Just returned from 5 nights at the Shangri La, and overall had a very nice stay. The location of the hotel is excellent, and all the staff were pleasant and helpful. We arrived very early in the am and our room was ready early for easy check in. I did have a problem in which I requested a king bed and was told there was none available. I also did not get a room with "the view". Many of the rooms have a beautiful view of the Opera house and Bridge. Not mine. I tried to change but again was told there was nothing available. Otherwise, no complaints, the room was very average.
We could walk to almost all attractions in Sydney from this location and that was a plus.

If first impressions count, check-in did not do very well. We arrived about 7am totally exhausted from Singapore having not slept. I had emailed the hotel in advance to request an early check-in if possible. I understand that if they have full capacity from the night before, this is not possible. I am a reasonable person. However, the way we were treated was oh so professional but oh so cold. If you know the character from Little Britain who says after typing vigorously on the keyboard "computer says no", it was a little like that. We were told to go and have some breakfast. A room would be available later - some time and apparently because I had informed the hotel in advance we were on the priority list. We waited and waited losing the will to live. I went back and asked again several times. More vigorous keyboard tapping. It should be ready "some time soon". "They are probably working on it". It was quite clear that she had not contacted housekeeping to check. In fact, the woman on reception made us (my partner and I) feel as if she really did not care the slightest bit about when we actually did get checked in.

The other negative point was that our room key kept on getting demagnetised. We had it nowhere near a mobile phone or anything that might cause this. Having to come back down to reception was fustrating.

On the positive side, the concierge was helpful. The room itself was spacious and very comfortable. We had a Opera House view which was nice but a pity that the windows could not be opened (a City regulation forbids it apparently or something like that).

Our stay was enjoyable but I felt that we could have done better somewhere else.

Arrived early evening after our 7 hour flight from Singapore. Even though we did not look our best after a long flight we were welcomed at the Shangri-La in a very warm and friendly manner.
We were pleasantly surprised to see our room for the first time (we had booked a Harbour View room). It was quite a big room with excellent faciities. The bathroom was lovely with a big bath tub and a separate shower cubicle. The curtains were drawn when we arrived but when we opened them we were amazed at the view we had - the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Rocks and the Opera House. The view was stunning!! Well worth paying the extra for the Harbour View room
The hotel is in an excellent location and we pretty much walked everywhere. We were only staying a couple of nights and then picking up our hire car for the long drive to Melbourne. We were a little unsure of how to get out of the city and the best route to take. The consierge was fantastic and gaves us loads of advise and maps etc. We left our bags at the hotel while we went to pick the car up. It was easy to find our way back to the hotel and parked right outside the entrance while the porters bought our cases out and put them in the boot for us.
Overall this is a fantastic hotel in the best location. The staff are excellent and would reccommend to family and friends

My husband and I stayed 2 nights at the Shangri-la Hotel in Sydney to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. We were originally booked into a Darling Harbour View Room, but we were upgraded to a Grand Harbour View Room by Kuna on the reservations desk. I was touched by his kindness and extremely grateful for the upgrade, as the room was wonderful and the views were amazing. We had a magnificent view of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. It certainly made our stay in Sydney very special, and along with climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which was also fantastic, it was certainly a weekend to remember. The staff at the Hotel were all very helpful, the service was excellent and the Hotel is beautifully appointed. The Hotel is centrally located in The Rocks and only a 5 minute walk to Circular Quay, where you can catch a ferry or train to lots of other wonderful destinations. We particularly enjoyed taking a ferry over to Manly, where they have beautiful beaches and a lovely shopping area. I can thoroughly recommend this Hotel.