We walked into the Holiday Inn Potts Point significantly too early to check in. Suzy the receptionist was all smiles and laid out our options, and we decided to head out to do the Bondi to Coogee walk and complete our check in on our return. Suzy was also able to answer all our questions about the Walk and so we headed out feeling fully informed.
On our return we were still too early, though the room was just being finished, so we headed to the bar/restaurant, the Sirocco. After a relaxing ginger beer, we were informed that the room was now ready and so we headed up to the room on the 7th floor.
The Room
The room was huge – it consisted of both a lounge area as well as a very well proportioned bedroom. Even the bathroom ignored restrictions on space and sported his and hers vanities, a full bath and separate shower.
Out the windows, the view was across the Botanical Garden towards the CBD, including both the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. We also looked down onto the roof of the other wing of the hotel where the bee hives were. We’d been reliably informed that the hotel harvests the honey from the hives and served it up on the panacotta. As good a reason as any to indulge in dessert!
The lounge area was well appointed with a couch, coffee table and desk alongside a chest of drawers with the first of two TVs on it. A dining table and chair rounded out the furnishings in the lounge while a couple of nooks held the coffee making facilities and mini-bar.
The bedroom had another TV on top of another set of drawers, and there was also an armchair in front of a small table. The bed itself was huge, and sported two different styles of pillow – with nice embroidery to indicate which was which – a nice touch I thought. In the mirror-door closet was the safe, ironing board, iron and hair drier. Plenty of space for all your clothes too.
Location
While the hotel name is Pott’s Point, it must be pointed out that it is right next door to the Kings Cross train station. Unlike some other hotels which laud their proximity to public transport (Harbourview in Sydney), its impossible to tell that we’re anywhere near the rail network. I’m not sure whether that’s because of superior sound proofing technology or merely because we’re high enough for the sound not to be able to get to us, but we appreciate the quiet with only the low hum of the air con.
The Restaurant
We decided we’d try the Sirocco Restaurant, and to be honest, while the service was cheerful enough, I think they’re still finding their feet. It took two hours to get through the meal, primarily because the service was so slow. The restaurant wasn’t very full at all on a Monday night, so I’m not quite sure how that happened.
The starters of calamari (me) and beetroot and feta salad were delicious, even if Ange wasn’t able to finish the salad because it was such a good size.
Ange’s salmon was dry and over cooked, but my steak was fine. They did manage to give me a mushroom sauce instead of the capsicum relish that I had ordered though.
Of the two hours, a good twenty minutes was spent waiting for dessert and then another ten for them to make the dessert after realising the order hadn’t made it to the chef. But we did get it eventually and both were a good size!
Breakfast
The next morning we headed down to breakfast. It was mid morning, so the restaurant was maybe 80% full with a good mix of a bus load of tourists and a smattering of business men. The breakfast itself was good – an impressive array of cooked and continental offerings and even an omelet station.
What confused me though was the pot of scrambled eggs with the other cooked breakfast items: it tasted like powdered eggs. Why would you cook powdered eggs when you have a chef making fresh omeletes not 50cm away? On the plus side they offered both American and English bacon (pro tip: American bacon is closer to ham) and a juicing station where you could make DIY fruit juice out of an assortment of fruits.
Pros and Cons
Pros
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Cons
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Would I Return?
The hotel’s proximity to the rail network is pretty awesome, and the front office staff can’t do enough to help you. The ample size of the room really lets you unwind and decompress, and breakfast was better than I thought it would be. I’d definitely go back for those reasons.
