Sydney has a great tradition of chic boutique accommodation and a flurry of recent openings is providing an even wider range of glam options.
Sydney has always had a great tradition of boutique hotels, from the iconic Regent's Court in Kings Cross, which opened its doors in 1990, to the sexy Kirketon, the bold Medusa and the smart Establishment. While these trail-blazers are still the standard-bearers, a diverse and new crop of boutique escapes have opened their doors, from thoughtfully restored heritage-listed terrace houses to sleek city apartments with amazing views, or beachside beauties with wraparound terraces. Here's our pick of Sydney's best boutique accommodation.
Apartment One
From Terry Schwamberg-Kaljo, the woman who brought us Medusa and The Kirketon Hotel, comes this luxury one-bedroom apartment in Darlinghurst, a fully self-contained private sanctuary where guest stays vary between a couple of nights to six months. It's fully serviced every three days, so you can nip down to Victoria Street for a latte while the maid's making up your 'room'.
Australia Street Cottage
The couple converted the derelict cottage into a bijou escape in the heart of Sydney's inner west. Old meets new with bare sandstone walls and modern furniture (original windows have been retained and you can see the outline of the original fireplace on the sitting room wall). There's no airconditioning so it's windows open and, given the location close to busy King Street, you can get a fair bit of noise on weekend nights but, that aside, this is a real gem.
Ravesi's.
Pick of the guestrooms is the spacious deluxe beachfront split-level suite (room 12), with amazing, uninterrupted views of the sea, but we're intrigued as to why the wraparound balcony is fully enclosed. That said, it's a great spot and the more moderately priced side-view rooms, or the smaller split-level suites with terraces, are good value.
Harbourview rooms on the right-hand side of the hotel do everything it says on the box, while the William Street boulevard suite offers direct city views, but without the terrace. Our favourite room is the incredibly lavish penthouse, but if you're after something a little easier on the wallet, there's a range of other room sizes and prices and they all have the same fabulous floor-to-ceiling windows. The laid-back Altamont has an Indonesian vibe and, while we love the loft room, the biggest in the house, we prefer the four deluxe rooms with small courtyards. Despite the inner-city address, these rooms are whisper quiet and have doors opening to an outdoor space - a luxury for the location and for such a tiny room tariff. Room 9 at the front of the hotel, meanwhile, has no courtyard but a seriously big bathroom.
What really excites us is the huge wraparound terrace with dramatic city views in the courtyard suite on the second floor of the Diamant Hotel. Other rooms in the Diamant have their own charms. Harbourview rooms on the right-hand side of the hotel do everything it says on the box, while the William Street boulevard suite offers direct city views, but without the terrace.
Hotel Altamont
The laid-back Altamont has an Indonesian vibe and, while we love the loft room, the biggest in the house, we prefer the four deluxe rooms with small courtyards. Despite the inner-city address, these rooms are whisper quiet and have doors opening to an outdoor space - a luxury for the location and for such a tiny room tariff. Room 9 at the front of the hotel, meanwhile, has no courtyard but a seriously big bathroom.
Fraser Suites
Location, location, location. Sydney's first five-star, all-suites residence was designed by London's Foster + Partners, the team behind the new Beijing Airport and London's Millennium Bridge. Our favourite room is the incredibly lavish penthouse, but if you're after something a little easier on the wallet, there's a range of other room sizes and prices and they all have the same fabulous floor-to-ceiling windows.
