SYDNEY LUXURY ACCOMMODATION

Sydney’s hottest new hotel is quite the revolutionary, writes Georgia Rickard.   When Sydney’s illustrious Park Hyatt – arguably the city’s most glittering jewel in its luxury accommodation crown – relaunched to the resplendent tune of a reported $65 million, media reviews were united in their praise. The colour scheme (chocolate, cream and beige) was pronounced “warm and soft” by Ultimate Travel magazine; US News complimented its “intimate, residential style.” “The overall impression,” wrote Sydney Morning Herald, “is one of restrained simplicity.” And, indeed, Park Hyatt is exactly that. In a market where hotels must fight that extra bit harder...

If Kylie Minogue hasn’t booked this penthouse for the weekend, we’ll gladly take it. The stylish Ambassador suite – recently revamped as the final pièce de résistance in the Sheraton on the Park’s $40 million revival – has reportedly been her favourite Sydney hideaway for years, and now new additions have raised the room to cult status. Look out for the unique pieces strewn throughout its 160 square metres – an antique globe here, a vintage set of wrought iron keys there – and recline on the king-sized bad with this luscious designer wallpaper, inspired by the iconic Louis Vuitton...

With great excitement, Elisabeth Knowles headed to Sydney’s most luxe hotel to check out its recently revealed multimillion-dollar refurb. Truth be told, it was pretty hard to get her out of there...  Spoiler alert: I usually wait until the end of a review to sum up what I think about a place in one sentence, but this can’t wait. Sydney Park Hyatt is the very best luxury hotel experience I’ve ever had. My previous Best Luxury Hotel Experience was at Canada’s Fairmont Banff Springs, which I loved for its Rocky Mountain views, charming service and Scottish-baronial-castle stylings (my suite was...

Where is it? 199 George Street, Sydney How to see it for yourself? This picture was taken at sunrise through the window of a room on the 17th floor. It’s an especially impressive view of the harbour, favoured by many photographers because it is distant enough to show the all the area’s iconic landmarks while being close enough to ensure these attractions are easily identifiable. But if you haven’t got the cash to splash on a night at the luxury hotel, there are other nearby vantage points offering spectacular views, Why I love it “This hotel offers one of the best views available of Sydney Harbour. I waited a week in...

Australian Traveller Magazine's 100 Great Australian Holiday Homes Just one of a slew of Walter Barda-designed super-homes in the sophisticated Sydney enclave of Palm Beach, True North on Bilgola Avenue is what every modest beach house dreams of being when they grow up. Barda is as much a visual artist as he is an architect, a fact which shines through in the warmth and character of his many creations. With its vast windows and high ceilings, the two-storey True North feeds on sunlight. The bright white exteriors, shuttered windows, screened verandahs, sunny north-facing courtyard, four big bedrooms, open fireplace and...

Australian Traveller Magazine's 100 Great Australian Holiday Homes Rockridge, set high above the southern end of the ultra-glam Palm Beach peninsular, was first built as a gentleman’s residence in the 1940s. With a huge fireplace, original fittings and cabinetry and whitewashed walls and floors, this stone and timber five-bedroom beach house is wonderfully evocative of the summers of a bygone era. Modern comforts haven’t been sacrificed to nostalgia, though; the house features a fully equipped marble gourmet kitchen, a child-protected swimming pool and spa and an in-built gas BBQ for al fresco dining in the vast private gardens. With numerous...

W Hotel (Now Blue Hotel) reviewed. So Near, And Yet So Far Woolloomooloo. Sydney’s harbour side suburb with way too many Os and Ls. What better place to perch a five-star hotel with Blue for a name? By Rhonda Talbot Close enough to the bright lights to sense that pulse, but far enough removed that a turn of the head or a twitch of the curtains is all you need to make good your escape. On beautiful Sydney Harbour where the sparkling water is the first view in the morning and the last at night, the Opera House is a...