If there is one thing this Sydney gal loves, it’s a hotel staycation. To me, there is nothing better than packing up an overnight bag, jumping on the train and heading into the city, checking into a beautiful hotel and having a gorgeous date night ahead, followed by a lush sleep in. My boyfriend and I just spent one night at Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney in a King Bed Deluxe Room and it managed to tick all of these boxes. We visited with the intention of having a romantic city escape, centering ourselves in the hotel and then visiting some iconic city spots for a date night. From location, amenities, views, food and more, this hotel truly had it all for an overnight city escape. Here is my full Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney review and guide to this new Sydney hotel!
Disclosure: This stay was gifted. As always, all opinions and experiences shared are entirely my own.
Location & Getting There
The Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney is located in Haymarket in the heart of Chinatown. Central Station, one of Sydney’s core public transport hubs, is just a 10 minute walk away or 0.2 km.
For our stay, we got the train in from Sutherland to Central which took about 30 minutes, and then the hotel was just a short 10 minute walk away. It’s very flat in the area, so we did not feel the need to get an Uber or taxi to the hotel from Central, as our wheely suitcases were super easy to walk there with. Sydney Central is actually Australia’s largest and busiest railway network, connecting trains, the light rail, metro and multiple transfers. If you are coming to or from Sydney Airport, it’s just 7.5 km away with frequent train services between Mascot (the airport) and Central. There is also parking available if you choose to drive at Market City car park via Wilson Parking, located at 2 Quay Street Haymarket.
We absolutely loved the location! The Capitol Square Light Rail stop is just a one minute walk from Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney. This connects you to Central, Darling Harbour and Chinatown. We loved getting the light rail into Darling Harbour and exploring the beautiful area and Barangaroo.
Checking in
On the day of our stay, we were invited via email to check in online. We did so, and to our surprise at 1 pm (which was two hours before the official check in time of 3 pm) we received an email saying our room was already ready! We then headed into the city two hours ahead of schedule and had more time to start our staycation.
As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by the incredibly friendly staff. The reception was warm, spotlessly clean and had a very cool vibe that felt different from other hotel receptions which can sometimes feel a bit clinical. Check in was a breeze and we were provided two room keys along with information about the hotel and the surrounding area.
I also noticed at reception they had amenities to take that you wouldn’t usually find at hotels, like toothbrushes and combs. I loved this touch as it reduces waste by only taking what you need, and as a serial forgetter of things this was so handy! We then headed up to our room on the 11th floor.
Our King Bed Deluxe Room
For our one night stay, we had a King Bed Deluxe Room. Our first impression was that the room was incredibly spacious with tons of natural light thanks to the floor to ceiling windows. We had a stunning view of Capitol Theatre and the bustling Haymarket right next door.
The space had gorgeous colourful accents and just felt so bright, vibrant and fun.
Sydney hotels can often be on the smaller side, however this room stood at a generous 23 square metres, with a separate lounge seating area, bedroom and large bathroom.
The bedroom included a king bed with the most lush bedding. As the hotel is quite new, the bedding felt incredibly plush. One small detail I loved was that we had a proper duvet, rather than the usual sheet-and-blanket combination. The linen was divine and we both had one of the best sleeps of our lives.
In the lounge seating area, there was a coffee table, sofa and chair, which was the perfect space to set up our laptops (although we opted to work in the Talk Shop which I’ll share more on later). We had an open plan closet, mini fridge, in-room safe and iron/ ironing board.
I also loved that the TV had Chromecast, so we could watch Netflix. We loved that our room came with a huge selection of teas and coffees as avid tea drinkers. One of the teas was a night/ sleepy tea from The T Bar, which was such a thoughtful touch and felt very intentional to help you unwind and relax.
The bathroom was incredibly spacious, with a rainfall shower, large vanity, hairdryer and Apotheke amenities. We also found slippers here, which is such a cosy touch. When getting ready for date night, the bathroom was perfect with ample space for my makeup bag, a vanity mirror, hairdryer and a full length mirror. Everything felt super functional and well designed.
Finally, I also really appreciated how clean and new everything was. The room was faultless and I can absolutely recommend staying in a deluxe king bed room as part of your Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney experience.
Dining at Talk Shop
One very surprising aspect of our stay was how much we enjoyed spending time in the lounge area of the hotel! While typical hotel lounges can feel like a waiting area designed to make you leave as soon as possible, Talk Shop at Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney does the complete opposite.
Located on level 1, Talk Shop is an all day hangout that is part eatery, part social space and part event venue. Spanning across the level, you will find cosy meeting rooms, plush lounges, a bar, café, restaurant, tons of sofas, games and a dining room. There is incredible natural lighting so the space feels warm and inviting.
After checking in early at 2 pm, we had a bit of work to do as it was a Friday afternoon. We headed down to the meeting room at Talk Shop and this space was stunning. It had a huge conference table with ample plugs in the middle to charge devices. The WiFi was super quick and it was the most beautiful setting to spend a couple of hours wrapping up the work week. We grabbed a delicious iced coffee from the café and time went so quickly.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at Talk Shop and they also have some superb happy hour offers, which is perfect before heading out into Sydney city. On the day of our departure, after checking out at 11 am, we decided to linger a little longer at Talk Shop to extend our holiday. We had another delicious coffee and played a few rounds of chess, which was so relaxing.
We then had lunch which was amazing. We shared the loaded fries with generous lashings of Parmesan, homemade pickles, secret spice, green onion and truffle aioli, plus the chicken Caesar with cos lettuce, chicken breast, smoked bacon, Parmesan, croutons and a soft boiled egg. To drink, I opted for a refreshing cucumber cocktail and my partner got a non-alcoholic cider. We loved how they had a diverse range of non alcoholic and alcoholic beverages.
We also could not resist getting a Hong Kong egg waffle with matcha ice cream, Kit Kat and chocolate sauce. It was the perfect sweet treat!
Things to Do
There are endless things to do in and around Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney. Within the hotel, besides the Talk Shop, there is also a fitness centre which is very well equipped for a workout.
Within Haymarket itself, you are spoilt for choice with the Capitol Theatre over the road for shows, musicals and concerts, Chinatown with so many amazing restaurants, eateries, bars and markets plus Paddy’s Market, Market City and Hay Street all within walking distance.
A short walk, light rail or metro ride away is also the new Sydney Fish Market, an $836 million development and the Southern Hemisphere’s largest seafood market. You are also in a prime position to check out Sydney’s landmarks like Darling Harbour, Barangaroo, Circular Quay, the Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Royal Botanic Garden and so much more. The city really is at your fingertips!
Another must do is getting the ferry from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay. For the price of a ferry ticket, you get some of the most amazing views of Sydney city, including the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and the iconic skyline and harbour.
On our stay, we jumped on the light rail to Darling Harbour and headed to Barangaroo for a romantic steak dinner at The Meat & Wine Co. We then headed up to CIRQ Rooftop Bar and Lounge to watch the sunset and enjoy a delicious cocktail, before grabbing Yo-Chi from Barangaroo and heading back to our hotel to have a cosy night in with some snacks.
Final Thoughts on Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney
Our stay at Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney was absolutely phenomenal. We wanted a romantic staycation in an iconic location and that is exactly what we got. We absolutely loved how vibrant and spacious our king deluxe room was and how well appointed and well-designed it felt. The cosy king size bed was spectacular and our skyline views were amazing. Talk Shop was another huge standout. It was so lovely working there, finishing off the week, enjoying a stunning meal or just hanging out with a coffee. The location is perfect and made our trip into the city and travelling around Sydney so easy.
I genuinely can’t recommend this hotel enough and this Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney review truly reflects how special our stay was!
Book your own stay at Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney here
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