24 Hours in Sydney

words by o.k. glynn

Get in the car, bus, train, plane, helicopter…whatever your desired mode of transport is, and make your way to the centre of the flashiest Australian city; Sydney.

You’re either coming from the other side of the world, or you’re walking here from your front door; either way, you’re in for a memorable weekend of decadence, hospitality and a down-right funky experience.

You’ll find us by spotting the glamorous woman with the fire-red hair and wicked smile, she looks like the kind of girl that songs are written about. She’s there to help you in for your memorable weekend; we call her the Director of Chaos, and she runs the whole street.

When you’re coming to stay, why not go as big as you can – stay in the State Suite. We have two suites and you’re going to love them both; they have separate rooms, giant bathrooms, balconies and gargoyles.

Honestly, the only thing we could really add to make it better would be a unicorn butler – we’re working on it 😉

Now, the Director of Chaos has seen you safely inside, you’ve checked in with our sexy receptionists and their pin-stripe suits, you’ve ridden in elevators that sing you a specific song based on internal sensors (yes this is true, make sure you brush your hand over that little red dot in the ceiling. Once you do it, you’ll know why) and you’ve come into your suite (bags are already here thanks to our devilishly handsome porter-boys-in-blue). Sink into the bed – or better yet, swan dive into it. It will return you with a giant gel-bed hug.

You’ve got 24 hours of absolute bliss in which to partake, and that can be an over whelming feeling. I’m here for you in this difficult time.

Firstly, you don’t have to move. You can strip off your pants, wriggle in to bed and take full advantage of the free movies in your room – cradle the phone and call up In Room Dining every time you get peckish. Break up the movie binge with a foray into the gigantic bathroom – you can snap a few gram-worthy-envy-inciting shots in the rain shower AND the sleek white bathtub.

Next you can wrap yourself up in the floor-length fluffy robes and check out the spa and barber on the Mezzanine level – Spa Q will make sure every muscle in your body is alive and you float out on a cloud of fantastic-smelling bliss (It’s like lavender and jasmine and sugar plum gum-nuts…I don’t even know, but you’ll smell it and wonder where it’s been all your life).

Glide on back to your room and slip on your finest; we’re in the middle of the city, and there is a lot to see and do. You could come with your bags empty and leave with them bulging – the shopping district is a stone’s throw away. The iconic Queen Victoria Building is on the next block, the giant Westfield tower looms over us with every shop you can think of clambering around it’s base along Pitt Street, and the quaint Strand Arcade is half a block down George Street, with the sweetest little boutique stores and coffee shops to peruse along the way.

Sleep with the art at @qtsydneypics. Works by the likes of Daniel Boyd, Daniel Crooks, Grant Stevens, and more don the walls at this hip cultural hotspot, so time to book your trip down under! #qtlife

A post shared by Design Hotels™ (@design_hotels) on Jan 18, 2017 at 3:14am PST

When you’re done there, have our front-door team point you to Darling Harbour – a 10 minute walk until you hit the water, and a whole host of fantastic venues to kick back and have a beer in the sun. Hop along the boards and check out the boats bobbing in the water, eventually you’ll come to the brand new Barangaroo Reserve, and most namely, the Stargazer’s Lawn.

You’re in the fresh quiet of the old-town Rocks. Catch your breath, lie back and relax before heading off again to walk straight under our iconic Harbour Bridge. Keep up the trek and eventually, passing the Sydney Opera House on the way, you’ll find that you’ve ended up in the Botanical Gardens.

If you are a super keen little running bean, you could complete this circuit in an hour (give or take a few stops along the way). Just throw on the old joggy-jogs and see everything that Sydney is most famous for in one sweaty fell swoop. Stumble back down Market Street and the Director of Chaos will see to it that you’re greeted with your very own cheer squad.

Get back up stairs, glam yourself up in that “yeah, I’m staying the night in a suite” kind of way, and spark off the celebrations with our famous Espresso Martini. Shake it up in the room yourself from our select mini-bar, or saunter on down to our cocktail lounge Gilt Bar and have our gorgeous staff do it for you.

Kick back or kick around for the night, you have a hell of a lot to choose from. You’re here, you’re surrounded by beautiful people, the decor is to die for and you’re feelin’ mighty fine.

Take advantage of these 24 hours and live like royalty; we’ll help you do it.