Sydney: Where to Stay: Luxury: The Observatory Hotel

The Observatory Hotel

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.