In Your Element
Sydney hotels cater to design lovers at every taste and budget. Overwhelmed by options? You can’t go wrong with Harbour views.
THE GRANDE DAMES
The Langham, Sydney
89-113 Kent Street, Millers Point | +61 2 9256 2222
Sydney hotels have the whole sleek-modern movement on lock, so The Langham‘s colonial-era charm lands a particularly welcome hospitality punch. From the grand interior spaces to the traditional touches in the slice-of-sanctuary rooms, the Rocks district hotel offers a prevailing sense of calm. Finished by dramatic Harbour views and the Langham’s famously attentive service, this is everything you could ask of your Sydney stay.
Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour
61 Macquarie Street | +61 2 9256 4000
Live out your Sydneysider fantasy with your own little window on the Harbour by way of the Pullman Quay. The luxe, all-suites hotel rooms include fully stocked kitchens and separate living quarters for a home-away-from-home feel. The floor-to-ceiling windows frame Harbour or Botanical Gardens views, and the major sights are a mere stone’s throw from the central location.
The Darling
80 Pyrmont Street | +61 2 9657 8088
If all-out glam and casino proximity are what you’re after, The Darling just might be your match. The center of The Star entertainment complex, this haven-like hotel manages the delicate balancing act of being both in the middle of the action and away from it all. Contemporary, upscale design and amenities like rain showerheads, Molton Brown and soaking tubs add extra appeal to ‘in room’ interludes, and the onsite La Prairie spa leaves no shortage of serenity.
Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
199 George Street | +61 2 9250 3100
Even a world away, this Four Seasons managed to be a standout, the service and location everything you’d expect from a name synonymous with luxury. Ask for a Full Harbour room for breathtaking views (a certain opera house may even be on display). Bonus points to the impeccable concierge staff who scored us more than one impossible dinner reservation.
THE CHARMERS
Pier One Sydney Harbour
11 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay | +61 2 8298 9999
If you twisted our arms for a definitive Sydney hotel recommendation, we’d tell you there’s just something about the delightful Pier One. Much like her beloved Maine sister property, the Pier One blends local history with modern upgrades, and the result is a quaint personality-packed pied-à-terre. Rooms give a nod to the nautical without a hint of kitsch, the exposed beam ceilings and marble and leather accents gilding the spectacular Bay or Harbour views with a little extra sophistication.
Hotel Palisade
35 Bettington Street, Millers Point | +61 2 9018 0123
The old Palisade Pub has been whimsically reimagined under super-stylist Sibella Court’s fashionable eye. The latest incarnation is an 8-room boutique named after local Rocks district heroes, which boasts an enviable proximity to hip local public house Henry Deane. The overall effect is at once comfortable and sweet, modern and old world. (And killer views, as we’ve established, never hurt.)
Contributing photography credit: Nuance Photography, De Simone Design, and Jason Loucas
Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour
139 Murray St, Pyrmont | +61 2 8586 1888
Don’t be fooled by its Instagram readiness or selfie scenes – the Ovolo 1888 doesn’t skimp on style or service. The industrial-chic feel honors both the urban cool of the Darling Harbour neighborhood, and the building’s past life as a retail hub. With rooms ranging from the budget conscious Shoebox to bright and airy lofts, the hotel offers warm and friendly perks at a great value.
