A short break at Sydney's Sheraton on the Park does wonders for a weary parent, writes Vanessa Walker.

What better way to make Friday afternoon fly than the thought of a mini-break at the recently refurbished Terrace Spa Suite at Sydney's five-star Sheraton on the Park, literally a hop, skip and jump away from work?

All day, as I sat at my computer screen, I could sense indulgence just around the corner. As a working mother of two, 24 hours with just my husband – snatched from the jaws of our daily routine – is about as good as it gets.

Earlier in the week we had resolved to take full advantage of the facilities during our stay. The Terrace Spa Suite has access to the Club Lounge, a dedicated lounge with complimentary drinks and canapés, and, naturally, the pool area. I declared I would get up early on the Saturday morning to go for a swim; he said he will probably use the sauna on arrival. There was talk of a couple's run on side-by-side treadmills.

Ha! When we opened the door of the 21st floor suite, and drank in (in this order) the fruit and chocolate platter; wraparound sofa facing a huge flat–screen television, the expansive bed, draped in fine bedlinen, and the marble bathroom with its enormous bathtub and Bulgari toiletries, our resolve started to crumble.

Then my husband called me out onto the terrace and pointed at the view; down onto the treetops of Hyde Park, across the gothic edifice of St Mary's Cathedral and out onto boats bobbing in Middle Harbour. With all this on offer we decided a quick visit to the Club Lounge, a bath and an in–house film would be more 'us'.

I should say here that the Sheraton's colour palette runs from a light mocha to a rich bronzy brown to black – very restrained hues that immediately lull you into a sense of tranquillity. With plush wool carpet, textured wallpaper, silk curtains and many soft furnishings, this is a softly, softly approach. To add some spark – without detracting from serious relaxation – interior designer Joseph Pang was brought in to make over the suite. He's done this with the lightest of touches – by adding teal and golden velvet cushions to the sofa, hanging original artworks on the walls and a jewel-coloured coverlet on the bed.

We left our suite briefly to avail ourselves of the Club Lounge, then it was straight to the bath for me and back to the balcony for my husband. Bulgari's green tea-infused bath bag steeped me in aromatic scents that wafted up from the hot water. Bliss.

The night passed with the kind of quietude I haven't experienced in a long time. Tired parents out there take note: a king-size Sheraton Sweet Sleeper, black-out blinds, and no little bodies hogging the bed are the keys to sanity!

The next morning I had a small incident in the shower, when the shower tap came off in my hand. It had apparently happened before as I could see plumber's twine around the faucet. If I was paying the $3000 per night to stay in the suite, I would have been disappointed – as it was, I consoled myself with breakfast at the Sheraton's in-house Botanica Brasserie. And can I say that after just one night in suite 2107, it was a shock to the system to mingle with the masses again.

Fortunately I was quickly distracted by the buffet on offer: a truly international smorgasbord that ran from the usual fruit and cereals and choice of toast and condiments to sorbet, custom-made designer omelettes and hot Asian-inspired meals. I found it hard to go past eggs benedict and it was superb. I truly wished I had two stomachs.

At this point my husband had to return to real life but I peeled off to enjoy the Sheraton's signature beauty treatment at On the Park Rejuvenation, a Precious Earth facial anti-ageing treatment using Thalgo products. At a room on the 22nd floor, for 75 minutes, I was in heaven as my beauty therapist exfoliated, hydrated, replenished and rolled crystals over my face. All this was accompanied by gorgeous fragrances that wafted throughout the room.

At its conclusion she suggested I just take a seat on the balcony's sunlounger – with yet another view of Hyde Park – and while the afternoon away. A few people were splashing in the pool. I was sorely tempted but in one of the mysteries of parenthood, my life was calling me back.

Sheraton on the Park, 161 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW

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