The Best Hotels in North Sydney

With stylish rooms (plush brown bedheads, full-length windows, crisp white linen) and a prized corner location, Vibe is the perfect place for mixing business and pleasure. As part of the Northpoint retail and commercial development, it’s on the doorstep of offices, shops, services and the Eat Street casual dining atrium. The hotel has a lobby diner – the externally operated Lobby Boy, doing burgers, sandwiches and wellness salads – suites with kitchenettes, room service, and meeting and conference rooms. To clear your mind, hit the gym or swim in the heated rooftop pool with city skyline views.

Named for obvious reasons, View is proud of its enviable outlook across the sensational Sydney Harbour. Expect a mix of families and business travellers at this pet-friendly four-star favourite, which is less than 3mi (5km) from the Opera House and 1mi (1.6km) from Luna Park. A family room sleeps up to three children, and cots are available – whichever space you book, expect calm, cool, warm-lit simplicity, with minibars, TVs, phones, safes and desks, rather than fancy designer shenanigans. The hotel has a gym and a business centre. Be at in-house LB’s Restaurant for wine time and snacks.

Make yourself at home in this apartment complex: take a studio with its own kitchenette, or a one-bedroom apartment with full kitchen and laundry facilities. If you don’t feel like cooking, ask Quest about the pantry-shopping service with groceries delivered to your door. Alternatively, the reception team can recommend local chargeback restaurants. As ideal for corporate travellers as they are for holidaymakers, rooms have high-speed internet, plus a phone and desk, while an on-site business lounge and administrative services are also available. In the main thoroughfare of North Sydney, with easy access to the city, Quest is well-connected for work, lifestyle and convenience.

Hotels in North Sydney do not get much cheaper than this boutique block of 13 rooms, some with shared bathrooms or just a single bed. But don’t think that means drab decor – the interior is gorgeous with high ceilings, washes of cool nautical blue tones and fabulous designer-French wallpaper. A communal kitchen means delicious complimentary breakfasts, to enjoy in a delightful sitting area. Known by the locals as Percy’s, it’s situated opposite St Leonard’s Park and North Sydney Oval, and if you’re too tired to head out, there’s a great comfort-food menu, with options like sausage and mash or fish and chips.

An alternative to the business hotels in North Sydney is this neighbourhood gem, Glenferrie Lodge. The 19th-century heritage guesthouse, in the leafy suburb of Kirribilli, welcomes both families and pets. There’s a large garden with a nicely furnished outdoor patio and a children’s playground. Budget options range from a single room with shared bathroom to a king en-suite or queen room with balcony. In all spaces, you’ll find clean, crisp, IKEA-smart interiors with pale-wood effects. From its position near the harbour foreshore, a ferry links you with the city’s main attractions in little more than five minutes.

For the next step up in elegance, this 29-room, four-star manor is one of Sydney’s oldest hotels on the prestigious North Shore. From its spacious verandas, you can see the harbour and Mosman Bay. The highlight is the penthouse, a luxury two-bedroom, two-bathroom, 140sqm (1500sqft) sanctuary with private elevator access, a modern kitchen and panoramic views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. But all rooms ooze style, in beige upholstery, clean-lined, unfrilly furniture and white bed linen. Ready for your close-up? Those celebrated attractions are just an eight-minute ferry ride from Cremorne Point.

Built in 1892, this charming 16-bedroom, federation-style house has been beautifully refurbished for a look that is funky, unfussy and pastel-cool – almost Scandinavian – with a self-catering kitchen, laundry and private garden. Choose from single, double, triple and family rooms. Close to North Sydney Oval, Cammeray Golf Club and Mater Hospital, Dalziel Lodge is a short distance to parks, cafes, bars and restaurants, a two-minute walk to the bus and a 10-minute walk to the train station for a quick trip into the city. Families can walk to Luna Park and North Sydney Olympic Pool.

These modern one-bedroom apartments work perfectly for short stays, but discounts for month-long periods are well worth considering. The welcome is warm – you’ll get a personal check-in – and the amenities are decent, from a fully equipped kitchen to city views as you stand on the balcony, and a gym and pool in the building. There’s no parking, but public transport and taxis are everywhere, and it’s walking distance to North Sydney’s shops and dining establishments. Other studios and two-bedroom units are also managed by Stay & Co in nearby Crows Nest.