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Hotel Review: Courtyard Sydney North Ryde
I recently stayed at the Courtyard Sydney North Ryde to check out what it was like to stay in a hotel in the middle of one of Sydney's busiest Business Parks. The Courtyard Sydney North Ryde is surprisingly convenient to get to by public transport with the train station (Macquarie Park) just a short 5 minute walk.
On arrival, I was greeted by the friendly team, and offered a glass of sparkling wine to take up to my room! This is a gesture the hotel does for all guests. However, I was actually about to do some training on social media marketing, in one of the meeting rooms, so I had to decline this nice offer!
The Courtyard Sydney North Ryde has bright and welcoming foyer. Considering it is in a Business Park there's quite a lot of greenery on the outside, as well as a lovely courtyard downstairs where guests can enjoy a drink or meal. There is citrus flavoured water on tap for those thirsty guests needing a drink.
I had just enough time to get up to my room before the training session. The room was clean, and I liked the floorboards, a nice change from carpet which you find in many hotels - a lot more hygenic too I think!
The King bed looked very comfortable and I was right in thinking that because I had a great sleep later that night. I also liked how I could actually open the window and have fresh air into my room rather than air conditioning, this really helps me sleep better too. I wish all hotels had this option.
The room has a mini-bar (no wine though), TV, wifi and a lounge, chair and desk. The room is spacious. The bathroom has quite a big shower and plenty of room to layout your toiletries and clothes on the vanity. I was in a King Guest Room.
TRAINING ROOM
There are eight rooms for meetings and Events. Our group was small so we were in a room that seats up to 15. The room had a large screen to hook the laptop up to and is next to the cafe.
THINGS TO DO IN THE AREA
After training, my hostess (Tahlia) and I took off to the movies. We were transported over in the new shuttle and dropped off at Macquarie Shopping Centre. This centre is massive with plenty of shopping, ice skating rink and the movie theatre. We had Gold Class tickets and really enjoyed the luxury of watching a movie in such comfort.
You will be surprised how much there is to do in this area and for a more detailed list just check out this page on Sydney Chic: things to do in Ryde and Homebush.
ORCHARDS RESTAURANT AND BAR
First things first; time for a Mojito thanks to the bar skills of Will. The bar area is relaxing with high tables, lounge chairs and on a nice evening the courtyard area.
Now it was time to sample some of Chef Chetan Aghor's dishes. Chef prepared some tasting plates so we sampled salt and pepper calamari, prawn salad and arancini balls.
Now we probably could have done with just these three dishes alone. I'm a huge fan of calamari so I was very happy that Chef had prepared a plate for us. The calamari was tender and was not oily.
When it comes to prawns, I can't get enough of them! This dish was actually 'pretty' with a combination of salad and a tangy seafood sauce to give the juice prawns a little zest. The prawns were very fresh.
Arancini balls are so nice when they are cooked right! These were fabulous and the presentation, as you can see is impressive.
We finally persuaded Chef to pose for a photo and show off his creations.
ABOUT EXECUTIVE CHEF CHETAN AGHOR
Chef Chetan has been with the Marriott for 2 years now and describes his style as modern Australian, using great Australian produce locally sourced from NSW wherever possible. He likes to use conventional French cooking techniques with Asian influences. he started out as a young inquisitive cook (and still is) training at the Iconic Taj Hotel in Mumbai and IHG. His dream was to travel the seven seas and work onboard a luxury cruise liner. This dream came true and he was fortunate to work with passionate chefs from various backgrounds during his journey onboard Princess Cruises that moulded him into the chef he is today. Reaching the Australian shores about 10 years ago in Melbourne he had the opportunity to work with the best chefs at The Crown Casino (Brasserie by Philippe Mouchel), Hilton South Wharf (Nuevo 37) before making the move to Sydney at “The Shangri-la”. Prior to the joining the Marriott he was in charge for the operation of the award winning Event Centre at “The Star Casino”, Sydney. At the Orchards Restaurant in Courtyard he has a wonderful team of passionate chefs striving for the best, and do what they love the most; cooking! At orchards, the menu changes based on what’s best in season and keep it inspiring with the daily specials board.
Tahlia chose the Tasmanian Salmon which she very much enjoyed, with a salsa and artichoke. I chose the Greek Lamb which was infused with lemon. The lamb was tender and cooked with pink in the middle. I enjoyed the range of vegetables served with it. It is actually a very colourful dish.
For breakfast there is a substantial buffet and eggs can be ordered cooked as required. On a sunny day guests can eat outside in the courtyard and enjoy the sun and plants.
Courtyard Sydney North Ryde is well known for its business clientele, however families visiting Sydney for the weekend will be pleasantly surprised what this hotel offers in the area and also it's a quick trip by train into the CBD without paying CBD hotel prices.
For more information visit the Courtyard Sydney North Ryde website.
