Australia
Hotels in Sydney
A harbour city where the view is priced into the room, and the beaches are further from the centre than most visitors assume.
In Sydney the harbour is the product, and hotels charge for it directly. The same room facing a street rather than the water can cost substantially less in the same building, which makes this one of the few cities where reading the room description closely translates into real money.
The other common misjudgement is distance. The famous beaches are not walking distance from the city centre — they are a bus or ferry ride away, and staying at one means committing to that trip whenever you want the city. Ferries are a genuinely pleasant way to travel and worth factoring into where you book.
The seasons are reversed from Europe and North America, so the peak is the southern summer around Christmas and New Year, when the city is busiest and most expensive. The southern winter is mild, and prices drop noticeably.
Where to stay in Sydney
The area you book in changes the price and the trip more than the star rating does.
The harbour and the historic quarter
Around the opera house, the bridge and the old sandstone streets. The highest prices, the shortest walks to the ferries, and the views the city is known for.
The central business district
The largest supply of hotels, from budget to corporate, within walking distance of the harbour and on top of the train network. Better value than the waterfront and the most practical base.
The eastern beaches
The famous surf beaches and the suburbs around them. A different holiday altogether — good for a longer stay, less convenient for seeing the city, and reached by bus or ferry rather than on foot.
Stay near
Most people pick a hotel by what they want to be next to. Each of these searches Sydney for stays around that spot.
Properties in Sydney
A sample of what is bookable. Open one for photos, rooms and live rates for your dates.
Paradox Sydney
27 O'Connell Street
Exceptional
10,945 reviews
Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
199 George St.
Exceptional
8,098 reviews
The Fullerton Hotel Sydney
1 Martin Place
Exceptional
11,030 reviews
Shangri-La Sydney
176 Cumberland Street
Excellent
13,294 reviews
Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel
8 Arrival Court
Excellent
18,705 reviews
Travelodge Hotel Sydney Airport
289 King Street
Excellent
18,699 reviews
Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay
30 Pitt Street
Excellent
6,440 reviews
Sydney Central Hotel managed by The Ascott Limited
169-179 Thomas Street
Exceptional
7,605 reviews
Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park
161 Elizabeth Street
Excellent
5,036 reviews
Sir Stamford Circular Quay
93 Macquarie Street
Exceptional
6,630 reviews
The Grace Hotel
77 York Street
Excellent
18,593 reviews
Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney
11 Jamison Street
Excellent
8,124 reviews
Browse all 12 hotels in Sydney — every property we can book, listed A–Z.
Sydney: common questions
Should I stay near the harbour or the beach in Sydney?
The harbour or the central business district if you want to see the city, because the ferries and trains start there. The eastern beaches only if beach time is the main purpose of the trip, since getting into the centre takes a bus or ferry each way.
When are hotels in Sydney most expensive?
The southern summer, particularly the weeks around Christmas and New Year, when demand peaks. The southern winter is mild rather than harsh and is markedly cheaper.
Is it worth paying extra for a harbour view?
That is a genuine choice rather than a marketing one — the price difference between a view room and a street-facing room in the same hotel is often substantial. If you will spend little time in the room, the saving is easy to take.