Pier One Sydney Harbour

The Pier One Sydney Harbour benefits from a striking Dawes Point location, alongside the historic Harbour Bridge, just around the cove from the Opera House. In hotel-speak, "waterfront location" often means "somewhat near the water" or "not really all that far from the water, in the grand scheme of things." This hotel is actually on the waterfront, in the sense that one might actually be in danger of falling into Walsh Bay from the boardwalk just outside the lobby door.

In fact, the hotel's assertion that it is "on and over" the water is no hyperbole. For the benefit of our American readers, we must point out that "Pier One" is not a reference to the import furniture store of the same name, but to the hotel's location - quite literally constructed on a pier. Twelve square meters of glass floor in the lobby overlook the waters of the harbour, floodlit for dramatic effect.

More than half the rooms have views of the water - and these are not "partial" views, or "if you look through the apartment buildings and use your imagination" views. The rest of the rooms settle for views of picturesque Sydney and the bridge, hardly cause for complaint themselves. And just behind Dawes Point is the historic district known as The Rocks, the landing place of Sydney's first settlers, now a preserved colonial neighborhood with a wealth of dining options and tourist attractions - galleries, shops, and historic buildings.