When it comes to hotels in Sydney, travelers are spoiled for choice: five-star harbor-front luxury, plus inner-city boutique stays with memorable restaurants. And for our Hotels We Love series of the best hotels and resorts of 2023, we handpicked the unique stays that offers a true sense of place. Think comfy rooms that show off Australian craftsmanship and artistry, in-house dining that celebrates local flavors, service that makes you feel like an old friend, and a killer flat white delivered to your room. In short: a hotel that a local would actually choose for a staycation.
Read on and learn about the 15 best hotels in Sydney, listed in no particular order.
1. Capella Sydney
The Liberty Suite at the Capella Sydney
Courtesy of the Capella Sydney
- Neighborhood: Circular Quay
- Why we love it: Refined luxury and a sense of place
- Book now
When the Singapore-based luxury hotel group Capella opened up a Sydney property in March 2023, it ushered in a new era of luxury for the city. There’s a lobby laid with marble, a sunny inner courtyard with weeping fig trees and a towering wall of plants, 192 elegant rooms appointed luxuriously with Frette linens and freestanding tubs, and an indoor pool flanked by more marble.
But what really sets the Capella Sydney apart is its strong sense of place. From its setting inside a perfectly restored 1912 sandstone building and its thoughtful collection of Indigenous art, to the friendly “Culturalists” (local guides-slash-concierges) who regale guests with cocktails and stories about the area’s history, the Capella celebrates Sydney in a way that perhaps no other elite hotel in the city does. From $512
2. Park Hyatt Sydney
- Neighborhood: The Rocks
- Why we love it: Location meets luxury
- Loyalty program: World of Hyatt
- Book now
If you’re looking for a room with a view, the Park Hyatt Sydney simply can’t be beat: It sits directly across the water from the Opera House and beside the Harbour Bridge, offering uninterrupted—if not unparalleled—views of Sydney’s glittering harbor.
The hotel’s 155 guest rooms are the epitome of quiet luxury: lavish but understated and decorated in dark woods and subtle earth tones that allow the jaw-dropping views to steal the spotlight. The Park Hyatt is home to the city’s largest suite, the 3,700-square-foot Sydney Suite, which features two bedrooms and an outdoor terrace that offers panoramas of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. (It’s the perfect vantage spot to watch the city’s iconic New Year’s Eve fireworks, if you can spare $25,000.) If that’s out of your price range, no worries: Every room has its own private balcony and 24-hour personal butler service that will make you feel like a VIP, regardless. From $690
3. Pretty Beach House
A guest room at Pretty Beach House in Sydney.
Courtesy of Pretty Beach House
- Neighborhood: Bouddi Peninsula
- Why we love it: A dreamy coastal escape
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Set on a promontory overlooking a secluded bay, and in a thick forest of leafy gumtrees, Pretty Beach House feels a million miles away from the rest of the world—but it’s only a 90-minute drive north of the Sydney city center. Though its location is spectacular (it’s situated in the lush Bouddi National Park), the property alone is worth the drive: It’s so intimate and lovely that it feels like you’ve escaped to your own private beach house.
There are just four guest pavilions, each one outfitted with wood-burning fireplaces, deep-soaking tubs, and sun-drenched decks overlooking Broken Bay and Angophora treetops (three have their own private plunge pools). Dining is included in your stay, and it’s exceptional: Celebrated chef Dean Jones takes freshly caught seafood and local produce and crafts them into modern Australian dishes, which you can enjoy anytime you like in the Beach House’s luxurious, rustic-chic dining room or poolside beneath the shady gums. From $4500 for two nights, all-inclusive.
4. The Langham, Sydney
- Neighborhood: The Rocks
- Why we love it: Family-friendly five-star fun
- Loyalty program: 1865 Privilege
- Book now
It’s very hard to find a hotel in Sydney that’s as family-friendly as it is luxurious—but the Langham is. The second you arrive, you’re treated with impeccable service (bellmen and butlers appear out of nowhere to spirit away luggage and offer a helping hand) and promptly whisked up to your sprawling, regal room—the largest of any hotel in the city, with the plushest beds and plenty of space for the kids (who get their own mini robes and slippers).
Better yet, the Langham’s excellent ongoing Family Playcation package gets you two interconnecting rooms, popcorn and movies, breakfast for the family, and plenty of surprise treats for the little ones. There’s also a terrific indoor pool set beneath a pretty star-dappled ceiling and an afternoon tea at the signature restaurant, Kitchens on Kent (with a side of Laurent-Perrier bubbles for mums and dads). From $270
5. Manly Pacific Hotel
The Infinity Residence at the Manly Pacific.
Courtesy of the Manly Pacific
- Neighborhood: Manly
- Why we love it: Laid-back luxury, steps from the ocean
- Loyalty program: Accor Live Limitless
- Book now
Sure, the harbor is nice and all—but if you want that morning-dip-in-the-ocean, fish-and-chips-on-the-beach local experience, then you best hop on a ferry to the Manly Pacific Hotel.
The iconic hotel, fresh off a seriously stunning $30 million revamp, is the oceanfront pied-à-terre of your dreams. Its 213 residential-style rooms are effortlessly coastal-chic (lots of airy linen and bleached woods) and it’s so close to Manly Beach that you could slip out of bed and hit the sand in five minutes. As if that weren’t enough of a draw, the hotel has a standout wellness program: meditation classes, free healthy juice shots at the concierge desk every morning, an infrared sauna and (in case the ocean’s too chilly) a rooftop lap pool facing the Pacific. You won’t miss the city for a second. From $190
6. Pier One Sydney Harbour
Bar One at Pier One Sydney Harbour.
Courtesy of Pier One Sydney Harbour
- Neighborhood: Dawes Point
- Why we love it: Upscale yet unpretentious, with excellent harbor views
- Loyalty program: Marriott Bonvoy
- Book now
Set over the water on a pier beneath the Harbour Bridge, Pier One—part of the Marriott Autograph Collection—offers memorable water views without the pomp and pretense of other harbor-front luxury hotels.
Built out of a converted warehouse, the hotel proudly marries its industrial bones (think wooden beams, steel pillars, and ironwork) with sleek maritime-inspired modern decor. It has 189 sunny rooms and suites, the crown jewel being the Admiral Suite, with its floor-to-ceiling wraparound windows and stand-alone tub looking directly onto the Harbour Bridge.
Other hotel highlights include its in-house restaurant, the Gantry, loved by locals for its inventive contemporary Australian cuisine (like fresh abalone seasoned with smoked chicken skin salt and mud crab dressed in warm egg yolk) and a handsome cocktail bar, Bar One, where you can enjoy delicious local gin-based spritzes with views over Walsh Bay. From $300
7. The Old Clare Hotel
Photos by Michelle Heimerman
- Neighborhood: Chippendale
- Why we love it: Edgy luxe on the fringe of the city
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Built inside a former pub and located in the old industrial Chippendale neighborhood, the Old Clare oozes cool right off the bat. On the first floor, there’s a vintage-inspired cocktail bar that pays homage to its boozy heritage; on the rooftop, enjoy a long, sleek pool plus 360-degree city views.
The hotel’s 62 rooms are minimalist yet warm, with exposed brick walls, midcentury-modern furniture, and luxurious soaking tubs, steps from your cloud-like king bed. Automata, the hotel restaurant, doubles as one of the best restaurants in Sydney, with chef Clayton Wells (formerly of Sydney’s Momofuku Seiobo) spinning local ingredients into clever and surprising dishes, like razorfish served with a briny dollop of Sydney rock oyster emulsion. The service—both at Automata and the hotel at large—is impeccable. From $170
8. III Rooms Sydney
- Neighborhood: Potts Point
- Why we love it: Your dream Sydney pied-à-terre
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Located on the upper floors of a pretty 19th-century Potts Point terrace house, III Rooms is one of those under-the-radar, “if you know, you know” establishments reserved for the most discerning travelers. As its name suggests, it has just three “rooms” (though they’re more like luxury apartments), each individually decorated by an Australian furniture design house or interior designer. (The concept was inspired by designer Azzedine Alaïa’s Three Rooms in Paris, and the Apartment by the Line in New York and Los Angeles.)
The options: a breezy, coastal-chic two-bedroom filled with bleached wood furniture and linen by MCM House; a moody, art-filled three-bedroom by Cult Design; and an eclectic, earth-toned three-bedroom by interior designer Sarah Ellison. Whichever one you choose, it’ll feel less like a hotel room and more like your own ultra-luxe Sydney pied-à-terre. From $415
9. Hotel Ravesis
- Neighborhood: Bondi Beach
- What to expect: The coolest boutique hotel—and bar—in Bondi
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Hotel Ravesis is an institution in Bondi. It sits at the heart of the main strip of Bondi Beach, on the two top floors of a 1914 art deco building. It is the only hotel in the area that offers uninterrupted ocean views.
Each of Ravesis’s 12 rooms are individually styled in calming coastal hues of turquoise, sea glass, and sunset pink; some come with private ocean-facing terraces, others with roomy split-level apartment-style configurations that make you feel like a Bondi local.
Other highlights: a minibar with a “first-beer-on-us” policy, baths stocked with essential oil–infused products from Aussie skincare brand Leif, and a classic beachfront bar downstairs with happy hour cocktails and live music. From $195
10. Paramount House
Paramount House Hotel in Surry Hills exudes cool, from its interior design to its echoes of a past life as a movie studio.
Photo by Laura Dannen Redman
- Neighborhood: Surry Hills
- Why we love it: Hip inner-city haven tucked in a heritage building
- Book now
You’ll know you’ve arrived at Paramount House when you see the droves of hip-looking locals lingering about the building: Paramount Coffee Project, one of Sydney’s best cafés, adjoins the hotel foyer, and the popular wine bar Poly is next door.
The hotel—a restoration of the former Paramount Pictures headquarters—is design-forward and cinematic, from its sunny atrium lobby to its industrial bones (patinaed brick, exposed timber beams, and raw metal finishes). The 29 rooms are a showcase of Australian good taste: bathrooms with woodsy Aesop products, minibars stocked with LP’s Quality Meats and William Downie pinot, beds dressed with buttery Cultiver sheets and Seljak Brand wool blankets.
Added bonus: room service directly from Poly, saving you the hard-to-come-by reservation. Enjoy the luxury of Sydney rock oysters and bone marrow without setting foot outside your room. From $245
11. Jonah’s
The terrace at Jonah’s in Sydney.
Courtesy of Jonah’s
- Neighborhood: Whale Beach
- Why we love it: An oceanfront local haunt
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Jonah’s has—shockingly—remained a bit of a local secret, located about 40 minutes up the coast from downtown Sydney, in the city’s Northern Beaches. The 93-year-old property is set on a cliff above Whale Beach and delivers some of the most spectacular ocean views of any hotel in Sydney.
Its 11 spacious rooms are elegant yet cozy, decorated with handcrafted furniture in a neutral palette and outfitted with ocean-facing balconies. Downstairs is an award-winning contemporary Australian restaurant and cocktail bar with a 1,600-strong wine list; outside, a clifftop infinity pool includes sweeping views up and down the Northern Beaches. From $585
12. Crystalbrook Albion
- Neighborhood: Surry Hills
- Why we love it: An (ultra-luxe) home away from home
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Built in a former convent in trendy Surry Hills, the 35-room Crystalbrook Albion is a classic boutique hotel—but it doesn’t feel like a hotel at all. The interiors are ultra-plush yet homey, staff greet you by name and treat you like an old friend, and you can help yourself to a drink at the Honor Bar (which is exactly as trusting as it sounds).
Each of the individually furnished rooms feels like a luxurious apartment rather than a traditional hotel room: Some feature handmade Moroccan tiles or chevron oak, others have deep-soaking tubs and ornamental fireplaces. The hotel is also committed to sustainable practices, rewarding guests with free drinks and ice cream when they take actions to minimize their environmental footprint, like avoiding single-use plastics, opting out of daily room service, and recycling waste items. From $240
13. Wildlife Retreat at Taronga Zoo
A koala bear sleeping in a tree; hand-feeding small animals at Wildlife Retreat at Taronga Zoo.
Photos by Dan Gosse
- Neighborhood: Mosman
- Why we love it: Family-friendly ecolodge with unmatched harbor and wildlife views
- Book now
Yes, we know: The zoo is about the last place you’d expect to find a luxury hotel. But this harbor-front ecolodge, owned and operated by the not-for-profit Taronga Conservation Society, is home to the most unexpectedly plush and sustainable accommodations in Sydney.
The Wildlife Retreat at Taronga Zoo has 62 rooms across five lodges, connected by walkways suspended above the native animal sanctuary. Don’t be fooled by the term “lodge,” either: Every room comes with sleek interiors by Chada Studio (designer of five-star hotels like Emirates One & Only Wolgan Valley and Saffire Freycinet), soaking tubs, and floor-to-ceiling windows that offer views of the harbor or bring you eye-to-eye with koalas and kangaroos. Opened in 2019, this retreat remains something of a local secret, but we’re willing to share—especially since every stay helps support the work of the Taronga Conservation Society, which protects animals and their habitats in Australia and abroad. From $326
14. Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel
- Neighborhood: Watsons Bay
- Why we love it: South of France meets Sydney Harbour
- Book now
If you’re torn between staying in the city or at the beach, why not choose both? The intimate and elegant Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel is right on Sydney Harbour, just a 15-minute ferry ride to Circular Quay—and you’re steps from the golden sand and crystalline water of Watsons Bay Beach.
Rooms—there are only 32—are sun filled and yacht club inspired, fresh off a 2019 face-lift by Australian interior designer Sibella Court, who filled each one with Australian furniture, textiles, and artwork. The hotel’s Beach Club, with its striped umbrellas and palm trees, would have you thinking you were in the South of France, if it weren’t for the Sydney skyline views. Whether you’re staying here or not, it’s the ultimate spot for lazy summer lunches lingering over freshly shucked oysters and crisp Aussie bubbles. From $250
15. Spicers Potts Point
A guest room at Spicers Potts Point.
Courtesy of Spicers Retreats
- Neighborhood: Potts Point
- Why we love it: Serene inner-city hideaway
- Book now
Australian hotel group Spicers is best known for its rural mountain and wine country retreats, but it absolutely nailed its first city foray. A trio of 19th-century terrace houses, the peaceful property offers a respite from the hectic city with its hidden courtyard gardens, cozy lounge (where you can enjoy complimentary cocktails and canapés every evening) and 20 plush rooms.
Although each room is well appointed—expect fireplaces, soaking tubs, and leafy views—the Victoria Terrace Suites are where you want to be, with private balconies overlooking the leafy streets below. They offer a relaxing (and rare) alfresco sanctuary in the heart of the city—and the perfect place to enjoy a morning cuppa. From $128
