Sydney Sydney Travel Guide: Best Hotels, Restaurants & Experiences

A seven-year restoration revived this 1930s Baroque government building into a heritage-listed hotel spanning an entire Sandstone Precinct block. Aboriginal art and cultural tributes define the interiors, from the Connect to Country spa ritual using ceremonially gathered hot stones to Capella Culturists who craft personalized itineraries before arrival. The original top-floor gallery now houses a 65-foot heated pool lit by copper lanterns, while Brent Savage's Brasserie 1930 and McRae Bar showcase Australian ingredients and spirits.

Behind a Georgian facade in the historic Rocks district, The Langham commands Sydney Harbour views from corner suites with wrap-around terraces—the city's most spacious accommodations, dressed in polished mahogany and Regency fabrics. A Roman-style 20-meter heated pool anchors the wellness offering alongside The Day Spa by Chuan, where traditional Chinese medicine principles guide Babor and Aromatherapy Associates treatments. Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood at Palm Court serves lamington and caviar finger sandwiches beneath chandeliers.

Inside Taronga Zoo Sydney, Wildlife Retreat at Taronga gives Sydney’s hotel scene a rare eco-lodge address: five low-rise, sustainably built structures in timber, recycled metal and sandstone. Harbour-facing lounges and many floor-to-ceiling windows frame the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, while sanctuary-view rooms bring kangaroos or koalas close. Two-day zoo entry, an afternoon guided tour, restaurant, bar and garden suit travellers seeking nature without leaving the city.

An early 19th-century industrial building in Surry Hills houses the first Ace Hotel in the Southern Hemisphere, blending signature vintage-inspired aesthetics with Australian design across 264 rooms—some equipped with turntables or acoustic guitars. The glass-walled rooftop restaurant Kiln, ground-floor Good Chemistry café, and Loam (sibling to the Los Angeles original) anchor a scene favoured by Sydney's creative set, drawn equally to the unfinished brick and the buzzing communal spaces.

Two hours from Sydney in the Southern Highlands, Osborn House gives the city circuit a country counterpoint: a long-running guesthouse recast by Linda Boronkay, former Design Director at London’s Soho House, with English-country interiors and rustic-chic bungalows down a path. Its two restaurants, bar, spa, pool, sauna and gardens suit design-led couples; sunset can bring kangaroos near Morton National Park.

The minimalist design of this George Street sanctuary—part of Australia's largest day spa network—pairs steam room and sauna facilities with treatments rooted in local botanical traditions. Specialty facials deploy Dermalogica and HydroPeptide formulations, while the menu spans massages, body wraps, and multi-service relaxation packages. Founded by Australian women focused on connection to the natural landscape, the spa delivers therapeutic results in eco-modern surrounds that sustain their Zen calm well after checkout.

Palm Court at The Langham Sydney channels the heritage of its London namesake, where afternoon tea originated over 150 years ago. The Hamptons-inspired room showcases Wedgwood's exclusive 'Langham Rose' bone china, while a striking one-meter tiered stand presents twelve creations—smoked salmon roulade with caviar, crab cones with avocado, and a signature rosewater lamington dusted in pink coconut. Laurent-Perrier champagne elevates the ritual.

From Level 36 of the Shangri-La, a 270-degree panorama unfolds—Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and on clear days, the distant Blue Mountains. Mixologist Art Palomata orchestrates theatrical cocktails using liquid physics techniques, while the northeastern corner frames Sydney's three landmarks in a single glance. As afternoon gold yields to harbor reflections, bar plates of spanner crab pasta complement the spectacle.

Timber-panelled walls and flickering firelight set the stage at this Circular Quay institution, where more than 200 whiskies—Scottish, Japanese, American—line the shelves behind a bar team known for theatrical cocktail craft. Thursday through Saturday brings live saxophone and electro swing; weeknights reward whisky aficionados with curated flights. Multiple Hotel Bar of the Year titles confirm what regulars already know.

Perched on the 14th floor of Hotel Emiliano in São Paulo's Jardins district, Santapele Spa wraps its guests in vertical greenery and open sky. Two traditional Japanese ofurô tubs anchor an outdoor deck where the city fades to background hum. The signature Day Spa Bem-Estar Premium ritual layers thermal bathing with therapeutic bodywork, while a specialized Jet Leg facial targets travel-weary skin. All treatments feature the house's own vegan, cruelty-free cosmetics line.