The hidden Sydney gem that will help you fall in love with the city again

I'm now at the stage of life where BK looms large when we talk about any opportunities for the two of us to get away.

Before kids.

Remember when we nipped over to Melbourne for the weekend. Remember when we lived in London and popped over to Barcelona for $50 return. Remember when we went out for dinner just the two of us….

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We've always loved city breaks, but as the kids' commitments have increased, it has become harder for the two of us to get away.

So we decided to give a Sydney staycation a go. And the more we thought about it the more it made sense. We rarely venture into the city these days and we sometimes forget what an incredible place it is.

It would mean we could get away but still manage our daughter's Saturday morning swimming lessons and son's Sunday afternoon soccer.

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And as luck would have it, in the run up to our trip one of our kids was sick and missed school. Had we been flying away somewhere we may have thought twice about it. As it was we felt reassured we could easily get home if needed.

It also ties into two key events: our wedding anniversary and a visit from the grandparents, meaning easy babysitters available. A rare luxury.

A step back into style

We were booked to stay in the Intercontinental Sydney, a short walk from Circular Quay. We wanted to arrive via ferry, as, lets be honest, is there any more wonderful way to travel in the world?

Arriving from Circular Quay the Intercontinental is at first glance a fairly brutalist, concrete tower. But if you arrived from the other side you take in the beautifully restored Treasury Building, which forms the other main part of the hotel.

And it is this mix of the modern and the traditional which is a huge part of the hotel's charm and appeal. And the view from the roof bar? Well we'll get to that later.

After checking in to a warm welcome, we grabbed a quick drink in the Treasury building. It was a nice relaxed atmosphere for a Saturday afternoon, with the mix of guests from a nearby wedding, hotel residents and shoppers taking a break from the chaos.

The Treasury Building is a wonderful space, with the beautiful sandstone building dating back to 1851.

It is Sydney's first purpose-built government office and was designed just at the onset of the gold rush - which feels apt given that only 100 metres away or so at the ABC Bullion queues are often out the door.

More than that, the heritage-listed Treasury Building gives the hotel a real heart, both physically and figuratively.

We stayed in a suite on floor 28. The view was breathtaking, taking in the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, while also stretching east out to sea.

Sydneysiders can be guilty of taking our wonderful city for granted. But these views remind you what an amazing place it is.

The suite and bedroom was spacious and stylish. Everything about it was airy and open. While it was happy for the view to be the star, the room provided an elegant and ultra-comfortable setting.

With the Suite Experience providing a bottle of Champagne on arrival, it would have been rude not to kick back with a glass and stretch out on the built-in window seat to take in what was a classic Sydney summer blue sky.

Sydney still comes alive at night

For dinner we headed into the CBD. The city was buzzing, swelled by tourists for Lunar New Year, and we had reservations at Osteria Luna, a new Italian restaurant which sits under the Charles Brasserie and Bar in a beautiful art deco building.

It's a fun place, with old-fashioned Italian fare and killer cocktails. By the time we left the queue was up the stairs.

Usually we would have headed for a drink afterwards. Maybe the Library Bar, a hidden gem at the top of the State Library, or an old favourite, The Baxter Inn.

But we had reservations back at The Intercontinental, at the Aster rooftop bar. The bar, which sits on Level 32, is open for guests and non-guests but a reservation is essential.

With windows flung open, the fist thing to notice as you are escorted to your seats is the view, taking in the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and Royal Botanic Gardens.

Sydney transforms at night, especially in the summer, with boats lighting up the harbour and the breeze never dropping below comfortably warm

It's an incredible setting. I suspect it's not that widely known among Sydneysiders but that will likely soon change. It'll definitely be a place we take visitors and family from overseas in the future.

The cocktails are imaginative and delicious. We passed on the 'Whisper Of Gold' - served with a 5-gram tablet of ABC Gold Bullion, yours for $1200. Although given gold's meteoric rise in price in the last six months maybe that would have been a wise investment.

Instead, I plumped for a Storm On The Sea - an intense 12-year-old Glenfiddich, balanced out by watermelon. Trust me, it works. My partner opted for an Ocean Fizz, a play on the Ramos Gin Fizz.

What I really liked about the bar is that you could walk outside onto the balcony into the fresh air, and relax with your drink. Too often in hotel roof bars you are barricaded in by glass. A DJ in the corner completed the vibe, which never ticked over chilled.

The perfect morning

After a great night's sleep, buoyed by the knowledge the kids wouldn't be running through to wake us at 6am, it was a slow, sleepy start to the day. But with a 1pm checkout, it didn't feel as if that was the end of the trip.

We went for a quick workout in the gym, followed by a swim in the heated indoor pool on level 28, followed by a sauna.

Breakfast was on the Conservatory, looking over the Treasury Building Bar, with a warren of dining rooms and the pantry scattered around a corner.

Again, I liked the fact this made use of its odd space. The hotel is sleek and stylish, but the charm of the Treasury building is its quirkiness and heritage and the Conservatory made the most of this.

Breakfast was excellent. It was included in our package but costs $50 otherwise. That is steep for a breakfast but as a special occasion, again I would say it was worth it.

The kids would enjoy the 'donut wall', while there was everything else you would expect from luxury five-star hotel, from dim sums to ample vegetarian options. Eggs to order were freshly cooked and poached perfectly.

While usually we would be heading home, we still had three hours before checkout.

It was a glorious morning so we headed out to walk around the Botanical Gardens. It is such an incredible place, and every time we go back there seems to be a new element to it.

But the contrast between the craziness and chaos of Circular Quay to the cool rainforest paths just metres away is worldly.

It was such a great way to while away a few hours, while still having time to head to our room, grab a cup of tea, read the papers for 30 minutes and then, finally, reluctantly, check out.

While checking out, I was helped by the same employee who had checked me in the previous day. They remembered my name. It is the small touches like that which really go a long way as a guest.

We had felt looked after throughout our stay. We felt special - not just with the service but with the quality of the experience and, of course, the incredible views.

A concession is some guests may be disappointed there is no spa offering. And you have to pay extra for access to the Club Lounge on level 32.

The verdict

What we loved was the juxtaposition of it all. The quiet and calm of the room, compared to the chaos of the city and the hustle of the rooftop bar.

The elegance and tradition of the Treasury building, compared to the sleek exterior brutalism of the main hotel, which has its own fascinating history.

And above all, it reintroduced us to the city. Wonderful Sydney, often, and unfairly,  much-maligned when compared to Melbourne, slowly coming back to life after the end of the lockout laws. But still one of the great places to be, and one of the great cities to enjoy.

And, of course, there was only one way to exit.

Back out onto the ferry and across the water, to make the short trip home. Happy, once again to be After Kids, but it was fun to be reminded a little bit of BK, if only for 24 hours.

The writer was a guest of Intercontinental Sydney. All other expenses were met by the writer.