The Best Hotels in Sydney
Whether you're vacationing or staycationing, this lineup of the top hotels in Sydney will help you live your best life — fine restaurants, premium spas and unbeatable views across the city.
THE BEST HOTELS IN SYDNEY
Whether you're vacationing or staycationing, this lineup of the top hotels in Sydney will help you live your best life — fine restaurants, premium spas and unbeatable views across the city.
One of the top ways to treat yourself is to check into a lavish accommodation for a few nights. At these joints, you get a little bit of everything (or even a whole lot of everything). You get fresh plush sheets (this may seem basic but god we all know how good this feels), room service that you can eat in bed, pampering packages at award-winning spas, pools with epic views and just about anything else your luxurious self desires.
And Sydney is packed full of 5-star hotels and brilliant boutique stays that will help you live your best life. So check out our guide to the most impressive hotels in Sydney, perfect for those after a luxury staycation or out of town visitors in need of a base for exploring the city.
Recommended reads:
The Ten Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Sydney
Sydney's Best Spa Experiences
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The Best Luxury Getaways Near Sydney
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Since its highly anticipated re-opening back in 2015, Chippendale’s Old Clare Hotel has held a firm place as one of the city’s best boutique hotels. Reborn from the (metaphorical) ashes of the historic (and dearly beloved) Clare Hotel, and adjoining Carlton United Brewery Administrative Building, the hotel boasts heritage timber panelling and exposed brick walls, furnished with pendant lighting and vintage furniture.
You can bring your pooch along thanks to several dog-friendly suites. Other hotel amenities include a rooftop pool and bar, private gym and in-room massage services. Guests can also take advantage of custom-made bicycles to explore the surrounding neighbourhood. At night, simply relax at The Clare Bar — or at the fantastic restaurant, Automata, which gives all guests a cool 20% off.
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Just a ten-minute walk from Circular Quay and The Rocks, The Langham is the epitome of indulgence. With 96 rooms on offer, demand for even just one night at this Sydney institution is high all year round. And with facilities like its fitness centre, sauna, day spa and a spectacular indoor pool with a star-dappled sky ceiling, you’ll find it hard to tear yourself away from the hotel to explore the amazing areas that surround it.
Within the suites, expect plush furniture, high ceilings and large windows over-looking the western side of the harbour. Bed and breakfast specials are also on offer, as is a ‘pampered pets program’ — making it one of Sydney’s few pet-friendly accommodation options at luxury level. We are also very big fans of The Langham’s traditional afternoon tea. Enjoy a bespoke version of this beloved British tradition, elevated with classic Wedgwood teaware and The Langham Sydney’s champagne of choice, Laurent-Perrier.
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When Paramount House Hotel was first announced back in August 2017, the hotel promised it wouldn’t be your standard luxury hotel, but rather an experience that would embed patrons into the culture of Sydney’s inner-city suburb of Surry Hills. And when it opened in 2018 it delivered on that guarantee.
You’ll never have a dull moment at Paramount (unless you actively want one) as the building offers up a rooftop gym, gorgeous independent cinema and one of Sydney’s best cafes — plus, depending on when you book your stay, you’re likely to find a dance party, art exhibition or a film retrospective awaiting your attendance. Set in an old 40s warehouse, the 29-room hotel features soaring ceilings with exposed brickwork, and while there’s also luxury copper finishes, Jardan sofas and a one-of-a-kind vending machine, the appeal of the place is less tangible in its nature. It’s the vibe and history of the surrounding community and the exemplary staff and service that make Paramount House Hotel a special stay.
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The views from Shangri-La Sydney look as if they have been plucked right out of a Tourism Australia ad. Look to the left and you’ll see the Harbour Bridge up and close. Roll over in bed and look to your right and you’ve got the Opera House just sitting there looking right back at you. It’s pinch-yourself stunning.
And everything you get is centred around those panoramic harbour views. Each of the 564 rooms gets a different angle of the harbour. The restaurant and bar, up on level 36, are also made for gawking out at the surrounding Sydney landmarks. As you’d expect from a 5-star hotel, the Shangri-La also comes with its very own opulent spa facility. Relax here before heading to the gym, indoor swimming pool, hot whirlpool bath or sundeck. Deep dive into that self-care life. We could think of worse places to rest your head for a few nights.
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Taronga Zoo has taken the plunge into Sydney’s competitive luxury accommodation market with its epic 62-room Wildlife Retreat. This complex of modern, timber-clad lodges encircling a private bushland garden full of native fauna combines sustainable design with high end amenities. Thanks to these guys, you don’t have to go far to see nature in all its glory.
Carved into the natural landscape of the zoo, each room allows you to overlook both the bushland and the Sydney Harbour. The location is unrivalled. Jut open your door to see koalas in nearby trees, wombats wandering by and platypuses swimming in nearby streams. It’s uniquely Australian. The Wildlife Retreat at Taronga includes a range of experiences and inclusions from a two-day entry into the Zoo, complimentary car parking, meals at an award-winning restaurant (you might want to go vegetarian after living alongside all these friendly Aussie critters) and a guided tour of The Sanctuary.
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Named after Australia’s renowned thoroughbred company, William Inglis and Sons, Western Sydney’s latest hotel is a sure thing if you’re after a mini Sydney staycation. The William Inglis Hotel’s centrepiece is its rooftop bar, which offers a spot to relax by the pool with a drink — and to soak in the stunning panoramic views of the surrounding Warwick Farm.
Once you’ve built up an appetite, head downstairs to the Newmarket Room, the hotel’s luxe dining room overlooking the gardens and riverside horse stables. It serves up everything you want on a carefree staycation, from oysters to prawn linguine and NSW Riverina black angus steak. Whisky fans will be at home here, too — the mezzanine’s 1867 Lounge serves high-end cocktails and boutique wines. But that ain’t all. The William Inglis Hotel also houses a luxury spa facility, gym and work out spaces and rooms for holding meetings and conferences. They’ve got it all under one roof(top pool).
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Crystalbrook Albion is a luxurious operation in the heart of Surry Hills. It was launched back in July 2018 by 8Hotels, but has since been acquired by the Crystalbrook Collection hotel group. With 24-hour service and brekkie included, this guest house is pitched as a fusion of hotel and home.
Here, you’ll get to lounge around in designer interiors decked out with a covetable art collection — and in a rooftop garden complete with an outdoor shower and panoramic city views. There’s also an honour-system bar, where guests can help themselves to high-end nibbles and drinks. When it comes to the food and drinks, both at the breakfast table and in the mini bar, working with local businesses such as Brix Distillery, Infinity Bakery and Poho Flowers is of major importance.
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This 590-room five-star haven was Sydney’s very first luxury hotel built in the CBD. And it has never fallen behind the pack, constantly setting the standard for all new hotels in the area. It is a true Sydney institution — for overnight stays, pampering and dining. First off, the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour rooms are just stupid glamorous. Spread over 35 floors in Darling Harbour’s tallest building, guests enjoy all the latest tech and contemporary design with chic French touches.
The rooms are classically designed but they never feel old or outdated — much of this is thanks to the constant updates going on here. And while their spa won’t open up until 2023, they still have plenty of ways to relax — none better than taking a dip in their infinity pool overlooking the harbour. Food and drink wise, you’ll be sorted too. Visit their French-inspired grill combining French flavours with locally sourced produce at Atelier, order a poolside cocktail at Le Rivage Pool Bar, take in the sunset at award-winning Champagne Bar or grab a coffee & croissant at the Esprit Noir Lobby Bar on Sundays. It’s clear why Sofitel Sydney continues to be one of the very best hotels in Australia.
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Airport accommodations are normally pretty drab, but the lively 150-room Citadines Connect (formerly the Felix Hotel) is bucking this trend with a truly first-class stay. Yes, we’re as surprised as you are. Inspired by the golden age of air travel in the 60s — that is, before budget airlines made you pay for water and trackies became the norm— the seamless experience starts from the get-go with guests heading straight to the top-level penthouse to check-in.
Expect bright pops of pastel colours alongside smooth woods and polished metal finishes. They do a pretty good job of blending modern chic and retro cool design features. From here, overlooking the runway, guests can enjoy the rooftop cinema, dining area, heated outdoor terrace and colourful cocktail bar — the latter of which will undoubtedly be a departure from the usual monotonous airport watering holes.
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Every one of QT Sydney’s guest suites have been carefully crafted to reflect and honour the historic Gowings and State Theatre buildings in which it resides. QT’s exterior sports a striking blend of gothic, art deco, and Italianate-influenced architecture — and inside, the luxurious rooms carry through that art deco-meets-gothic aesthetic to quite the striking degree.
Plus, thanks to its location right in the centre of the CBD — and alongside one of the city’s most famous theatres — it’s a great pick for out-of-towners, while locals can often be found making the best of its various bars, bistros and restaurants. Want to stay a little closer to the beach? Hop over to the QT Bondi for a coastal escape.
Top image: Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour
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