Expert reviews
“Towering above Walsh Bay from its prime position alongside the Sydney Harbour Bridge, this sleek hotel is the place for a room with a bird’s-eye view. North-facing rooms overlooking the water are the best.”
Featured as Fodor’s Choice in Sydney.
“Many hotels along Sydney’s harbor feature views of their spectacular surroundings, but none quite like Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney. Towering 36 stories above Sydney Harbour, the Shangri-La stands alone in the city for the highest unobstructed views, boasting the largest windows of any harbor-facing hotel.”
“A modern Asian style focused on the Oriental blossom ties things together. A nice touch, but nothing tops sitting in your room and staring at the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.”
“The Shangri-La distinguishes itself among the cluster of five-star chain hotels in Sydney’s Circular Quay, with its famous Level 36 bar and restaurant – one of the best spots in town for a drink or a meal with a view. All the rooms feature harbour views from enormous windows and have cosy window-seats.”
What guests liked
- Amazing views
- Great rooms
- Friendly staff
- Excellent Wifi
- Great location
- Comfortable beds
All you need to know
Shangri-La Hotel is situated at 176 Cumberland Street in the Central Business District of Sydney where it offers the best in hospitality amenities and facilities to tourists and travelers looking to enjoy the best of Sydney. The hotel is strategically located close to the city financial, economic and entertainment hub which will make sure guests get the unique adventure they desire.
The hotel is rated five-star for its quality services, and it also offers excellent views of iconic places such as Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.
The Shangri La Hotel offers luxury and stylish room options such as Executive Grand Harbour Twin, The Rocks Suite with Club Lounge Access, Premier Grand Harbour King, Executive Grand Harbour King and Deluxe Grand Harbour King. The hotel features room options with lounge access such as the Horizon Darling Harbour King with Club Lounge Access, Horizon Opera House City with Club Lounge Access and Executive Grand Harbour Suite with Club Lounge Access.
The hotel is about a 5-minute walk away from the Sydney Opera House while the Museum of Contemporary Art is about 300 m away from the hotel.
The rooms in the hotel are fitted with standard amenities such as free Wi-Fi for high-speed internet access, a flat-screen TV with cable channels, a minibar, air conditioning and a comfy bed.
The hotel provides other services, facilities, and amenities such as concierge services, luggage storage, 24-hour front desk, airport shuttle, daily maid service and room service.
Hotel deals & lowest price guarantee
We partner with Booking.com and Agoda. Both booking websites offer the lowest price guarantee so you can be certain you will always get the best deal for this hotel. If you have seen a better price elsewhere, all you need to do is contact the booking website and they will refund you the difference immediately. You can price match right up until the day before check-in.
Location
Recent guest reviews
29 March 2026
amazing
Amazing location, facilities, everything
nothing
29 March 2026
A great experience from a hotel that cared. Beatifok rooms
What a great weekend Faultless
Rooms, staff
29 March 2026
Nice and convenient, comfortable to rest your head nice and clean
It was lovely I have stayed many times I had a quick stop over in Sydney and chose this, nice and conveniently close to circular quay.
A delivery charge on room service for $10 for a hot chocolate ontop of the cost which usually hotels don’t have a delivery charge so I thought that was a bit ridiculous considering it’s made in the hotel and should be free for people staying to order… it’s more than some uber delivery fees.
28 March 2026
Fabulous stay
Everything! Room & bathroom very large, bed incredibly comfortable, spotlessly clean. Staff friendly & very helpful. Loved the happy hour, cocktails very reasonably priced. The pool & jacuzzi area very relaxing. The buffet breakfast was amazing, so much variety, delicious!
Absolutely nothing!
28 March 2026
Perfect 15th anniversary celebration at a top-tier location
Our stay was truly exceptional. We stayed in a room with a spectacular 270-degree view that was simply breathtaking. Celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary, the hotel went above and beyond by welcoming us with a beautiful bed decoration, a personalized card, and a bottle of sparkling wine with fresh fruit. These gestures, combined with the unbeatable location in The Rocks, made our holiday incredibly special. It is definitely a place we would return to for special occasions.
As a minor point of improvement to achieve absolute excellence, we noticed a lack of thoroughness regarding the replacement of mugs by the housekeeping service. After we left them on the room service table (which we understand is a different department), the cleaning staff did not replace them. Despite leaving a note through the hotel’s room service app, we had to request them again later. These are small coordination details that, if refined, would make the experience flawless, though they did not overshadow our otherwise wonderful stay.
27 March 2026
excellent hotel
Amazing view from the room, Club room food was excellent as were the staff, and only a short walk from the Opera House
slow process checking in
27 March 2026
Exceptional
Hotel and staff were amazing 👏 Great central location too Stunning views from hotel
26 March 2026
Good location, a bit outdated and a cold swimming pool
Great location
A little outdated but the worst thing was the freezing cold pool. Kids wanted to swim instead they just shivered
25 March 2026
Fabulous
Everything
Being charged a surgharge.on payment of a credit card shame on very old fashioned and bad business next time I will bring.a bag of cash money
24 March 2026
Exceptional
Shangri-La Sydney has always delighted me on every visit. I choose to spend my most special occasions in the Opera House area, and Shangri-La Sydney consistently makes my stays truly memorable. The complimentary touches always exceed my expectations and add something extra special to each experience. Please continue delighting your customers in the same wonderful way. Kudos to the customer service team for their outstanding work! Cheers!
I wish I had more days to stay
24 March 2026
High-fives in Sydney
There were so many things I like about this property. The location was fabulous. Just minutes away from the Opera House and the bridge and marvelous little shops. Also, the public transportation central hub was less than a five minute walk. You could get everywhere easily. My room was great. I like the additional security features of needing your card in order to get the elevator to go to your floor. I enjoyed high tea while looking out of incredible views at the top floor. I used the room service after a long day and I have to say it was amazing. Not just the food but the presentation. I also partook in spa services which definitely need to be experienced. The best of all the staff, I did not meet one staff member who wasn’t pleasant that didn’t smile that didn’t want to make my stay even better.
24 March 2026
excellent
very good
very good
23 March 2026
Fabulous
Concierge services was awesome
23 March 2026
The guy in the lounge bar, was extremely nice very helpful a credit to you’re u hotel.
Hotel was lovely rooms ample size clean good towels & Bedding Staff we’re very nice, all went above expectations very friendly
23 March 2026
Very comfortable and ideal location
Almost everything
Afternoon tea in executive lounge could have been better - too many sugary donuts- cucumber sandwiches would have been better
22 March 2026
Excellent hotel in a perfect location with really great staff. Top drawer facility.
Excellent hotel in an ideal location. I would say it’d be difficult to find a better hotel in Sydney.
No negative points at all.
22 March 2026
A lovely tranquil setting
We loved the property! Great location, lovely room (No 1) very clean and spacious, overlooking the nice pool, with distant sea views. Carol, the owner was very helpful and friendly. We also liked her little dog Louis, who was very cute! We would recommend staying here, only wish we could have stayed more than just one night.
None
21 March 2026
Ok
The location
Slow or poor service at breakfast
21 March 2026
We had an overnight stay for an event, it was just beautiful, we really did not want to leave.
Everything, the staff, the location, the views, the cocktails.
Nothing.
20 March 2026
Fabulous
Stunning view of harbour, spacious and comfortable room
20 March 2026
A memorable experiencia, they made me feel very special!
The service was outstanding!!
I liked everything!!
20 March 2026
Room was excellent. View divine. Pool facilities not impressive.
The room was beautiful and exceeded expectations. Staff were amazing.
Hot tub and pool were sub par in a grungy setting and not in any way welcoming or upscale, as I had expected having stayed at the Shangri La in Toronto.
19 March 2026
Very enjoyable
Very comfortable
Nil
19 March 2026
Exceptional
Beautiful hotel a d location. Lovely friendly sta6
18 March 2026
Fabulous
the hotel receptionist was consistently friendly. view of the opera was good.
the location was good, but i didn’t know the area was too steep. also the second floor receptionist at the chi spa, wasn’t really attentive to guests.
18 March 2026
Exceptional
Centrally located, high standards and friendly, polite staff
Nothing. It was a great stay
17 March 2026
Great stay
Staff were great, food was excellent too
Expensive
16 March 2026
Exceptional
We got wrong answers on how long it would take to get to the airport (1- 2 hours by taxi and train) which made us skip the included breakfast. It was only when we got to the doorman who told us the actual time. We would have had time to enjoy breakfast before heading out had we received the right answer from the front desk staff.
15 March 2026
Excellent stay in a perfect location
Everything was perfect. I have discovered though that the price was considerably higher than at other dates. It has been suggested to me that this was because cruise ships were in port. However, we loved it so much, we will definitely come again, but keep an eye on the pricing
Hard to think what you could change. Right from check in the staff were unfailingly friendly, helpful and professional. The standard of cleanliness could not be better. We were extremely comfortable and the food at breakfast was varied, fresh and delicious
15 March 2026
Excellent!
Excellent location, large bedrooms, concierge was very nice, beautiful views, modern hotel, bed very comfortable
There is no place to smoke outside, no ashtray, people did not have where to leave ashes and butts
15 March 2026
Great place to stay in the city
Hotel was very verbal to everything we wakey to do. The Room was lovely, comfortable, very clean and the view was amazing. Staff were very friendly and helpful. We only had breakfast there but it was lovely, and a lot of options available. We were offered the horizon club upgrade and it was well worth it.
Only that we weren't staying longer.
14 March 2026
Great stay with friends
Excellent staff Comfortable bed
No teaspoon in room for tea and coffe Would also have liked instant coffee. There was a nice range of teas.
14 March 2026
Friendly and helpful staff who went above and beyond to make my husband’s birthday special, excellent facilities, a deli
Clean modern, great gym, pool, breakfast buffet and short lift waits
Location in terms of walking up the hills
14 March 2026
Great location with essential amenities provided
Location
The double bed in the twin room felt tiny. The room could have had 2 queen beds for a 5 star hotel
14 March 2026
Exceptional
Evwrything
except for $660 holding deposit
13 March 2026
Excellent hotel in prime Rocks position
What you would expect but sometimes don’t get from a 5 star hotel
Nothing
13 March 2026
Excellent
Everything
12 March 2026
It was pleasant.
It was fine, but expensive.
Nothing really.
10 March 2026
Great value for money
It was a very good value for money
No spare toilet paper, I had to ask and when it didn’t come had to ring
10 March 2026
Very good
Room not the cleanest.
9 March 2026
The views !!! Wow…. The views from the Horizon Club on the 30th Floor are stunning !! The staff were all excellent, brea
The views !!! Wow…. The views from the Horizon Club on the 30th Floor are stunning !! The staff were all excellent, breakfast, afternoon tea and evening canapés with drinks just wonderful.
9 March 2026
A wonderful weekend in a spectacular hotel with the best view in the world.
The room was very large, beautifully decorated and the view is exquisite. The bathroom is massive with a huge bath. We has a king size bed that was very comfortable. Our favourite feature was the big window seat where we spent hours enjoying the view.
There is nothing I did not like.
9 March 2026
One of the nicest hotels
My wife likes to stay in Shangri la hotels whenever possible. I see why. The service is always impeccable. We had a great stay in Sydney. The view from our room is nothing short of spectacular. Great location. Everything great. Will stay here again.
None.
9 March 2026
Amazing
Amazing location and view from our room.
Beautifully presented and amazing place to stay
9 March 2026
Very pleasant
Location and the room is lovely
The TV didn’t work as it pixilated constantly on all channels
8 March 2026
Good view - good service
Location - service - good
I liked all
8 March 2026
Wonderful location and base for my family and I to rediscover beautiful Sydney.
Wonderful location, kind and respectful staff willing to assist with anything. Breakfast and inhouse dining were excellent.
6 March 2026
Best hotel experience in over 50 yrs
View. Staff. Comfort. Clean
6 March 2026
Fabulous
Great location, good views
Staff kept coming into our room
Hotel facilities
Food & Drink
- - Restaurant
- - Bar
- - Breakfast in the room
- - Special diet menus (on request)
- - Kids' meals (additional charge)
- - Wine/champagne (additional charge)
- - Fruits (additional charge)
General
- - Room service
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Facilities for disabled guests
- - Family rooms
- - Lift
- - Soundproof rooms
- - Packed lunches
- - Car hire
- - Heating
- - Non-smoking throughout
- - Air conditioning
- - Designated smoking area
Business facilities
- - Meeting/banquet facilities (additional charge)
- - Fax/photocopying (additional charge)
Reception services
- - 24-hour front desk
- - Express check-in/check-out
- - Currency exchange
- - Tour desk
- - Luggage storage
- - ATM/cash machine on site
- - Concierge service
- - Private check-in/check-out
- - Invoice provided
Activities
- - Sauna
- - Fitness centre
- - Spa and wellness centre (additional charge)
- - Massage (additional charge)
- - Hot tub/Jacuzzi
- - Indoor pool
- - Indoor pool (all year)
- - Beauty Services
- - Facial treatments
- - Body treatments
- - Body scrub
- - Body wrap
- - Spa facilities
- - Steam room
- - Spa lounge/relaxation area
- - Foot bath
- - Spa/wellness packages
- - Couples massage
- - Full body massage
- - Fitness
- - Fitness/spa locker rooms
- - Happy hour (additional charge)
Outdoors
- - Terrace
- - Sun terrace
- - Outdoor furniture
Entertainment & family services
- - Babysitting/child services (additional charge)
- - Strollers
Cleaning services
- - Laundry (additional charge)
- - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
- - Ironing service (additional charge)
- - Trouser press (additional charge)
- - Daily housekeeping
Parking
- - Parking garage
Accessibility
- - Wheelchair accessible
- - Toilet with grab rails
Pool and wellness
- - Heated pool
- - Sun loungers or beach chairs
- - Swimming pool
- - Swimming pool
Miscellaneous
- - 24-hour security
- - Key card access
- - Security alarm
- - Smoke alarms
- - CCTV in common areas
- - CCTV outside property
- - Fire extinguishers
- - Delivered food is securely covered
- - Access to health care professionals
- - Face masks for guests available

More photos

29 March 2026
A wonderful experience.