from an enjoyable experience. I was intrigued by the Kangaroo and inquired about it. When we inquired with the host about the Kangaroo, he said, “It’s good, if you like Kangaroo.” That wasn’t particularly helpful. Our server wasn’t familiar with the Kangaroo either, but she called someone over who highly recommended and so I went for it.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the Kangaroo. It was a bit to charred on the outside, but the meat was extremely tender and very flavorful. It came with truffle mashed potatoes and a blackberry sauce. I would highly recommend the Kangaroo, it was delicious (I would describe Kangaroo as similar to venison, but more tender and less gamey.)

I would certainly go back to Pop, but I’d also like to try many of the other restaurants on Hardware Lane and discover what Australian delicacies they have to offer.

Kangaroo at Pop

Google Maze Melbourne and you’ll find many references to celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. But click on the links and all signs of Ramsay’s affiliation with Maze Melbourne have been removed. December 9th was the last night Maze Melbourne operated under the Ramsay name and I had an opportunity to experience one of the final services.

I was told reservations were required for Maze, and so I made a reservation for Friday December 9th. I was told the only open time for 2 people was at 6:30pm, so we accepted. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a hostess who asked us to have a seat in the bar lounge. We did and after about 10 minutes were shown to our table. The dining room was almost empty – there was a table of 1 and a table of 2 already seated. I wondered why a reservation was necessary.

Our server greeted us with a wine menu and took drink orders. She then provided the dinner menu. There was a choice between a $120 (AUD) tasting menu which did not include wine pairings and an a la carte menu with items priced between $16 and $35 (AUD) each. All items on the a la carte menu are small plates, and our server advised us that most guests required 3-4 items to feel satisfied. We quickly discovered that dinner at Maze can become very pricy.

We started the evening with Foie Gras and French toast, caramelized apple and amaranth and Roasted Scallops, sherry caramel, wild rice and spices. The portions were shockingly small, even for small plates. The Foie Gras and French toast was a good concept and very tasty, but the Foie Gras seemed to be an afterthought on the dish…the primary focus being the caramelized apples. The Roasted Scallops were delicious and perfectly cooked. The sherry sauce was marvelous and the crunch of the wild rice added an interesting contrast to the scallops. I would order the scallops again.

Our second course consisted of St Leonards Snapper, chopped Kipfler potatoes and wild greens and a plate of Yarra Valley Duck Breast, roasted squash and beluga lentils. Both dishes were mouth-watering and left us wanting more. The snapper was flaky and moist and the flavor of the potatoes was a perfect complement. The duck was cooked medium and was extremely tender and flavorful. The squash was interesting but the highlight of the dish was most certainly the beluga lentils. They were outstanding.

Still hungry, we requested the menu from the server. It was at that time that we learned there was a special – something she had forgotten to mention when we ordered originally. The small plate was a veal dish and she quickly convinced us to order it. While we waited, we noticed that the dining room was beginning to fill up at about 7:30, but still there were plenty of tables open, which left me wondering why reservations were necessary. When our Poached Veal, Asparagus and polenta dish arrived, we were again surprised at how small the dish was. The veal was cooked well, but very under seasoned and the least successful of the dishes we had ordered so far. The shaved asparagus was the best part of the dish.

Still hungry, we decided to order dessert. We ordered one dessert to share and our server seemed pretty surprised. When it arrived, we understood, the desserts were also “small plates.” We ordered the Coffee Ganache, Salted Caramel, Hazelnut ice cream. The dessert was the most disappointing part of the meal. The ganache did not taste at all like coffee and we only discovered the salted caramel once we got to the center of the ganache. The Hazelnut ice cream was good, but the portions were so small that after one bite each the ice cream was gone. I wouldn’t order the dessert again.

With our check came a plate of salted caramel truffles. They were good, but very, very messy and extremely similar to our dessert – the only thing missing was the ice cream.

I can see why Ramsay’s restaurant wasn’t the success he is used to. Melbourne is a city filled with exceptional restaurants and cafes and Maze, inside the Crown Metropol Hotel was quite expensive and seemed mainly filled with tourists and hotel guests. The majority of the food was very good and some of it brilliant and the presentation was exceptional, but overall, I was left hungry and underwhelmed by Maze.

Chef John Lawson is Executive Chef at Maze, but the staff was silent when I asked if he would be staying at Maze or rejoining one of Ramsay’s other restaurants.

Maze Melbourne Menu

Dining Room

Foie Gras French Toast

Scallops

Snapper

Duck

Veal

Coffee Ganache Dessert

Truffle

Hotel rates in Sydney – and all of Australia for that matter – are shocking during high season (Australian Summertime = US Winter) and so I ended up at a Holiday Inn Potts Point paying $198 AUD/night (about $203 USD at the time of this posting) – pricy for a Holiday Inn!

Before my trip, I called Priority Club (the rewards program for Holiday Inn and the Intercontinental Hotel Group) and asked if they would match my Starwood Platinum Status. They were very happy to match my status for a trial period to Priority Club Platinum Status.

After more than 38 hours of travel, 1 day in Germany and a 4-hour layover in Thailand I arrived in Sydney at 7am and discovered was rush hour down under really meant. An hour in a cab – without air – and I was at the Holiday Inn. My keys were ready when I arrived at check-in and oddly enough, no one asked me for any identification or credit card.

I inquired about what my newly acquired platinum status got me, and I was told that it ensured my keys were ready at check-in. I asked if it got me free internet, and I was told no – internet was $27.50 AUD per 24-hour period with a maximum of 250MB of data (after that, there was an additional fee). I asked if I got free water in my room with my platinum status and I was told no, but that the tap water in Sydney was drinkable (US tap water is drinkable too –I just choose to drink bottled water) . There was no executive lounge/concierge lounge and no free breakfast (breakfast was $29 per person for a continental buffet)

I arrived to my room which had a spectacular view of Sydney Harbor and the Opera house. It was actually breathtaking – and I presumed that may have been a benefit of Platinum Status. The room was large with one king bed and a small chair. The carpet was old and had an odd smell about it (like they had cleaned it, but I never really dried properly) but otherwise, the room was very clean. The bathroom looked like it had been redone recently. It was large with a large bathtub & shower. The water pressure was great in the shower. I was pleasantly surprised by room – it was much better than I had anticipated it would be.

The hotel proved to be quite conveniently located and was directly next to the Kings Cross Train Station. I was only in Sydney for three nights – and so the Holiday Inn was adequate. I am not sure what the real benefit of Priority Club membership is. Compared to Starwood Preferred Guest (I’m Platinum) and Marriott Rewards (I’m gold) Priority Club seems to be the least rewarding program. This is my only Holiday Inn or IHG hotel during my 5 week trip – and I have to say – I’m kind of happy about that. I’ll stick to Starwood and Marriott.

View from Holiday Inn Potts Point Room

The second leg of my Australia/Fiji vacation brought me to Melbourne, Australia and Melbourne Marriott. After a very pleasant experience on Virgin Australia (they make all US airlines look third-world air carriers!) I arrived by Taxi at the hotel. The lobby is very welcoming and smelled wonderful (I learned the smell was something they called Vivid Orange..I thought about buying some)

Check in was very easy and since it had been a while since I’ve stayed at a Marriott my status had dropped to Gold. I wasn’t quite sure what I should expect. I was very pleased to learn that Gold status got me free internet – something I have since learned is rare in Australia – and access to the executive lounge. The executive lounge, on the 9th floor, offers complimentary breakfast, appetizers and wine during the dinner hour and dessert and cocktails following that. Everything is free and well stocked.

My room was a large king room with a working desk, wet bar, and large bathroom. My room had no real view of anything. The bed was comfortable with lots of pillows (soft, medium and firm pillows to choose from)and there was a very large screen TV that swiveled to face either the bed or desk. The bathroom was very clean and had a shower only (no rooms have tubs since the hotel caters to mainly business travelers.) One of the nice perks was of course the free internet, but also the room had converters so I didn’t even have to break mine out.

The hotel has recently undergone a refurbishment and it shows! The rooms and lobby and lounge are all very up-to-date, clean and modern. The restaurants are surprisingly good and reasonably priced – compared to the average price of a meal in the city.

The hotel is located one block from China town and a three-four blocks from the Bourke shopping mall (an outdoor shopping street filled with small and large retail outlets.) Public transportation is readily available in the form of trams, trains and taxis. The Southbank area, filled with restaurants, shops and offices for most major corporations, is accessible by tram or taxi (about $6-10 by taxi each way depending on traffic) or $11 for an all day train ticket.

The hotel staff was very friendly and helpful. The front desk helped me several times throughout my stay. Murray at the front desk was especially helpful. And, on day 3, he remembered me by name – that always goes a long way! The hotel concierge was hit or miss though. Some days the person working the concierge desk was very knowledgeable and other days you could tell the person wasn’t really a concierge. The worst meal I had in Melbourne came at the recommendation of the concierge. The same concierge also made a very poor recommendation for a salon offering manicures/pedicures. I quickly learned to visit the concierge desk while the female concierge was working (she was very helpful and knowledgeable).

On my fifth night at the hotel, I received a complimentary bottle of wine from the hotel as a thank you for staying 5 nights. It was a very nice gift – even though I don’t drink – I appreciated the gesture. I would absolutely return to the Melbourne Marriott (if the rate was reasonable..it can get very expensive in high season.)

I have to say, this trip has made me think seriously about staying more frequently at Marriott while traveling abroad (I think Starwood will remain my #1 chain because the corporate rates are better usually, I am defiantly looking forward to more Marriott stays in 2012.)

Hotel Room:

Hotel Executive Lounge