Sydney is blessed with some extraordinary hotels, with winning combinations of great location, thoughtful design and refined service. Here are just a few of the city’s newly opened and recently refurbished luxury stays to check out and check into, from a bold new architectural icon rising up over the harbour to an ultra-luxe reimagining of a handsome sandstone landmark.

Go with the flow at W Sydney, Darling Harbour

Be inspired and energised by the daring architecture and daring interiors of the W Sydney, which rises up in a ribbon-like organic shape over the Darling Harbour entertainment and convention precinct. Make yourself at home in a light-filled room exuding marine chic, from its nautical whites and navy blues to backlighting that recalls the sails of the yachts bobbing in the marina below. Refuel at W’s BTWN restaurant, which draws an urban energy from its location between two elevated expressways, and while away a glorious afternoon at the sun-soaked WET Deck infinity pool and 29/30 rooftop bar. Embark on an aquatic adventure by stepping out of the hotel and jumping into a water taxi outside the International Convention Centre Sydney to explore Sydney Harbour, or follow the waterfront promenade towards the Barangaroo dining precinct and beyond to The Rocks and Circular Quay.

Stay in style at Capella Sydney, city centre

Ascend the marble entrance steps and enter a world of timeless luxury at Capella Sydney, a heritage-listed sandstone building occupying a whole city block in Sydney’s financial district. Feel soothed by the calming colour palette and thoughtfully selected artworks in your room or suite and the serenity of Capella’s enclosed courtyard. Strike out to explore the city – it’s five-minute walk to Circular Quay, your gateway to harbour ferries as well the historic The Rocks precinct and the Sydney Opera House. Or relax with a treatment at the hotel’s elegant Auriga Spa, which features a swimming pool lit from above by historic ‘sky lantern’ light wells. Feel spoilt for choice at dinnertime – opt to dine in at Capella’s signature French-inspired Brasserie 1930; famed nearby restaurants Bentley and Monopole (both run by the team behind Brasserie 1930); Restaurant Hubert, an underground French restaurant with live jazz performances; or celebrated chef Peter Gilmore’s Bennelong at the Sydney Opera House.

Renew your romance with Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, city centre

Surrender to a heady mix of French hospitality flair and jet-set nostalgia at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, in the city’s financial district. Take in the unique sweeping façade that dates back to 1966 before immersing in the grandeur of the hotel’s recent $60 million refurbishment. Settle in to a room reimagined in a blend of contemporary style and classic charm before sampling the hotel’s all-new dining precinct by the group behind Circular Quay’s Hinchcliff House restaurant and bar collection. Savour local seafood roasted in a charcoal oven at the ground-floor Tilda restaurant after a cocktail at Bar Tilda. Or make the most of a warm evening with drinks at the Wentworth Bar’s rooftop terrace, followed by dinner on the outdoor terrace at Vietnamese-French restaurant Delta Rue, both on the fifth floor of the hotel.

Gaze out at the harbour from InterContinental Sydney, city centre

Surround yourself in luxury at the recently refurbished InterContinental Sydney, which occupies the grand 19th-century sandstone Treasury Building at the Circular Quay end of the city centre. Sprawl out on the window-side chaise longue in your Opera House Room and soak up the bird’s eye view of the white sails of the Sydney Opera House, or settle down in your Harbour Bridge Room to watch the tiny figures of climbers ascending the famous steel arches. Take in the whole panorama of the city over a signature cocktail at the reservations-only Aster rooftop bar on the 32nd floor, before taking your table at the ground-floor Pont Dining Room and savouring grilled seafood and steak dishes that reflect Australia’s diverse cultural influences.

Feel at peace at The Porter House Hotel, city centre

Embrace the best of both worlds at The Porter House Hotel, one block away from the shady oasis that is Hyde Park in the heart of the city centre. Marvel at the seamless way a 19th-century sandstone merchant building melds with a more modern tower as you check in and wash away the day’s travels in the free-standing bathtub in a Junior Suite. Feel calmed by the muted blue-grey tones and lashings of natural light in your room as you dress for dinner. And savour dishes displaying Asian influences and employing Australian native ingredients at the Porter House’s excellent Dixson & Sons restaurant.

Travel back in time at Kimpton Margot Sydney, city centre

Allow yourself to be transported to the heyday of the Art Deco era at the Kimpton Margot Sydney, on the southern edge of the city centre. Peer up at the giant pink scagliola pillars rising through the double-height grand lobby before settling in to a generously sized suite that feels more like an apartment than a city hotel room. Refresh with a swim in the open-air rooftop pool or a sunset tipple at the hotel’s recently opened Harper Rooftop Bar before deciding where to eat: at the restaurant by acclaimed Australian chef Luke Mangan nestled to one side of the lobby, or at one of the many other fine-diners in the city.

Watch the waves roll in at Manly Pacific, Northern Beaches

Recharge and rejuvenate as sea breezes waft over you and an endless procession of waves crashes onto the golden sands at Manly Pacific Sydney MGallery Collection, in the Northern Beaches hotspot of Manly. Contemplate the famous beach from the balcony of a Superior Ocean View Room, or restore your energy levels in the privacy of your own spacious terrace with beachside views in an Ocean Terrace Room. Watch the shadows of the pine trees lining the beach dissolve into the dusk from the bright, airy 55 North bar off the lobby, devour gelato and authentic Italian pasta dishes at Cibaria Manly, or feast on fresh local seafood at the hotel’s French-influenced Bistro Manly. Gain a new perspective on your ocean view on an Ecotreasures Manly Snorkel Tour of Manly’s Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, or connect to local Indigenous culture on a Northern Beaches Salty Air & Aboriginal Bush Tucker tour with Manly-based Australia by Nature.

Note to editors: Cibaria Manly opens in December 2024.