Selecting a hotel is personal: you might prefer sleek efficiency, or you may be drawn to boutique charm. Luckily, the most recent additions to Sydney’s hotel offering cater to diverse tastes and requirements, so you’re bound to find one that suits your needs and style. Here are six new properties to choose from.
Crowne Plaza Sydney Darling Harbour
Comprising just 152 rooms divided between 13 storeys of a slender inner-city tower, the Crowne Plaza Sydney Darling Harbour, on Bathurst Street in Sydney’s city centre, feels more intimate than some of its big-name competitors. There’s a swish rooftop pool with city views, a 24-hour gym and an extensive in-house dining menu, but most impressive are the guest rooms, which boast floor-to-ceiling windows and enormous bathrooms.
If you’re looking for a hotel that’s convenient to downtown Sydney’s various hotspots, the Crowne Plaza is a solid pick. Darling Harbour is a three-minute walk away, while the shopping of Pitt Street Mall and Westfield Sydney is a 10-minute stroll into the city centre. And you can walk to the Barangaroo dining district and the International Convention Centre Sydney in under 15 minutes.
Crown Sydney, Barangaroo
Billed as Sydney’s first six-star hotel, Crown Sydney is epic in scale, featuring 349 rooms (including 22 villas) plus an array of blockbuster food and drink venues, including a branch of celebrity favourite Nobu and 13 other glamorous options. Additional big-hotel features include an expansive spa, a large outdoor pool with harbour views and even a tennis court. Crown Sydney is housed in Sydney’s tallest building at the newly developed Barangaroo waterfront precinct, with some of the plush guest rooms featuring views of Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.
Little National Sydney, Wynyard
Fledgling Australian brand Little National has arrived in Sydney, promising affordable luxury to savvy travellers. The key innovation is the Japanese-style accommodation: the rooms are modest in size, but the hotel’s high ceilings and great natural light ensure you won’t feel cramped. On-site amenities include a fitness centre by Technogym and a rooftop bar and lounge. Instead of a restaurant and room service, the hotel encourages you to order food to the front desk using your preferred delivery app.
Little National rises above Wynyard train station in the city centre, a stone’s throw from Sydney’s major office towers and close to the shopping of Pitt Street Mall. It’s a 10-minute walk to The Rocks historic precinct and neighbouring Circular Quay, and Barangaroo is around five minutes on foot.
The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, Martin Place
Singaporean operator Fullerton took over the handsome heritage building in Sydney’s central Martin Place that formerly housed The Westin Sydney and recently opened The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, which caters to both business and leisure travellers. Each of the 416 rooms features an impressive array of creature comforts, from Nespresso machines to top-of-the-range tablets, while downstairs The Bar has quickly become a meeting spot for movers and shakers.
If you’re in Sydney on business, there’s no better location than Martin Place. Holiday visitors will find The Fullerton handily located, too: the pick of city shopping is a few minutes’ walk away, and Circular Quay and Sydney Harbour are less than 15 minutes on foot.
Veriu Green Square, Alexandria
A 10-minute drive from Sydney Airport, Veriu Green Square brings sophisticated apartment-style accommodation to the rapidly evolving Green Square precinct, which straddles parts of the inner-city suburbs of Beaconsfield, Zetland, Alexandria, Rosebery and Waterloo. The 144 guest rooms feature kitchens, coffee machines and space to spread out and work, while the shared amenities include a gym and bar plus extensive business facilities. The hotel is around halfway between the airport and the city centre, and is close to the parks and hidden-gem restaurants of Redfern and Alexandria.
Crowne Plaza Sydney Burwood
Known for the first few months of its operation as Marsden Hotel Burwood, this upscale property in the Inner West suburb of Burwood recently joined the InterContinental Hotels Group stable. Despite the name change, the Crowne Plaza Sydney Burwood still has plenty of independent spirit: there’s the chic rooftop Skye Bar; a trendy restaurant serving wood-fired and charcoal-roasted fare; and characterful guest rooms featuring potted plants and marble bathrooms.
Burwood, a 30-minute drive from central Sydney and with a regular train service to the city, is home to a thriving Asian foodie scene. Head to Burwood Chinatown, a slick alleyway development on Burwood Road near Railway Parade to find more than two dozen hawker-style eateries offering plenty of options for dinner.
