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From grand hotels with white-glove service to tucked-away bed-and-breakfasts, there's lodging to fit all styles and budgets in Sydney. The best addresses in town are undoubtedly in The Rocks, where the tranquil setting and harbor views are right near major cultural attractions, restaurants, shops, and galleries. The area around Kings Cross is another hotel district, with a good collection of boutique and backpacker lodgings. Keep in mind, however, that this is also the city's major nightlife district, and the scene can get pretty raucous after sunset.
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.
In its character as well as its dimensions, this friendly B&B on a quiet part of a bar- and club-lined street is reminiscent of a European pensione. Simple, tastefully outfitted rooms come with high-quality beds and linens, as well as wooden blinds over the windows. Access to the four floors of rooms is via a small staircase, and there is no elevator. There are single, double and superior rooms, the latter suitable for a family. Despite its proximity to the heart of Kings Cross, the hotel has a relaxed, serene atmosphere. There's a two-night minimum stay; book online for cheaper rates.
If your idea of heaven is sleeping above a pub that brews its own boutique beers (or ales, as they're rightly called), this is the place. The hotel, hewn from Sydney sandstone, has been a popular watering hole with Sydneysiders and visitors for decades. Built in the early 1840s, the building has been restored to its former grandeur. While the nine guest rooms and the first-floor Lord Nelson Brasserie restaurant have exposed sandstone walls, their fittings and design are very contemporary. All rates include continental breakfast, and the hotel is a stroll from the Harbour Bridge. The bar is always busy on Friday night and most weekends as the craft beer is excellent.
