InterContinental Sydney Double Bay

The Sydney neighborhood of Double Bay is set not in the city center but in the upscale eastern suburbs. It’s not the first place you’d look for a hotel like the InterContinental — that’d be by the side of the harbour, with a view of the opera house — but it just might be the second. The InterContinental Sydney Double Bay is less a business hotel and more an urban resort, best positioned for taking advantage of the shopping, dining, and nightlife of this stylish suburb — and it is set within walking distance of a couple of fine beaches.

Inside it’s pure throwback elegance, full of richly figured marble and Belle Époque echoes. The rooms and suites are generously sized, and many have balconies with views of either Double Bay village or the bay itself. There’s a rooftop swimming pool as well, and Sydney being Sydney there’s an extensive fitness program with a multitude of class offerings. Nor are guests entirely left to depend upon Double Bay’s substantial restaurant scene — the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay has no dedicated restaurant, but its bar and rooftop serve food alongside their drinks, and the hotel’s kitchen will serve you wherever you choose to dine.