There is something special about being a tourist in your own city.
At least a couple of times a year, I love venturing into the city for a night or two – it may be just 50-odd kilometres away but too often we neglect our own backyard as we travel interstate or even internationally.
Recently, my family and I ventured to Darling Harbour for a night – with the PARKROYAL our home base.
First impressions matter and battling city hotel parking situations is never a good start to one of these staycations for me – so I was delighted to find an easy to access driveway just off the ANZAC Bridge, with valet parking available to make the whole check-in process so much easier.
With a four-year-old in tow, we had the Little Explorers package added to our room – which meant the addition of a tent, plus gifts including an old school camera, binoculars and map of the city.
Little miss four loved these – in fact, the binoculars remain the current favourite toy at home – and it added an extra bit of adventure to our stay, and something she’ll certainly remember the weekend for.
The room itself features all your standard fare – comfortable beds, a decent sized bathroom etc – but the facilities help deliver an impressive overall stay that mean you’re not totally confined to your room even if you are focused on a little more relaxation time during your stay.
The Club Lounge for example proved a great place to relax and enjoy some city views, with free beverages and snacks provided at certain points of the day. I’ll be honest – I’ve never really utilised the Club Lounge concept at hotels in the past, but I’m glad I did this time – it just adds that little bit extra.
We maintained our discipline at the Club Lounge given we were headed to the hotel’s Abode Bistro.Bar for dinner.
From delicious house made bread to an impressive aged sirloin and a porchetta that made your taste buds dance, there was nothing but quality across the menu – and despite its rather impressive finishes and style, we didn’t feel out of place with a four-year-old in tow (who gave the mini spaghetti bolognese the stamp of approval, by the way).
After dinner, we ventured over to Darling Harbour – enjoying the plethora of activities that are usually being held, especially on weekends. Most of them are free, which helps make this a super affordable weekend.
Little miss played on the play equipment for hours, we even tried our hand at some Salsa dancing and grabbed an ice cream on the way back to the hotel – just a couple of minutes’ walk.
PARKROYAL Darling Harbour proved the perfect base for a family weekend, close to all the Darling Harbour activities within the confines of a luxury hotel with superior service and excellent facilities.
What the hotel lacks in terms of a pool or spa it makes up for in location and little extras – including the late afternoon lolly bar, which we certainly gave a workout.
As the summer continues, and school holidays loom, consider a weekend of exploration at Darling Harbour – it’s full of surprises.
Visit https://www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pr-darling-harbour-sydney.html.
The writer stayed as a guest of PARKROYAL Darling Harbour.
Troy is an experienced writer with more than 20 years experience in print media, digital media and radio. His favourite travel destinations include Nashville, New York and Fiji.