InterContinental Sydney

Any hotel on this site would be a special one; not only is this quite probably Sydney’s most prominent location, affording an elevated view over the Royal Botanic Garden, the Opera House, and the Harbour Bridge. The InterContinental Sydney offers more than that, though. For one thing, its historic wing, home to many of its finest public spaces, is the 1851 Treasury Building, a true-blue Sydney landmark; for another, the modern tower that is the Treasury’s counterpart contains 509 rooms and suites that are just about as luxurious as anything in town.

The rooms and suites all feature window seats; the views of the skyline are impressive, and those of the harbour even more so. The décor is contemporary but not quite minimalist; the soothing colors and faint Modernist echoes set a tranquil tone. And the details are subtly luxurious as well, from the locally sourced minibar items to the Byredo bath products. Meanwhile the restaurants and bars might be the InterContinental’s most impressive spaces, from the Treasury and the Conservatory, both on the ground floor, to Aster, the rooftop restaurant and cocktail bar, looking out over the harborside panorama from 32 floors above the ground.