Stamford Plaza Sydney Airport, Sydney

Stopover

Liked: Very close to T2 and T3, easy walk from and to the terminal. Comfortable beds, great stopover between long flights. Breakfast was nice.
Disliked: Air-conditioning was very noisy and we had to switch it off to be able to sleep comfortably.

Good

Liked: Good for a quick stop over to get flights

Exceptional

Convenient location to the airport

Liked: Very clean, bed was comfy and convenient location to the airport
Disliked: Nothing

Good

Very comfortable stay and breakfast...

Liked: Room spacious, clean and had everything needed. Buffet breakfast was exceptional, best hotel breakfast offering I’ve had in years
Disliked: Shuttle bus from airport to hotel didn’t arrive for over 50 mins - would have been better off getting an Uber which is what we did on return to airport

Beautiful venue with stellar view-...

Liked: We booked a deluxe top floor room with a view of the airport- and I cannot fault the room itself. It was huge, spacious, well appointed with light in the cupboards and a large comfortable couch to watch the planes departing and arriving. The front entrance is grand and the pond and fountain area is stunning- it is unfortunate this area fronts onto a main road as it detracts from the glamour and “serenity” of the area.My son LOVED seeing the lovely Emirates staff boarding their shuttles in their uniforms and that was the perfect moment we expected staying at the Stamford.
Disliked: Buyer beware. I understand “now” that “$100 per night prepayment is “in the fine print”. However, I did not see this minutia when booking and only received it in the confirmation email which was one of many I received.I believe something as important as a potential $300+ cost should be more prevalent in the INITIAL BOOKING information- and not left to the customer to find out themselves after booking- or in our case when actually arriving at the property to check-in.I should also note that while I had booked through Booking.com- I had paid the hotel directly “upfront” for our entire three night stay. So they already had a significant sum of money to cover any “incidentals”.Unfortunately for my son and I, it was only upon arriving ready for check-in that we were told by an entirely unsympathetic receptionist that despite having pre-paid, an additional actual holding deposit of $300 was required before we could check in to our rooms.This was not a “pre-authorisation”- but actually held by the hotel. When I said I didn’t have it- she said I could pay cash or start calling my friends and family. I said I would prefer a refund of the $700 they already had and I would go find somewhere else to stay and they refused. I offered for them to hold my identification and my key cards and to allow us to check in and then access the money when my friends and family would be finished work and available to assist me and they declined.I rang booking.com and after half an hour on hold I spoke to someone who said they would check in with the hotel themselves.Despite the Stamford having two receptionists behind the counter and more staff in the office- no one answers Booking.com’s calls or returned their email.I managed to scrape together some money but were then treated like “bums”- it absolutely tarnished the entire journey for us.Just so they know, this was a once in a lifetime experience for my son and I after a really tough year- and this nearly ruined it.