The best hotels with views in Darling Harbour, Sydney

Hotels often have a bit of a problem with colour, or the lack of it - grey sheets, grey walls, dark wood, nondescript art. The W Hotel Sydney has no such issue. It’s all zig zag carpets, bold colours, velvet booths, and golden-clad bars. It’s also has panoramic views of the Sydney Harbour, which are best seen from the penthouse suites, or the open-air, wet deck with infinity pool on the 29th floor.

If you can tear yourself away from the views, and funky, comfortable rooms, the hotel is right in the thick of it at Palm Grove (above the IMAX). The perfect spot for exploring Sydney’s best restaurants and bars. 

If you’ve got kids, and you fancy a little luxury, Novotel Darling Harbour is the best place to stay in Sydney. This eco-friendly hotel is located right in the middle of Darling Harbour, smack in the middle of all the best stuff to do with little ones, including SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, the Maritime Museum, and the Darling Quarter Playground. The harbour facing rooms have great views too, looking out over Darling Harbour, Pyrmont Bridge and the Sydney skyline. 
 

The Hyatt Regency is Sydney’s largest premium hotel, located adjacent to the water in Darling Harbour. The high Darling Harbour rooms have great views, but the best vistas are seen from the suites, which look out over the harbour with terraces, or through floor-to-ceiling windows. If you fancy a tipple, Zephyr on the roof top serves fantastic cocktails alongside panoramic water views. 

The Darling is the Meryl Streep of Darling Harbour hotels (meaning she’s won all the awards). When the hotel opened it was awarded Best Deluxe Hotel, TripAdvisor’s Travellers Choice for the best romantic hotel in Australia, best luxury accommodation, and more. We’re not surprised. A stay here is a true five-star experience, with the softest sheets we’ve ever felt, classy but understated design, and penthouse suites with breathtaking views across Darling Harbour and the city. 

The complex is also home to a casino, a luxury spa, dozens of restaurants, a Gelato Messina (best gelato in Australia), and several great bars. 

The Ibis promises the same (or better) location, similar views, and most of the same comforts as other hotels on this list, but it’s a little friendlier on the wallet. It’s located right next to the Novotel and several of the rooms have views over the harbour, or back to the city. 

It’s just a few minute’s walk to the ICC for a show, or to any of the incredible dining, drinking, and entertainment options that Darling Harbour offers. 

You deserve to treat yourself, and a stay at the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour is certainly a treat. Everything at this hotel is perfection, but the views are the best - from most of the building you can see Sydney’s glittering lights reflecting off the harbour. From some rooms, you can even see all along the harbour, past the Opera House and out to sea, while a few even have baths with panoramic harbour vistas. The central location, cloud-like beds, and luxurious champagne bar don’t hurt either.