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This hotel may not quite live up to the standards the brand is famous for (a former Regent, it’s overdue for a revamp), but it does have the advantage of a killer location, facing Circular Quay in the Rocks, and a top-of-the-line spa featuring Elemis treatments. With 531 rooms and suites, it serves as the hotel of choice for large groups of travelers, high-end cruise ships and convention or conference groups, which diminishes the charm for individual travelers. The plush contemporary furnishings will neither wow or offend anyone. Tip: The rooms on the highest floors (thirty-two to thirty-four) have the best views. Rooms from $275.

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Sydney’s ultimate dress-circle property, the Park Hyatt is ideally situated in the harbor and boasts unbeatable views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. The taupe-on-beige decor isn’t particularly memorable, but the location can’t be beat and the service is flawless and friendly, so you feel like a long cherished guest within hours of checking in. Most of the 158 rooms come with terraces but the Park ones don’t face the water. Ask for one so you can slide open the glass doors in the morning and enjoy breakfast outside with a view of the sails of the Opera House and of the boats out for an early cruise. The airy HarbourKitchen&Bar serves up freshly shucked oysters and warm seafood salad as well as fabulous Harbour views. Come evening, the scene at the Club Bar—including overstuffed sofas—resembles a 19th-century gentlemen’s club. Celebrities like it here (the staff are known for their discretion), so you may spot a famous face or two. Rooms from $495.

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With livery-clad doormen, plush lounges and a hushed atmosphere, the Observatory harks back to a more refined era. Located in a residential area of the Rocks, the 100-room hotel is popular with the stealth wealth set, who love the old-world setting (rooms come with damask or floral sofas, heavy curtains, antique-style furniture and early-20th-century nature etchings on the walls). Many of the junior suites have balconies with harbour views, and there’s an excellent spa and pool, with a ceiling twinkling with fiber-optic stars. The service is white-glove as befits the atmosphere, and afternoon tea here is a beloved ritual. Rooms from $280, including breakfast.