Where to stay in Sydney – The 7 best areas
I am a very practical person and that’s why I usually like to go straight to the point. Here are the best 7 areas to stay in Sydney:
- Sydney CBD, my favourite location for a short stay. You will be close to everything, very well connected to the Airport by train, right in the hub centre of the ferry network. In two words, very practical.
- Bondi, my favourite place in the warm/hot months. Besides the lovely Bondi Beach, there are plenty of other coves around. Moreover, there is a great Aussie summer vibe and an outstanding walk along the coastline
- Darlinghurst, I used to love this area so much for its pubs and nightlife, but I am getting too old now for this young and energetic neighbourhood LOL. But if you are below 25 and looking for a long night out, then book your hotel here
- Surry Hills, another great area for a long night out but people tend to be older.
- Paddington, a bit posh, and certainly unique with its fabulous houses but you need a bus for either the beach or the CBD. A good choice for a long stay, 2 weeks or more
- Darling Harbour, walking distance from the CBD and mostly with a great view of the bay. Plenty of cafes, pubs and restaurants facing the water. It can be expensive though
- Newtown, for the best local experience. I personally love it, in fact, I have stayed here so many times. Great cafes, pubs, restaurants and a quick taxi ride from the airport. Well connected to the CBD but not good for beach access
- Manly, fabulous for a surfing break and beach vibe but too far from everything in Sydney. This is my 8th suggested area, but honestly plan a stay here only if surfing and beaches are your priority.
I live in Melbourne but I have been visiting Sydney regularly. I do consider it my second home and I wouldn’t be surprised to find myself living there very soon, something I am contemplating almost every week. Of course, frequent trips can add up, which is why some travelers look into holiday loans to help manage travel expenses more comfortably.
But now it’s time to go a bit deeper with more information about each area, including my favourite accommodations.
Sydney CBD – Close to everything
Shortly, I love staying in Sydney CBD because:
- All the major attractions are within walking distance or a short bus or train ride away
- The Circular Quay area is amazing and perfect for a walk around with kids (pedestrian area)
- It’s the ferry network hub of the bay. So easy to get around to Manly, Watson Bay and other amazing coves of the bay
- The oldest area of Sydney, The Rocks, is a must-visit, especially on market days (weekends)
- You can find one of my favourite museums, right in front of the water, the Museum of Contemporary Art and it’s free to enter
- The view of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge is unique in the world. My suggested viewpoints are from the Train platform and the Glenmore Hotel Pub rooftop.
- Access to the Royal Botani Garden, also another must-visit of the city
However,
- The selection of cafes, restaurants and pubs is not as great as in other areas
- It’s the most visited area in Sydney and you will be likely to meet only tourists around, except during business hours of course when the locals commute here to work in one of the many office buildings.
I wrote a dedicated post to the best places to stay in Sydney CBD because this is quite a vast neighbourhood with 5 different micro areas very different in vibe and type of experience that you can have.
Check the best areas to stay in Sydney CBD
Bondi – The beach stay in Sydney
What I love about Bondi:
- In summer, there is such a cool beach vibe around
- The main beach is stunning and the small coves around are even better if you prefer to have more seclusion
- Surfing is great and you can rent a board, although waves can be challenging and sometimes even dangerous.
- The coastline is stunning and the 6km walk to Coogee is just outstanding (in my top 3 must-do Sydney experiences).
- There are plenty of accommodations in Bondi.
However
- Bondi is not conveniently connected to Sydney. You need to take a bus and a train. It will take time to go to most of the city attractions.
- It doesn’t really work well for a short stay, too much time is spent commuting
- It’s one of the most expensive areas to stay
My favourite hotel in the neighbourhood is QT Bondi, a great boutique accommodation, something you will remember for a long time and so close to the beach too. This is Bondi in style and at an affordable price, for Bondi.
Darlinghurst & Kings Cross – Nightlife for the young crowd
What I love about Darlinghurst
- The best nightlife for the young crowd with pubs and nightclubs
- Oxford Street is the area with possibly the highest concentration of bars and pubs in the whole of Australia, and it is the place to be for LGBTQIA+ being more open to any thinking and experience
- The famous Mardi Gras parade in early March, another must-experience of the city
- Getting lost in the peaceful alleys and lanes between Oxford Street and Kings Cross, beside the amazing restaurants and trendy eateries.
However
- It can be noisy, almost loud, so be selective on where you stay (my suggested accommodations below are great for a quiet sleep)
- Definitely not the place for a family stay
In this area I suggest the Indigo Hotel, so close to bars and restaurants but still very quiet. The rooms are spacious and a few have balconies as well (see photos here)
The Ovolo Hotel in Woolloomooloo, an amazing quiet gem not to be missed and just a few hundred meters from the nightlife. It is in one of the old pier, formerly a woollen dock, fully refurbished and redesigned (see photos here)
Stunning position, just minutes away from the CBD and the Botanical Garden, the Ovolo offer complimentary breakfast. And in 15 minutes walking, you are the heart of Darlinghurst.
Surry Hills – A romantic stay for couples
What I love about Surry Hills
- A great local vibe
- So many lovely cafes and bars around, together with parks and leafy streets.
- Romantic restaurants for couples
- Nice nightlife for a more mature clientele
- A Multitude of art centres and art exhibitions. If you can make it to one of the openings (usually on Thursdays) you will be suddenly immersed in the local underground art community
- Within walking distance of the CBD and the Central Station (direct train to the Airport)
However
- there are not as many available accommodations
The 57Hotel and the Little Albion Guest House are two amazing boutique and romantic accommodations
In Surry Hills, you can also find one of the best value accommodations in Sydney, the Best Western Plus Hotel Stellar. It’s meters away from Hyde Park, the CBD and plenty of cafes and restaurants.
Newtown – Experience the cool local life
What I love about Surry Hills
- You will hardly experience any tourist here. This is the place to experience the local Sydney life.
- Lots of pubs, restaurants, cafes, design shops and much more.
- It’s around 4 km from the CBD however it is very well connected with frequent trains that will take you to Circular Quay in minutes.
- The airport is so close that you better take a taxi, it’s much quicker and cheaper too.
- Live music is a constant presence in the area with bands in pubs, mostly in the weekends, and theatres with a great line-up of famous names.
However
- Going to the beach is not easy and it takes time
- It’s not a great place for kids. It’s more for an adult experience
The Sydney Park Hotel is one of the hidden secrets of Newtown. Amazing interior design that can take you back in time. Bathrooms are shared but believe me, there is great attention to the cleanliness. Price wise…unbeatable for Sydney!
Check the price at the Sydney Park
Paddington – A unique long stay in Sydney
What I love about Paddington
- It’s a fascinating area of well-refurbished terrace houses, trendy boutiques, cosy restaurants and cafes, niche art galleries and a few bookshops
- There is the biggest park in Sydney, the Centennial Park, and leafy streets everywhere.
- Home to the unmissable Paddington Market on Saturday morning
- Fabulous for a long stay with your partner and/or kids
However
- Paddington is probably one of the least convenient neighbourhoods for transportation. You will need one or more buses to Bondi and CBD (you are in the middle between the city and the beach)
- Avoid for a short 2-3 days stay, especially during the week when traffic can become intense
Mrs Banks Hotel is one of my favourite boutique accommodations in the city, so unassuming from the outside, so beautiful inside.
The interior design is absolutely gorgeous (see photos here) and the service is really outstanding.
Manly – For a real Australian beach stay
What I love about Manly
- There is a surf beach on the ocean side for some action and there is a quiet calm beach on the bayside for some easy time and swimming, perfect for the kids.
- Manly has such a village cooled-down surfing attitude that you immediately feel miles away from the business area. You feel on vacation, more than any place in Sydney
- There are some of the most beautiful walks, inside the Sydney Harbour National Park, with spectacular views of the city and the bay
- Restaurants, bars and cafes with a good range of quality and prices.
However
- Very far away from the airport, impossible for a short stay
- You need the ferry to go to the CBD. There is a speed ferry that takes just 15 minutes (expensive) or, alternatively, the public ferry in 30 minutes. It can be a bumpy ride on windy days.
The Manly Paradise is one of the best value accommodations in Sydney. It’s right in front of the beach with a nice pool and a sea view from a few rooms (see photos here).
It works as a motel, however, it does have also a few apartments that work great for families.
This is a quick list of my 5 favourite boutique hotels in Sydney, organised thanks to my 20 years of regular trips to Sydney
Hotel Woolstore 1888 – Handwritten Collection – Darling Harbour
This is a little gem in Darling Harbour (it is actually in Pyrmont, but literally 2 minutes walking from the water). The rooms are nicely and carefully furnished keeping the historical building as a continuous reference. Breakfast is to die for!
QT Sydney – CBD
A beautifully designed hotel right in the middle of the CBD (city centre) and next to all you need, from business to restaurants, bars, public transportation, Hyde Park for a walk and 200m from the Botanic Garden if you like some jogging. When you arrive in your room you will feel like stepping back in time to the gold era but in today’s style. The restaurant is an experience by itself, famous in the city for its meat dishes
Hughenden Hotel – Paddington
A lovely boutique hotel in the fabulous area of Paddington, meters away from the famous Saturday market and 1 minute from Centennial Park, a fantastic place to have a walk, enjoy the life passing by or have a run. When you enter the Hughenden you may think you are in an 18th-century movie set with the leather sofa, the bookcases, the lovely rags and I could go on forever. The rooms are really cosy and breakfast is included in the price.
Hotel Indigo – Potts Point
A fantastic hotel with a lovely contemporary design located right in the centre of Kings Cross (Potts Point). Great location, just 2 minutes from the train and meters away from all the bars and restaurants that Kings Cross can offer. Some of the rooms have a fantastic view of the CBD skyline and/or the bay. Do not miss ice cream at the ever-popular Gelato Messina, along Victoria Street. Buffalo dining is one of my favourite informal options with mozzarella and prosciutto imported from Italy and Spain
Park Hyatt Sydney – CBD
This is the hotel with the best location in the city and with a swimming pool with an amazing view of the bay, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, just meters away. It’s positioned in The Rocks, right in the old town of Sydney where it all started. If you are after a special and unique stay then this is the place to book also because the freshly baked breakfast is to die for :)
World best city to stay in Sydney, Australia. I am from Indian and I love Sydney because of Sydney is a lovely place in the world.
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Thanks!!