When I booked two Deluxe Family Rooms at Furama Darling Harbour for a 6-day stay with family, I had high hopes for comfort, convenience, and a pleasant experience. Here’s how it went.
Location: Convenient, but Parking Woes
The location of Furama Darling Harbour is undoubtedly one of its highlights. Nestled within walking distance of numerous restaurants offering cuisines from all over the globe, it was a food lover's dream. Finding the hotel wasn’t a challenge either, thanks to clear signage and central placement.
However, the parking situation? That’s another story. The hotel doesn’t have an on-site parking lot. Instead, we had to park about a five-minute walk away, which isn’t ideal when lugging bags or dealing with Sydney’s occasional drizzle. Plus, the cost added up—$244 AUD for six days. If parking convenience matters to you, it’s worth factoring this in.
Cleanliness: Mixed Experiences
Cleanliness was... average, to say the least. While the first day seemed fine, housekeeping didn’t exactly shine as the stay went on. On Day 2, we were surprised (and not in a good way) to find dirty towels left after the room was cleaned. Fast forward to Day 5, and we found toilet paper and stray hairs under the blanket after housekeeping had supposedly “refreshed” the space. Not exactly the five-star housekeeping you’d hope for.
To be fair, we didn’t raise the issue with reception that evening—it was our last night, and we figured housekeeping staff would already be off-duty. But, as a guest, you shouldn’t have to weigh these options.
Service: Quick and Friendly, But a Breakfast Mishap
Service at Furama Darling Harbour was a bright spot overall. The staff were warm, responsive, and accommodating, whether it was resolving issues with the TV or bringing up extra towels.
That said, we hit a snag with the included breakfast. Our booking clearly stated breakfast for four people per room, which should have covered eight of us across two rooms. Yet, when we went down, they claimed the booking only covered four breakfasts total. After some back-and-forth with both hotel staff and Trip’s customer service, the issue was resolved. But it wasn’t exactly a stress-free start to the day.
Facilities: Functional, But Nothing Fancy
The gym was basic but functional—a single machine covering major muscle groups, though no free weights were in sight. It’s fine if you’re just looking to get in a quick workout. The laundry room was handy, though a bit pricey: $5 AUD each to wash and dry, plus $3 AUD for detergent.
Breakfast, while initially enjoyable, became repetitive after two days. A buffet should ideally offer more variety, but here the options changed only slightly. Updating the in-room TVs to include smart features wouldn’t hurt either; it felt like the tech was stuck in the past.
Rooms: Spacious and Comfortable
Now, for the standout feature—the rooms. They were impressively spacious, with plenty of room for our luggage and still enough space to move around comfortably. The beds? Absolute heaven. I slept like a rock every night, with no noise disturbances or distractions.
The bathroom mirrored this sense of space, steering clear of that cramped, claustrophobic feeling that some hotels suffer from. It’s refreshing to stay somewhere that values comfort this much.
Final Thoughts: Worth a Stay, Despite Flaws
Would I recommend Furama Darling Harbour? Absolutely, especially for families. The spacious rooms, friendly service, and fantastic location make it a strong contender. Yes, cleanliness and parking could use improvement, but the positives—comfortable beds, quiet nights, and accommodating staff—outweigh the negatives.
If you can overlook a few quirks and minor inconveniences, Furama offers a good home base for exploring Sydney. Just be ready for some parking acrobatics and keep an eye on those housekeeping details!
- VSing
We checked in on 16 Dec and checked out on 23 Dec (room 1311). The Location was near most attractions we wanted to visit, with many eatery selections. We were pleasantly surprised when the hotel upgraded our stay. We opted for daily breakfast, which saved us time searching for food in the early morning when most were not open since our breakfast time is usually very early. However, the choices are mostly the same throughout our stay, which is boring after the second day. Room cleanliness needs to be improved, as crumbs left by previous visitors were not vacuumed even after I feedback to housekeeping. Though there were 3 of us, only 2 bath towels were provided and I had to repeat my request twice before this was corrected. Not sure who is the ID who designed the bathroom, but the placement of the shower faucet is in the wrong place (just need to look at pictures on the website). The hand soap is weirdly placed far away from the basin and the tap extends to the middle of the basin, so there's no way you can bend down to wash your face or spit out after brushing your teeth without spitting onto the tap.
I've stayed in many hotels but this is the first hotel I find a sprinkler in the bathroom. Not sure if it's a fire safety requirement, but I find it quite funny when there's no lack of water in the bathroom. Overall, the stay was still very pleasant and even with all the feedback, we probably will still choose Furama when we visit Sydney.
- Joseph
