Wildlife Retreat at Taronga

We loved our night at Taronga, the staff were fantastic and really helpful and friendly, the only reason we have marked it down slighlty was due to the limited bar opening times meaning no where to get food or drinks until lunchtime and after 8.30pm. Our animal view room was amazing overlooking one of the beautiful Koloa's. We would not hesitate to stay here again.

The Wildlife Retreat at Taronga is the best ever! We enjoyed zoo access, night time zoo tour, and sanctuary tour (inner courtyard of the hotel is an animal sanctuary with 2 or 3 koalas and a number of wallaby related marsupials, echidnas and birds. Staff at this non-profit wildlife facility are there because they are passionate, which comes across in ALL of their work. Facility is just 5 years old and brilliantly maintained. The room layouts are contemporary - not large, but brilliantly designed. We enjoyed an animal view room (looking into the sanctuary), but others with zoo views were similarly enthused by their accommodations. The lobby/lounge is breathtaking. Our booking included a great breakfast each day, zoo admission, zoo and sanctuary tours.

Service at check-in and check-out was immaculate. The Retreat is beautiful and unique; the layout is a bit of a maze at first but offers great privacy. The room felt spacious enough, though storage for clothes and bags is limited. It has a wine cooler instead of a real fridge, so don’t rely on it for food. Native tea selection, basic instant coffee, small kettle. Drinks and snacks available in mini-bar. Bathroom design looks great but offers almost no privacy due to sliding louvres and a cubicle-style (yet fancy frosted glass) toilet door. Spacious shower. King bed is a plus, though my side sagged. Interesting pillow choice, requires getting used to. Housekeeping was attentive, and amenities like robes, mirrors, iron, hairdryer, safe, and toiletries were all there. Watching animals from the room, elevator and walkways is a highlight. Breakfast at Me-Gal was handy (I do not recommend food outlets in the zoo), but lacked variety, you can’t make coffee/tea yourself and it was hard to order. Free cold still/sparkling water in the lounge is handy. While lunch and dinner at both Me-Gal and lounge were delicious, room service runs only 5–9 pm. Ordering at lounge wasn’t available when we tried at 9:30, drinks go until 10 pm. City views from the lounge and Me-Gal restaurant are exceptional. Lounge space opens up beautifully on warm days. Free daily sanctuary tours are excellent and highly recommended. Separate guest access to the zoo is appreciated. So is free parking.

Outstanding experience.Spacious well appointed animal view room. Took in all tours including sanctuary and option after hours zoo tour for small charge well worth it. Recommend for a great 1 night stay with zoo access.

Excellent service from all the staff at the retreat. They seem really passionate about what they do. Stayed at the animal view room and we were able to see a koala right outside our room. There were echidnas and wallabies roaming around too. Guests at the hotel also get complimentary entrance to the zoo which was awesome. The view at Me Gal was superb as we were able to see Sydney bridge and the Opera House.

We had a wonderful one night stay at the Wildlife Retreat. From the moment we checked in, we were well looked after and in awe of the beauty and peacefulness of this place. Breakfast was amazing - food was high quality and the view was spectacular! The only negative was the dinner we had at the lounge bar - nothing to rave about and the chicken burgers were dry and made of thigh meat (for $31 would expect breast fillet). If I knew it was thigh we wouldn’t have ordered it. The pizza was very average and way too cheesy. The wine was spot on though! Overall, would highly recommend to stay at this retreat - we loved it 😃

Staying at the Wildlife Retreat at Taronga Zoo was a wonderful experience. We had access to the zoo for the entire duration of our stay. Our room had a view of the Harbour Bridge and we overlooked the Grey Kangaroo exhibit. The on-site Me-Gal restaurant overlooks the harbour. This is where we had our daily breakfast (included in the price of our stay) and a wonderful dinner. Free carpark was a bonus. A ferry service and buses are available for those wishing to go into the CBD. Very friendly helpful staff. Would highly recommend staying here for a unique experience.

We had an amazing stay. Waking up with the koalas was unreal. We would enjoy time in the lobby looking over the city. I participated in the night tour and saw more animals out and about in the cool air. Really enjoyed our stay and found the buses were convenient for getting out to beaches like Manly and Balmoral. Not only is the food fantastic, the restaurant has an even better view of the harbour!

We booked The Wildlife Retreat as a surprise offering on our search for Sydney. 30 mins from the airport by car, 12 minute ferry to the centre of the city. Location is great with superb views over the city. We found out most people only stay a night or two. We stayed 4 and that felt like the minimum to really appreciate all the property has to offer. Good and drink was excellent, although the bar opened late and closed early, getting a coffee after breakfast meant going into the zoo itself. Included in a stay is a tour of the retreat with the keepers, seeing the potteroos, pademelons, koalas were a real treat. Also included are yours of the zoo before it opens to the public, a real treat as the animals really wake up. If you are lucky like us you will see Mackenzie the resident platypus. Each time we saw him we felt special. The only criticism was the service in the restaurant, we prefer attentive, but unobtrusive. Instead we were consistently asked if they may take this plate of that glass and if we were enjoying our meal. Also when having coffee we would ask for non-sugar sweeteners & would either get a sachet of sugar or nothing at all. This however did not take away from the overall experience. We loved it and will return for another 4 nights in the future.

Wonderful staff- everyone was very kind and helpful. Breakfast was stellar! Could benefit from more options for food throughout the day (from the lounge.) Excellent stay overall- beautiful rooms. Perfect place to come with the family after long flights and overcoming jet lag- nice to come and go to the zoo without having to navigate transportation, driving, parking, etc.

The air conditioning didn’t seem to work well so the room was humid but we could sleep. The floor was a bit sticky when we got there but when housekeeping came, it was better. Other than that, the place was amazing. The tours, tour guides (special thanks to Abbey for taking us on two separate tours) and front desk staff were extremely kind and accommodating. The lobby was so nice we spent a few evenings snacking on food and watching the sunset. We loved every minute of our stay and would absolutely stay here again. Amazing place and a highlight of our stay in Australia. Great job Taronga Wildlife Retreat!!!

The chairs in the restaurant are worn out and dirty. The windows are dirty in the restaurant from kids and people touch the windows. I do not expect to go to a high end quality restaurants and sit in dirty worn out chairs and view the beautiful harbor through dirty windows.

Easy access in and out to the zoo. Excellent breakfast buffet, Nice dinner menu at the hotel resort, but limited for kids. Some guests used Uber eats to satisfy the picky eaters.(kids) excellent hotel staff went above and beyond. fantastic views from the restaurant level of Sydney Harbor. Nice sunset views of the skyline. all around excellent stay no issues. Just watch out for the cobwebs in the outer hallways.

Excellent customer service. The reception area carpet and floor need a good clean

Loved the setting of Taronga zoo. The magical views. The peace and quiet. The bird and animal noises. The native vegetation and native animals especially. Also enjoyed the two guided tours by well informed engaging staff. The meal at the restaurant was absolutely delicious - with the best view in the house👏service by drinks waiter Scott was top class. Also by hospitality. The only thing we weren’t happy with was the truely awful ?musty smell in our room (242) which we reported to reception on checking-out! Also suggested having two small swivel chairs in the room as would make it easier to watch TV (news) instead of straining one’s neck.. Thank you for having us. Lorraine McGee-Sippel and Kevin Sippel

Clean room and excellent front desk staff

room was tidy, most staff were courteous.

The Wildlife Retreat at Taronga Zoo is in a stunning location, but our stay had some drawbacks. The room was smaller than expected, and we found small spiders, which detracted from the overall comfort. Despite booking an animal-view room, we only managed to spot one koala during our stay. While the idea of staying near wildlife is appealing, the experience didn’t quite meet expectations.

Beautifully acquainted and modern rooms, spacious bathroom. Beautiful main lobby area and bar which makes it a great place to relax and enjoy the city views. Cleanliness was good but the floor

Clean

The hotel was clean and safe. The sanctuary and the animals were awesome! The staff was great! Dining options were limited. We could hear the neighbours through the door between the rooms. The extrabed was narrow. Otherwise everything else was good!

Service at check-in and check-out was immaculate. The Retreat is beautiful and unique; the layout is a bit of a maze at first but offers great privacy. The room felt spacious enough, though storage for clothes and bags is limited. It has a wine cooler instead of a real fridge, so don’t rely on it for food. Native tea selection, basic instant coffee, small kettle. Drinks and snacks available in mini-bar. Bathroom design looks great but offers almost no privacy due to sliding louvres and a cubicle-style (yet fancy frosted glass) toilet door. Spacious shower. King bed is a plus, though my side sagged. Interesting pillow choice, requires getting used to. Housekeeping was attentive, and amenities like robes, mirrors, iron, hairdryer, safe, and toiletries were all there. Watching animals from the room, elevator and walkways is a highlight. Breakfast at Me-Gal was handy (I do not recommend food outlets in the zoo), but lacked variety, you can’t make coffee/tea yourself and it was hard to order. Free cold still/sparkling water in the lounge is handy. While lunch and dinner at both Me-Gal and lounge were delicious, room service runs only 5–9 pm. Ordering at lounge wasn’t available when we tried at 9:30, drinks go until 10 pm. City views from the lounge and Me-Gal restaurant are exceptional. Lounge space opens up beautifully on warm days. Free daily sanctuary tours are excellent and highly recommended. Separate guest access to the zoo is appreciated. So is free parking.

Outstanding experience.Spacious well appointed animal view room. Took in all tours including sanctuary and option after hours zoo tour for small charge well worth it. Recommend for a great 1 night stay with zoo access.

Views are amazing! Room was very comfortable. We had an issue with the air conditioning but after talking with reception, it was just user error. They were very nice in walking us through it. I pad in room has all of the retreat/room information. Many lighting options throughout the room. Tours in the retreat and zoo were very good and I highly recommend them. Our after-hours zoo tour got cut short by a storm that quickly came in but was very good up until then!

From the moment i checked in until the moment i collected my bags (several hourse after checkout) my stay was faultless. Every staff memeber i encountered at the retreat was fantastic, from the check in team, the Me-Gal staff and the tour giude. One of my top three hotel experiences ever! The sanctuary tour was fun and informative and do yourself a favour and book the $25 after dark zoo tour. The rooms themselves are beautiful with not only a fantastic view of the sanctuary, but also the harbour. I will definitely be back!

An absolutely amazing stay! The room is a bit on the smaller side but we were barely in it with the gorgeous views in the lobby and zoo tours so it made no difference. We had fabulous views of Matteo the koala right outside our room too.

Very Unique experience with wildlife right outside your window! Comfy, high end rooms and unbeatable views too!

This place is unreal! Amazing accommodation in a fantastic zoo with easily the best view of Sydney! You have to stay at this place - you will not regret it!

Beautifully acquainted and modern rooms, spacious bathroom. Beautiful main lobby area and bar which makes it a great place to relax and enjoy the city views. Cleanliness was good but the floor

Service was excellent and of course staying at zoo is amazing experience. Though couch in our room was filthy and air con has limited settings. It’s expensive but the money is going to animals so I’m guessing that’s why, because I’d never pay a price like this for the room type. The personal tours were great.

The staff at this hotel is on another level! From check-in to check out, we felt like royalty! Highly recommend if in Sydney

We were a little concerned about being outside the CBD however the ferry from the Retreat was a quick good option. The property is amazing. The people there are incredibly helpful . The Retreat tour was amazing. We got to see all the animals there and in the zoo that we didn’t see while traveling. We booked a koala view room and were delighted to see a koala at various times during the day and evening. The onsite restaurant is very good. Only negative was the service was very slow. Our waiter gave us free dessert without us asking because he realize we had sat for a while. The good part of that is we had extra time to see the incredible view of Sydney and the opera house!!

This resort deserves a five star review.The welcoming staff go above and beyond to make your stay amazing, the Me-Gal restaurant were very knowledgeable and accommodating as I am coeliac, our meal was outstanding and breakfast just as delicious. We had the bushland view room which still had an amazing view, was very comfortable and the bathroom was lovely. Being able to park easily at the zoo and have access to wonder around on both checkin and checkout days made this overnight stay feel like a full weekend away. We will definitely be back

We booked 3 x rooms to celebrate my daughter’s 21st birthday. The venue and experience was more than expected!! The check-in was smooth and hassle-free. We were offered a complimentary night tour of the zoo as well as the sanctuary tour that same afternoon. Breakfast menu had variety and quality. Restaurant staff were courteous and polite - except 1 who spoilt the morning breakfast service.

Absolutely incredible. The staff were amazing, especially Francine and Dale. The food at the Me Gal was phenomenal. And the residents at the sanctuary? The best.

This property is one of best i have stayed at. I would of given it all 5 stars, but I didn’t think the bathroom was clean enough, and the Manager ( I think) of the restaurant was rude to us, when there was a little problem with a reservation- ( nothing to do with us, and not a problem for them to fit us in) Everyone else was amazing.

Our stay was great! Room was lovely and clean. Staff were friendly and welcoming and we got to have a sanctuary tour. The only negative thing was ordering a coffee at breakfast but never getting it despite following up with the staff.

This is an amazing hotel and I’m so thankful we discovered it and didn’t stay at a downtown location. Convenient location with beautiful views. You can literally walk off the property and straight into the zoo. There is also a convenient ferry to Sydney located at the zoo entrance. We had several koalas in the tree directly off our room along with other fun Australian critters. The staff is the best and everyone was very helpful. A young lady at the front desk named Izzy went out of her way to answer our many questions. She’s a great employee and needs to be on the board of directors or at least get a huge raise. This is an amazing hotel and I highly recommend it for a 3-4 day vacation.

Every thing was perfect except the staff came across as too pretentious. Would I go back, definitely, but I’ll avoid the staff as much as possible.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 – Another Wonderful Stay at the Wildlife Retreat, Taronga Zoo My stays at the Wildlife Retreat at Taronga Zoo are always exceptional, and this visit was no different. Everything—from the warm welcome at reception to the beautifully presented rooms and the peaceful surroundings—was excellent all round. A special thank you to Jane at reception for her friendly and professional service, and to Helen and Audrey, the zoo guides, for their wonderful knowledge and engaging tours. Their passion and care truly make the experience memorable. Excellent service, comfortable stay, and an unforgettable connection with the animals as always. I look forward to returning again soon!

Great staff and amazing location

空港からタクシーで30分位でしょうか？ サーキュラー港迄も船で行けます。帰りサーキュラー港から宿に夕方戻る時夜景が綺麗なのでぜひ乗って帰ったら良いと思います。 バス停が目の前にあったのに解らずUber呼びましたが，比較的すぐにきました。

Loved the proximity to the ferry. Just 12 minutes to the opera house and harbor bridge.

The staff is amazing at this resort! It is beautiful as well. We loved our koala buddy right outside our room’s windows. Being able to get in and out of the zoo anytime we wanted was a great park as was the free sanctuary tour. We had one evening. We also enjoyed an early morning tour that was included – the guides are super knowledgeable, interesting and friendly. Breakfast is lovely in the.Mi Gal restaurant with lots of variety. Coffees tended to be not as hot as we liked, but when we asked if they could make them hotter, they did and were great. The view is wonderful and a great start to a day of adventures. Dinner options are only at this restaurant – it is beautiful and the food was not bad but not as great as we had read them to be. We had fabulous meals all over Australia so I do feel like we had plenty of comparison. There is room service, but the menu is limited. It is nice to eat lunch in the lobby area from the small bar there looking at over the harbor the hamburger and chicken burger we had were quite good. It is easy to walk up to the bus stop and catch the shuttle down to the ferry stop. The ferry goes straight across the harbor to circular quay. We did go to a play at the Opera House one evening – do you know that you will have to catch the bus to get back to the resort as the ferry will not be running once it’s dark. The bus took almost an hour to get back. Taranga is the last stop it appears!

Staying at the Wildlife Retreat at Taronga Zoo was a wonderful experience. We had access to the zoo for the entire duration of our stay. Our room had a view of the Harbour Bridge and we overlooked the Grey Kangaroo exhibit. The on-site Me-Gal restaurant overlooks the harbour. This is where we had our daily breakfast (included in the price of our stay) and a wonderful dinner. Free carpark was a bonus. A ferry service and buses are available for those wishing to go into the CBD. Very friendly helpful staff. Would highly recommend staying here for a unique experience.

This is an amazing hotel and I’m so thankful we discovered it and didn’t stay at a downtown location. Convenient location with beautiful views. You can literally walk off the property and straight into the zoo. There is also a convenient ferry to Sydney located at the zoo entrance. We had several koalas in the tree directly off our room along with other fun Australian critters. The staff is the best and everyone was very helpful. A young lady at the front desk named Izzy went out of her way to answer our many questions. She’s a great employee and needs to be on the board of directors or at least get a huge raise. This is an amazing hotel and I highly recommend it for a 3-4 day vacation.

Great position and fabulous views of Sydney Harbour

We had an amazing stay. Waking up with the koalas was unreal. We would enjoy time in the lobby looking over the city. I participated in the night tour and saw more animals out and about in the cool air. Really enjoyed our stay and found the buses were convenient for getting out to beaches like Manly and Balmoral. Not only is the food fantastic, the restaurant has an even better view of the harbour!

We booked The Wildlife Retreat as a surprise offering on our search for Sydney. 30 mins from the airport by car, 12 minute ferry to the centre of the city. Location is great with superb views over the city. We found out most people only stay a night or two. We stayed 4 and that felt like the minimum to really appreciate all the property has to offer. Good and drink was excellent, although the bar opened late and closed early, getting a coffee after breakfast meant going into the zoo itself. Included in a stay is a tour of the retreat with the keepers, seeing the potteroos, pademelons, koalas were a real treat. Also included are yours of the zoo before it opens to the public, a real treat as the animals really wake up. If you are lucky like us you will see Mackenzie the resident platypus. Each time we saw him we felt special. The only criticism was the service in the restaurant, we prefer attentive, but unobtrusive. Instead we were consistently asked if they may take this plate of that glass and if we were enjoying our meal. Also when having coffee we would ask for non-sugar sweeteners & would either get a sachet of sugar or nothing at all. This however did not take away from the overall experience. We loved it and will return for another 4 nights in the future.

This hotel is amazing! This is a unique place where you can wake up watching kangaroos or koalas from your room. The breakfast is very good- restaurant on site is amazing. The view from the lobby is spectacular. The decor is beautiful - room and bathroom are great The staff is sooo nice! Very attentive Access by ferry to the Opera house I will recommend this hotel to anyone who loves animals and comes to visit Sydney I will come back for sure

This is an amazing place and experience like no other. Amazing architecture and obvious thought and consideration going into every decorating detail. Unlike others we had a terrific experience with dinner service. It is only held back by mediocre breakfast service with no one clearing dishes or asking for additional drink orders. There is also visible garbage bins in the alley next to the room access that could easily be covered with a bamboo cover.

Easy access in and out to the zoo. Excellent breakfast buffet, Nice dinner menu at the hotel resort, but limited for kids. Some guests used Uber eats to satisfy the picky eaters.(kids) excellent hotel staff went above and beyond. fantastic views from the restaurant level of Sydney Harbor. Nice sunset views of the skyline. all around excellent stay no issues. Just watch out for the cobwebs in the outer hallways.

The breakfast buffet had options galore and the onsite barista was amazing.

Highly recommend the Wildlife Retreat at Taronga Zoo. We loved everything about it! We had a sanctuary view room and enjoyed watching the koala outside our room balcony. The service and tours were great. Dinner at Me-Gal was excellent, and drinks from the bay in the lobby lounge were good too.

We booked 3 x rooms to celebrate my daughter’s 21st birthday. The venue and experience was more than expected!! The check-in was smooth and hassle-free. We were offered a complimentary night tour of the zoo as well as the sanctuary tour that same afternoon. Breakfast menu had variety and quality. Restaurant staff were courteous and polite - except 1 who spoilt the morning breakfast service.

Love the view and convenience of the zoo. Disappointed with food and dinning options. Breakfast was a let down. The best staff was andrew the tour guy. He was friendly and very knowledgeable.

We had a wonderful one night stay at the Wildlife Retreat. From the moment we checked in, we were well looked after and in awe of the beauty and peacefulness of this place. Breakfast was amazing - food was high quality and the view was spectacular! The only negative was the dinner we had at the lounge bar - nothing to rave about and the chicken burgers were dry and made of thigh meat (for $31 would expect breast fillet). If I knew it was thigh we wouldn’t have ordered it. The pizza was very average and way too cheesy. The wine was spot on though! Overall, would highly recommend to stay at this retreat - we loved it 😃

We had an amazing stay. Waking up with the koalas was unreal. We would enjoy time in the lobby looking over the city. I participated in the night tour and saw more animals out and about in the cool air. Really enjoyed our stay and found the buses were convenient for getting out to beaches like Manly and Balmoral. Not only is the food fantastic, the restaurant has an even better view of the harbour!

At breakfast there was no intro about where everything was and nothing was stocked. There was no butter and no milk for cereal, it took over 10mins for these to be replenished

Wonderful staff- everyone was very kind and helpful. Breakfast was stellar! Could benefit from more options for food throughout the day (from the lounge.) Excellent stay overall- beautiful rooms. Perfect place to come with the family after long flights and overcoming jet lag- nice to come and go to the zoo without having to navigate transportation, driving, parking, etc.