Parramatta is buzzing. It’s got a light rail that takes people from one end of the city to the other and down Church Street, which is jam-packed with restaurants (every cuisine you can think of). There’s a cool town square; the Riverside Theatres; Western Sydney Stadium; a walk and cycle path that runs all the way along the river; Nick & Nora’s sky-high bar; Sydney’s most delicious array of Indian restaurants nearby in Harris Park; and an absolutely delightful riverside restaurant called Misc. If you want to make the most of all that Sydney’s second CBD has going for it, there’s no better place to stay than Parkroyal Parramatta, which is a lovely stay smack-bang in the middle of the action. You can easily walk to every one of the places I just mentioned.
Why stay at Parkroyal Parramatta?
The Parkroyal is in the heart of Parramatta – on Phillip Street, near the corner of the restaurant-lined Church Street, which heads straight to the river. It’s close to the ferry, train station and light rail. It’s close to CommBank Stadium (but also Olympic Park's venues), the Riverside Theatres, the Westfield, Parramatta Park, and all the nature and heritage landmarks you might want to (should) explore. Most of the hotel's rooms have recently been refurbed – really beautifully – and the hotel has all the facilities you might be after: a pool, a gym, 24-hour room service from the ground-floor bar, buffet breakfast from the on-site restaurant, WiFi, large flat-screen TVs and more.
What are the rooms like at Parkroyal Parramatta?
Two-thirds of this hotel’s rooms have been recently refurbished. Designer John Dunn of IDC Designs has introduced carpets that echo the intricate patterns of scribbly gum bark, and feature walls decorated in watercolour graphics celebrating wattle. These abstract design features help give you a sense of place even though you’re in a modern hotel, playing on the fact that the accommodation is just a short wander from the wattle and gum trees of Parramatta River’s edge. All rooms have a view – either a city view or river view, or both.
The bathrooms are also really nice – they’re covered in terrazzo-lookalike surfaces, with smart mirrors, rain showers, and even filtered water taps.
My room is on the 11th floor (second from the top) and I’m on a corner, so I have views over Phillip Street and also of bustling Church Street. From up here you can see small heritage buildings in among the shiny new ones, and I cross my fingers in hope they protect the beautiful old ones as the rest of the city develops around them.
While the rooms are looking fresh, I should warn you that the room refurbs are the first phase of renovation for the hotel – so the hotel lobby could do with some sprucing up. Enhancements to the lobby and facilities are due for completion in the coming months, but after staying here myself, I’d say don’t wait for that to visit. The rooms are the more impactful part of your stay – while I’m here, I spend 98 per cent of my time in the room and only few minutes in the lobby. Keen to see what they do with the rest of the place, though!
Where to eat and drink at Park Royal Parramatta
The hotel has three venues: Bar 30 & Bistro on the ground floor (just inside the hotel’s entrance), Table 30 (a more formal restaurant on level one), and the Club Lounge (which is only accessible for guests of certain room types).
Table 30 is where they serve a full buffet breakfast (egg/omelette station included). I’ve had more than my fair share of breakfast buffets around the world and this one is good. They also serve dinner in the restaurant from Monday to Saturday – the menu features a range of steak, pasta and seafood dishes. While we have a nice experience here, there are so many absolutely outstanding places to dine in Parramatta, just a short walk away.
The Club Lounge is cool – it’s open to certain guests all day for non-alcoholic refreshments, and then you can visit for complimentary drinks and canapés from 5.30pm to 7.30pm each day (how good!). The Club Lounge space also hosts a bottomless high tea experience with unlimited sparking, sandwiches and more. But if I had to choose my favourite venue at the Parkroyal, it’d be Bar 30, which comes with more vibe, more interesting décor, food service from lunch through to 10pm, and the sorts of bistro classics you want from a hotel bar: a wagyu beef burger, a club sandwich, chicken schnitty, pizzas…
The hotel is also super well equipped for events, with 13 meeting and events spaces, and plenty of room at the Table 30 restaurant.
What’s the service like at Parkroyal Parramatta?
The service is excellent! There are friendly front-desk staff, hospitality pros with personality (say hi to Freddy and Sam at the bar if they’re there), and 24-hour room service (love). We rang up for a dental kit while we were there (whoops, forgot my toothbrush!) and they delivered it within a few minutes.
What facilities does Parkroyal Parramatta have?
As well as the restaurant, bar and Club Lounge, there’s an outdoor pool, a gym, 24-hour room service, buffet breakfast, WiFi, large flat-screen TVs, in-room coffee machines, rain showers and more.
What’s the area like around Parkroyal Parramatta?
So good! You’re literally a five- to 15-minute walk to all of this and more: the river and the Australian Heritage Walk that runs alongside it; beautiful Parramatta Park, which is home to Old Government House; all the restaurants lining Church Street (you’re so spoilt for choice with dining and drinking options); the Riverside Theatres; Western Sydney Stadium; one of Sydney's very best bars, Nick & Nora’s; the town square and train station, ferry stop and light rail.
Who should book a stay at Parkroyal Parramatta?
Anyone going to a game at Western Sydney Stadium (or Olympic Park), anyone seeing a show at Riverside Theatres, anyone wanting to explore Parramatta (which I’d recommend!) and anyone who needs a Western Sydney base. You’re near every form of transport so you can easily go further west, all the way to the beautiful Blue Mountains, from here.
Address: 30 Phillip St, Parramatta NSW 2150
Price per night: Prices start from around $360 per night
Closest transport link: All of them! Parramatta Train Station is a short walk away. So is the ferry, Parramatta Light Rail, and plenty of bus routes.
Book now: Click here
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