20 Best Hotels in Sydney, New South Wales

Formerly a wool-storage facility, this four-story hotel is an Accor MGallery property, which is a select portfolio of distinctive and individual hotels in Australia. Built in 1887 and converted into a hotel in 1989, the 59-room property has been stripped back to its foundations, exposing its original sandstone and brick. Despite modern furnishings, it still retains its historical character, and the bar (Eric's) and restaurant (Scarlett) are named after a pair of ill-fated lovers—a sailor and the madam of a brothel that stood next door to the hotel in the late 19th century. The lobby resembles a library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined with old tomes, historic photos grace the walls, and the cozy bar doubles as the check-in counter. Five room types range from heritage rooms to the top-floor harbor suite with glorious views of the Opera House. The courtyard terrace on the ground floor is the perfect place to escape the busy streets of The Rocks, filled with greenery and bathed in natural light.

Set in Sydney’s trendy dining and drinking hot spot of Surry Hills—and sharing the former headquarters of Paramount Pictures with the Golden Age Cinema and Bar, Paramount Coffee Project, a rooftop recreation center, and a coworking office space—Paramount House Hotel's loftlike rooms with plant-filled balconies is the coolest place to stay and play in Sydney. Rooms feature kilim rugs, cement ceilings with exposed pipes, and bespoke furnishings, as well as luxe bathrooms with Japanese-style wooden baths, copper pipes, and terrazzo tiles.

Towering above Walsh Bay from its prime position alongside the Sydney Harbour Bridge, this sleek hotel is the place for a room with a bird's-eye view. North-facing rooms overlooking the water are the best; views on the other sides—Darling Harbour, the city, or the eastern suburbs—are less impressive. Rooms are large, modestly opulent, and decorated in pleasing autumnal colors. All have complimentary Wi-Fi. With a private bar and lounge, the Horizon Club floor has impeccable service, with a host to look after your needs. Altitude restaurant and the adjacent Blu Bar at 36 (on the 36th floor) provide terrific views of Sydney Harbour, especially in the evening. There's also an Asian-inspired day spa called CHI, the first of its kind in Australia. Look for deals on one-night stays over weekends.

This luxurious boutique hotel is the gem of inner Sydney. Tucked away in a street lined with stately apartments, and a mere 100 yards from the area's hip restaurants and cafés, this lovingly restored 1892 structure is reminiscent of a Queen Anne Victorian, with all of its nooks and crannies. Each room has a different shape and is furnished in muted autumn tones, with plush drapes, table lamps, fireplaces, king or queen beds, flat-screen TVs, and an array of interesting artwork. The Cloud Suite is the best room in the house, with a double Jacuzzi bath and a DVD. One of the king rooms has a big balcony overlooking the street, and one of the two family rooms has a small courtyard. If you don't want to hike up the stairs, request one of the several ground-floor rooms. A continental breakfast is included in the tariff and is served in a light-filled conservatory.

Set over three adjoining Victorian terraces on a tree-lined street close to Kings Cross and Potts Points, Spicers Potts Point combines heritage charm with modern elegance for a cool and calming retreat right in the middle of things. Bleached oak floors, marble fireplaces, and neutral creams and grays accented with artwork of submerged swimmers combine with a hidden courtyard garden and a light-filled breakfast room to create a chic home-away-from-home feel.

The newest hotel to open in Sydney, this A$1 billion build is unquestionably impressive, especially its location in the heart of Darling Harbour, with water-facing rooms offering sweeping views of the yacht-filled waters from floor-to-ceiling windows. Rooms are unique in their design, featuring egg-shape plunge baths, a stand-alone bar with cocktails, an extra space tucked away as a wardrobe and a chaise lounge to enjoy the view. Chic interiors boast bold colors and sleek design, reflecting the hotel’s signature stylish flair. There's also a trendy rooftop bar, a relaxing spa, and an enclosed rooftop pool with stunning city views allowing guests to swim year-round.

A stylish retreat featuring a unique blend of industrial-chic design and artistic flair, the Ace offers a range of rooms and suites, each thoughtfully designed with modern amenities like high-speed Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and luxurious bedding. The on-site restaurant and bar serve innovative dishes made from locally sourced ingredients, while the rooftop terrace provides panoramic city views.

This hotel apartment complex, several hundred feet from Bondi Beach, includes more than a dozen restaurants, bars, and stores. The lobby is abuzz with holiday makers enjoying a home-away-from-home stay in sleek accommodations, most with fully equipped kitchens and laundry facilities. The 111 rooms comprise 56 one-bedroom apartments, eight two-bedroom, and one three-bedroom apartments; the remainder are studio rooms with microwaves, tea/coffeemaking facilities, and fridges. All have clean, white minimalist looks set off with bright, beachy cushions and wall art. Sofas convert into extra beds while lounge and bedroom have flat-screen TVs; all have balconies. There's a lap pool, Jacuzzi, and small gym, and a grocery store and wine store just across the road. The beach is a five-minute walk away along a street lined with restaurants, ice-cream parlors, and bars. There's limited free Wi-Fi in the lobby.

This hotel is opposite Coogee Beach and has many rooms with balconies looking out to fabulous ocean views. The rooms are bright and spacious and there's a heated outdoor pool, on-site tennis court, and well-equipped gym as well as secure undercover parking). Shutters, the on-site bar and restaurant is a great place for a cocktail or casual meal. While not quite as buzzy as Bondi, Coogee has a great selection of cafés and restaurants and they are all within a few minutes' stroll from the hotel. If you do want to head to Bondi it's only a short taxi drive away, or step out on the clifftop walking trail via Clovelly and Bronte Beach—it's a fantastic half-day walk.

This serviced-apartment hotel is one of Sydney's swankiest places to stay. Suites are contained in a gleaming 42-story tower (with just seven suites per floor) in central Sydney, just a few minutes' walk from Town Hall. Two amazing penthouses offer fantastic views over Darling Harbour just to the west. The design is ultrahip, from the 18-foot rainfall chandelier that dangles above you in the lobby to the 20-meter lap pool with a glass floor looking down into the Regent Place shopping precinct below. Daily breakfast in served in the The Mezzanine and room service, from an extensive menu, is served after 6:30 pm, but there is no on-site restaurant for other meals. Of the 201 rooms, the 146 suites have a kitchenette or fully equipped kitchen, and several eateries are located in Regent Square, just a short elevator ride away on the ground floor.

At this landmark hotel in downtown Sydney you enter a spacious, light-filled lobby displaying a stunning four-story sculpture. Among the five different room types are 31 relaxation rooms divided into three zones: relaxation space, spa bathroom, and work zone. Whirlpool baths, body-jet showers, and the latest electronic wizardry are just some of the features. The Glass brassiere, run by well-known Sydney chef Luke Mangan, and trendy bar Zeta, designed by New Yorker Tony Chi, are hip places to eat and meet, but expect an expensive bar tab. The circa-1890 Marble Bar also attracts a crowd. The hotel is home to LivingWell, the largest hotel-based health club in Australia, offering group fitness, yoga, and Pilates classes, as well as a range of pampering treatments.

Transported straight into paradise, with this newly renovated hotel looking out to the ocean and capturing incredible sunsets. The pool is ocean-front giving the feeling you are encased in calming blue from the ocean, the pool's waters, and the sky. The focus of this hotel is luxurious wellness. There's infrared saunas, a rooftop pool enhanced with magnesium, yoga lessons, and even health-focused breakfasts. The five-star hotel has become a hot spot for those seeking a chic coastal retreat. Each room also features an en suite, a 50″ Smart TV, and a minibar stocked with gluten-free Gumnut snacks. And there are three cafés and restaurants to choose from. 

This former wool warehouse has been turned into one of Sydney's most cutting-edge designer hotels. Just west of Darling Harbour, the building has been beautifully restored; all of the 90 rooms have tall windows and most have exposed brick feature walls and industrial-looking touches. The lobby is a seven-story atrium with a collection of fun furniture—purple swivel chairs, blue armchairs, and a tree in the middle, with exposed ironbark beams overhead. The hotel is part of the Ovolo collection whose stock in trade is cool and funky interiors and free minibars in each room. They also offer complimentary drinks and nibbles to guests at 5 pm each evening. The hotel is a 10-minute walk to the attractions of the Darling Harbour and the city center.

This ultrahip hotel occupies a former wool shipping shed that includes authentic structures of the former wharf (pulleys, giant trusses, and brontosaurus-like machinery), a great location (a stone's throw from the Opera House), and the chance to be on the harbor but in a quieter location. Guest rooms, decorated with trendy fish prints, are arranged like the cabins on a luxury liner, rising in tiers on the outside of the central cavity. The entire hotel is 100% smoke-free and all meals are plant-based. There are five restaurants in the adjoining wharf complex, known as the Wooloomooloo's Finger Wharf.

Set in a historic building that was once a bustling cargo wharf, the hotel combines heritage charm with modern comfort and its location is unique, set right next to Sydney Harbour Bridge. Guests can enjoy panoramic views of the bridge and Opera House from many of the elegant rooms and suites. It also boasts an inviting outdoor terrace, a heated swimming pool, and a well-equipped fitness center. Dining options include the hotel's signature restaurant, which offers a refined menu with local and seasonal ingredients, as well as a stylish bar for casual drinks and light bites. Its prime location also provides easy access to The Rocks while being tucked slightly out of the way in the quieter spot of Dawes Point.

This hotel is the answer for those seeking color and quirkiness, teamed with style and super-efficient service. Situated in the city center, feet from Town Hall railway station, the 200-room hotel took over the former and much-loved Gowings men's department store and several levels above the (existing) and beautiful State Theatre. While waiting to take the elevator to the second-level reception, check out the quirky gowns and costumes in glass cases in the ground-floor coffee bar. The lobby has pink high-back armchairs and blue and brown low-slung ottomans, and bedrooms have polished timber floors, multicolor rugs, eclectic artwork, miniature ottomans, rich throw rugs and super-comfortable beds. In keeping with the historic building, there's an old-fashioned barbershop on the premises and vintage, art deco, and Gothic art pieces everywhere. A luxurious spa; an upscale restaurant called Gowings Bar and Grill, a casual (and very groovy) café, and the Gilt Lounge cocktail bar complete the picture. 

Situated in the heart of the historic Rocks precinct, the lodging has a boutique-hotel style. The accommodations are a stone's throw from the attractions around Circular Quay, and several rooms have large picture windows with spectacular views of the Opera House. (The poolside breakfast lounge has a similar view.) If you hanker for something a little different—and more charming—seven historic two-story houses are available. Each has a bedroom and bathroom upstairs, and lounge (with sofa bed) and kitchen downstairs. The houses are ideal for families or extended-stay vacationers.

Right on the beachfront of beautiful Manly, this boutique hotel is a mixture of studios and one- and two-bedroom suites, all with private balconies; the more-spacious accommodations have hot tubs, kitchenettes, and high-tech goodies. The on-site restaurant, Manly Wine, is one of the hippest places in the area to dine.

When it comes to views, it doesn’t get much better than the Sofitel Darling Harbour, especially from the top floor, where the floor-to-ceiling windows offer sweeping vistas of the beaches in the Eastern Suburbs. The infinity pool offers incredible views of Darling Harbour and Pyrmont Bridge. The rooms have freestanding bathtubs, high-tech and high-end finishes, and floor-to-ceiling windows. The Champagne Bar is a lively spot.

Situated in a perfect little pocket of Sydney between Darling Harbour, Barangaroo Reserve, and the city center, in a jewel-like building of glass panels that capture and reflect light, West Hotel offers modern, elegant rooms with luxurious finishes in marble, brass, velvets, and gem tones, and a central atrium filled with greenery.