After eight seasons of Married At First Sight, we’ve pretty much nailed down the social experiment’s formula: couple wed, couple fight, couple eventually break up. Actually, that’s harsh, some commit in a final vows ceremony with a lucky few still together today.
It’s that inevitable drama the Channel Nine social experiment offers up that keeps us coming back season after season, because honestly, it’s just fun to watch on screen—albeit when it’s not being super problematic.
While many might believe it’s the MAFS experts and their blatant matching of couples they know won’t get along that results in the inevitable demise of its contestants’ romances, could there be another explanation? Could the surroundings that the couples are thrust into contribute to said relationship expiration dates? And no, not the relationship itself but rather, their new home base.
For the past two MAFS seasons the couples have moved into Sydney’s SKYE Suites, packing into the luxurious hotel block following their weddings, and of those that are successful, staying there up until the final vows—so by all accounts, the luxury suites become very much ‘home’ for the duration of their romances.
Surely, if being put up in one of Sydney’s most sought after locations isn’t enough to keep a couple together, what is? I wanted to find out.
Checking in with my boyfriend for an overnight stay, I put that very theory to the test to see what it would be like to be immersed in the location where these couples attempt to fall in love. As an FYI, my partner and I have been together for six years so are by no means “new”, especially in comparison to the MAFS contestants.
From the get-go, the location screams romance—with the SKYE Suites lobby as luxe as the rooms themselves, featuring a red brick façade, with deep blue velvet furnishings set against a backdrop of silver and mirrored finishes. Checking in here, you definitely get the luuuuurve feeling.
It’s everything you’d expect from an urban retreat, nestled amongst the heart of Sydney’s CBD, with the apartment-style suits fitted with minimalist designer interiors and spacious open-plan layouts with all the comforts of an actual apartment. Basically, it’s the perfect setting for a new couple to get to know each other.
Although, I was a bit disappointed to see our names weren’t on a placard on the door, nor were pictures from our relationship framed across the room. But I digress.
The bedding was spacious and plush (is it too much to say that’s exactly what both new and old couples are looking for in a living space?), the kitchen fully-equipped, with an internal laundry tucked out of sight, alongside a bathroom stocked with Australian-founded products by Kevin Murphy.
While it has all the makings of an ideal first-time apartment for a new couple, I can see how this type of space might not present itself as the best arrangement for two strangers who don’t like each other very much. It’s intimate, a little bit sexy and forces you to be together pretty much all of the time. Literally, a wooden partition is all that separates the living room from the bedroom.
If you don’t happen to be two strangers who have absolutely no desire to be in the same room? It’s perfection.
There’s also a pool and spa area too, which we don’t see MAFS contestants use but having witnessed it first hand it’s definitely somewhere that would wash away the stress of being filmed 24/7. The arched roof and dimly lit area really cement the location’s oasis description.
For a one night stay it definitely felt like a faraway destination, with the balcony providing the quintessential setting for a romantic city dinner. It’s also easy to see its potential for a longer stay, too—with the apartment housing everything you could possibly want for easy convenience (pots, pans, a large enough fridge and even a large sink in a small laundry room).
If you’ve got a recent trip to Sydney planned (Hamilton tickets, maybe?) SKYE Suites is a great pick—even if it has been home to some dramatic MAFS fights over the years.
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