What makes a good hotel? The answer to such a question seems to depend solely on your personal tastes. As someone who really only stays in hotels when they’re on a work trip, the property could be the single fanciest place I’ve ever been, but if the bed isn’t comfortable and there aren’t enough power points in the room then colour me unimpressed. I say that so I can say this: Vibe Rushcutters is absolutely my kind of hotel.
Located in Rushcutters Bay, a short trip from Sydney’s CBD and bordering onto both Darlinghurst and Potts Point, Vibe Rushcutters lies about a 20-minute Uber ride from Sydney Airport. It’s an easy, straightforward trip for those who aren’t familiar with the area and the building itself has a very unique facade that makes it easy to identify on approach. As an older establishment in the area, its likely your driver will know exactly where it is.
This is lucky because I arrived in Sydney very late on the Friday night, and would have had little hope finding it on my own (I am not a Sydney local, don’t look at me like that). Despite the hour, I was greeted at the front desk by an incredibly friendly staff member who made sure I had everything I needed before I headed up to the room. I wish I could remember her name, but I was tired and it was late and it now escapes me. If anyone from Vibe Rushcutters reads this, please find out the name of the young woman who checked me in and give her a raise. Even though she was stuck doing the late shift on a Friday night, she was bubbly, helpful and when asking about my day, genuinely seemed to care about the answer.
Don’t let that earlier comment about the property’s age fool you. Vibe Rushcutters has just been through something of a renovation. While I have no real frame of reference for what the place was like prior to this design upheaval, the result is a lobby and ground floor restaurant that are very stylish and modern without being an assault on the senses. Vibe’s marketing materials go to great pains to communicate that they want guests to feel as though they are in a calm and stress-free space and the tasteful design underlines this perfectly. Everything on the ground floor is very open plan — there’s plenty of room to move about, there are lots of windows to let in natural light and it’s extremely easy to find your way around.
The room itself, one of the hotel’s standard Guest Rooms located on the sixth floor, was exactly what I like in a hotel room. Not too large, but certainly not pokey either. There’s a desk area where I can work with a chair that’s actually comfortable to sit in. There’s a view that is nice to take in but ultimately not distracting (though the combination of air-con and the hilariously hot weather in Sydney that weekend meant my window was frequently a mask of condensation). The TV was well-positioned and unobtrusive.
The bathroom had everything I needed was itself quite roomy. There were plenty of power points throughout the room, each of them equipped with a USB port, a sensible and modern touch that, as someone with no shortage of devices that need charging, was greatly appreciated. There was even complimentary wi-fi in every room! But all of that pales in comparison to the King Size bed in the centre of the room which was one of the comfier hotel bed I’ve ever slept on. Neither too hard or too soft, I was able to get a great night’s sleep and be ready to tackle to convention on Saturday morning.
Speaking of Saturday morning, the restaurant on the ground floor was my first port of call that day. The design of the place was, like the adjacent lobby, very modern and built with serenity in mind. It’s all very open and airy, the windows overlook the park next door as fitness junkies and dog walkers stroll by. The food was your standard continental breakfast buffet — cereals, British breakfast staples of sausages, bacon, scrambled eggs and fried tomatoes, fresh fruit and chilled juices. It’s dangerous to allow me near a buffet where British breakfast is available but I did manage to control myself enough to put together a fruit salad. To get to the restaurant itself you must pass by the hotel bar, another example of Vibe Rushcutters’ new chill feel. Well stocked and always staffed by pleasant and helpful bartenders, I retreated here on Saturday evening after my return from the show.
Before I hit the bar, however, I was under strict instructions from the previous night’s check-in staff member to visit the rooftop recreation area. I am very glad I took her advice. I snuck a peek up there in the morning before I left for the show. I’ll let the photo speak for itself.
I mean, look at it! There was no way I wasn’t coming back here to unwind after work. Next to the pool area is a gymnasium that offers views from the roof into the surrounding area. The gym also overlooks the pool so parents can get their cardio in and keep an eye on the kids if they don’t feel like a dip. It’s all really well planned and, even when I popped back up late in the afternoon, it wasn’t overly crowded. It’s possible the Sydney heatwave was keeping folks in their air-conditioned rooms and I certainly can’t blame them for staying put.
It seems the renovation period has been good for Vibe Rushcutters. As mentioned earlier in this review, their mission statement is that the property is a place of tranquility and escape, and there wasn’t a guest I saw that was having anything less than a relaxing time. My two-night stay was every bit as chill and uncomplicated as I could have hoped for given my busy schedule. Vibe Rushcutters is sensible, it is comfortable, it is reasonably priced. This is a hotel for people who have a preference for function over form and I absolutely look forward to staying again.
Address: 100 Bayswater Rd, Rushcutters Bay NSW 2011
Phone: (02) 8353 8988
More Details: https://www.tfehotels.com/brands/vibe-hotels/vibe-hotel-rushcutters-sydney
The author stayed as a guest of the hotel. Photos provided by the venue.
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