The Best Holiday Rentals for a Fun Getaway in Sydney

A 30-minute walk from Luna Park, Quest North Sydney is a well-placed collection of upscale apartments with good connections to central Sydney. All 100 apartments are soundproofed and feature flat-screen smart TVs, should you prefer a night in over hitting the nearby pubs and bars. You can choose between a studio or a one-bedroom; in either case, the huge pillow-top beds serve their purpose well, as do the rainfall showers in the bathrooms. The kitchens feature stovetops, microwaves and dishwashers, and dry cleaning and laundry services are available by request.

It’s difficult to miss the Urban Newtown, with its light cubist architecture and often-busy coffee shop in the entrance. The Newtown area is famously lively and the 79-room apartment block embodies this vibe, with artful modern interiors (think lots of exposed wood and metal), big kitchen areas, high-end bathroom fixtures and Ritual toiletries. Rooms sleep between two and four. You’ll find yourself within easy reach of Enmore Theatre and Carriageworks for your cultural needs, plus several Italian, Indian and French restaurants.

Quest Campbelltown is a great option if you favour a more suburban environment. It’s a fair distance south of Sydney proper, but the vast hills, lakes and forests of the Campbelltown area are on your doorstep. The 81 apartments (sleeping between two and seven) lend themselves nicely to the surrounding environments, with big windows, balconies and lots of open living space, plus hobs, microwaves and fridges in the kitchens. The complex has a deli with a rooftop terrace, plus barbecue grills. If you want to visit the city, Leumeah Station is a 10-minute walk away.

Neatly sandwiched between Hyde Park and Darling Harbour, Fraser Suites is an optimal choice for sightseers. The block has 201 rooms across 40 floors, ranging from studios and singles to two-bedroom suites with room for five – city and coastline views are all but guaranteed. There’s a large lounge area, gym and indoor pool, and the apartments have an appealing open-plan design with large windows, bedrooms separated by sliding doors, kitchenettes and Nespresso coffee machines. There’s a breakfast buffet and the staff are informative, attentive and quick to fulfil requests, even if you’re on the 40th floor.

True to the name, Adina is right next to Central station, although there’s a glut of attractions accessible on foot before you even think about taking a train. The building itself has an appealing 19th-century feel to the outside, with elegant white tiling and marble surfaces inside. The 98 apartments are sleek and minimalist, but still feature a kitchen and room service (plus you can book in-room massages). Sizes range from studio to two bedroom, sleeping up to five. There’s a spa, gym and cafe, although the allure of the nearby Chinatown makes their presence more of a nice-to-have feature.

Appropriately for an aparthotel located in the upmarket Green Square, SKYE Suites feels high-end from top to bottom. The views are extraordinary, especially on the higher floors. The 98 apartments have feature walls, miles of wood panelling, elegantly selected furniture, soft lighting and kitchens with espresso makers. Sizes range from studios to two-bedroom suites, and some of them offer adjoining rooms. There’s also a beautiful pool area with a spa tub, plus a fitness centre.

Luxurious Resort Living House certainly lives up to its self-aggrandising moniker. It enjoys a prime location in Botany Bay, in the serene suburb of Brighton-Le-Sands, 21km (13mi) from the city centre. The decor is an interesting blend of polished, modern cabinets, appliances and fixtures, and various rustic accent pieces such as mosaic mirrors, old brass spotlights on tripods and Persian rugs. The four-bedroom house sleeps up to 16 people, and includes two private pools, a hot tub and Netflix in the rooms.

The entrance of Regents Court looks like something from a gothic fantasy, with archaic metal lettering flanked by iron-cast lamps above the gate. Its proximity to Darling Harbour makes it an appealing choice for tourists, and although the exterior might be antiquated, the interior certainly isn’t. The 26 rooms are all studios, sleeping up to three, and all have a distinct personality – some are white-washed and airy, others opt for a combination of wood and brass. There’s a gym on site and if you’re staying a while, full laundry and dry cleaning services are available.

As the name suggests, these Sydney holiday apartments enjoy a prime position on the Bondi strip. They sit on the Campbell Parade, just shy of the starting point for the Bondi to Bronte coastal walk. There are 11 units, starting with studios and ranging up to the interconnected two-bedroom suite, which can sleep eight. Ocean-view dining areas will enhance your meal, while soundproofing prevents beach party noises from seeping in. And if you don’t feel minded to use the kitchen, room service from Bondi Trattoria, one of the best restaurants in the area, is readily available.

Modern and cool are the keywords at Veriu. The entrance and lounge area contains a mesmerising blend of wood, black marble, chrome and potted plants, as does the courtyard. The Camperdown area, which is near a university, feels just as trendy, with a glut of bars and restaurants. The 23 rooms have balconies overlooking either the city or the lush courtyard, plus a large dining area with picnic bench-style tables, walk-in bathrooms with rainfall showers, gallery walls with photographs of the city and big, warm living rooms. The largest can sleep eight.

Zara Tower is a short walk south of Hyde Park, placing it conveniently close to Central station. There are 58 apartments across 16 floors, from studios to the three-bedroom penthouse. All of them take a modular, Art Deco approach to their design, favouring curtains and partitions over fully separated rooms. Balconies, free-standing baths, big dining areas, floor-to-ceiling windows and kitchens with breakfast bars add to the appeal, sweetened further by the 24-hour gym and laundry services. The breakout star, however, is the view – nearly every room offers unrivalled vistas of Sydney, with the north facing rooms allowing you to gaze over Hyde Park while you drink your morning flat white.