Pullman at Sydney Olympic Park

The Pullman at Sydney Olympic Park is a business hotel through and through, and many of its guests are attending events at the hotel itself or in one of the many nearby event centers. Although it's certainly a corporate hotel, the ambience is still casual, from the high ceilinged lobby with neutral decor and huge glass windows, to the casual seating areas dotted around the hallways throughout the hotel. With sleek wood floors, plush couches, and plenty of natural light, the common spaces here are inviting and cozy. The overall atmosphere may be corporate, but this hotel has style, too (more in the common areas than in the plain rooms). 

The Pullman is located at Olympic Park in western Sydney, across from the Sydney International Aquatic Centre and the ANZ Stadium. It's a six-minute walk to the Olympic Park train station. The Central Business District and Sydney Harbour are a half-hour drive and Bondi Beach takes 45 minutes by car. The airport is a 40-minute drive away and can be reached on public transportation in just over an hour, though getting there requires a transfer in the city center.

There are 212 air-conditioned rooms at the Pullman, all of which come with flat-screen TVs with pay-per-view, minibars, Bose audio docks, safes, desks, and electric kettles; some have Nespresso machines. Superior, Deluxe, and Executive Rooms are available, as are Executive Suites that come with perks such as jetted tubs, free Wi-Fi, and free breakfast and evening canapes. Decor is simple and businesslike -- and arguably on the generic side -- throughout all room types. Beige wall and dark beige curtains don't do much to accentuate the white beds and medium-colored wood furnishings, though some rooms have great views that help compensate for the uninspired decor. Bathrooms are a bit more impressive from a design perspective and come with separate walk-in showers and deep soaking tubs, lighted makeup mirrors, hairdryers, and toiletries from CO Bigelow. Room service is available day and night, and Wi-Fi costs extra in most rooms.   

The Pullman does well when it comes to on-site amenities, starting with the big fitness center with ellipticals, treadmills, a rowing machine, and lots of weight-training equipment. Unusually, there's even a tea and coffee station right in the fitness center. There's no pool on-site, but guests of the hotel get free access to the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre nearby, which has pools and saunas. Just off the lobby, Vinoteca -- the wine bar -- serves wines from around the world in a contemporary environment full of soft red pleather booths, black-and-white graphical carpets and chairs, and wood accents. The hotel's main restaurant, Bacar, is a sunny space with floor-to-ceiling windows, sleek wood floors, and a earthy color scheme. It's open daily at meal times and serves dishes from around the world, along with plenty of Aussie mainstays. There's also a private dining room and a large chef's table that can seat up to 10 in the main restaurant. The Pullman is also well-suited for meetings and conferences, with five meeting rooms, two of which can be joined together to seat up to 140 people theater-style. Audiovisual features include videoconferencing, in-ceiling speakers, and digital signage, and meeting and conference delegates get free Wi-Fi. There's also a business center with multiple computers and printers along with a fax machine. On-site valet and self-parking are also available in an indoor lot, for a fee and dry-cleaning can be arranged. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, but costs extra for non-conference and non-suite guests.