The best luxury stays in NSW

Stunning locations. Tick. World-class service. Tick. Every creature comfort you could wish for. Tick. These luxury hotels – located everywhere from World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island to the edge of Sydney Harbour – are guaranteed to make the world slow down, your relaxation quotient go up, and leave you with that oh-what-a-feeling feeling for weeks afterwards.

Capella Sydney, Sydney CBD

The first Australian outpost of the famed Singaporean hotel brand, Capella Sydney is understated luxury at its finest. Housed in the exquisitely restored Department of Education building from 1912, it brings together grand heritage and striking modern design. The property celebrates Sydney’s history, weaving Indigenous legacies and colonial figures into everything from art to cocktails to its unique collection of curated cultural activities. Discover the soul of the city with the dedicated team of Capella Culturists, who will create a perfectly tailored itinerary.

Don’t miss: a visit to Auriga spa on the top floor, open only to hotel guests.

Capella Sydney, Sydney

Lilypad Palm Beach

Floating serenely in the calm waters off Palm Beach, Lilypad is the ultimate combination of a luxury villa and a chic superyacht. It’s a romantic escape for two, where you’ll be gently lulled to sleep by the rhythm of the ocean. Your all-inclusive stay comes with gourmet meals, bottles of champagne and fine wine, a private boat to explore the area, and a concierge to drop off anything you need. Relax on the deck, dive into the ocean, curl up in front of the open fire and soothe your muscles in the infra-red sauna.

Don’t miss: arrive by air with Sydney Seaplanes for an ultra-luxury upgrade.

Lilypad, Palm Beach

Wilga Station, Bathurst

Slow down with a retreat in the lush countryside of the Central Tablelands. Wilga Station is a working sheep farm 10 minutes outside of Bathurst that’s now home to two luxury stays. The original Shearers Hall has been converted into a rustic-chic five-bedroom home, complete with the old wool table in the dining room and shearing memorabilia on the walls. The adults-only Farmers Hut is a striking modern cabin, complete with a grass roof and huge windows for sheep watching.

Don’t miss: follow the Sheep Trail walk to the firepit by the creek.

Wilga Station, Evans Plains

Wildlife Retreat at Taronga, Mosman

Live out your childhood fantasy and spend the night among the animals after the zoo closes for the day. The stylish and sustainable Wildlife Retreat at Taronga is made up of five low-rise lodges set around a central lounge area. Rooms are luxurious and the views are spectacular, but you’re really here for the creatures. Your stay includes an exclusive tour of the Wildlife Sanctuary that surrounds the retreat, where you can see native animals up close. Wake up early for a private tour of the zoo before the gates open.

Don’t miss: upgrade to an Animal View Suite to spot koalas snoozing outside your window.

Wildlife Retreat at Taronga Zoo, Mosman

Greyleigh, Kiama

Covering 200 acres of rolling green hills, orchards and farmland, Greyleigh in Kiama is the South Coast’s most luxurious farmstay. The property dates back to the mid 1800s, so you’ll be sleeping in a piece of living history. There’s a gorgeous pool and cabana with views stretching out to the coast, plenty of cute farm animals to meet, and luxe experiences like private chef dinners and yoga classes available. It’s the perfect getaway for a group of friends or family, with the grand Greyleigh Homestead sleeping 12 people and the cosy Greyleigh Guesthouse sleeping six.

Don’t miss: a soak in the claw foot bathtub that looks out over the farm.

Greyleigh, Kiama

Bannisters, Port Stephens

On the NSW North Coast is boutique Bannisters Port Stephens, a retro motel that’s been reimagined as a luxury retreat for foodies. The 78-room property includes four Hamptons-inspired suites, a penthouse and spacious rooms with dreamy sea vistas. A highlight is the Rick Stein restaurant, where the renowned British chef dishes up his signature seafood deliciousness.

Don’t miss: that seafood deliciousness.

Bannisters, Port Stephens

Byng Street Boutique Hotel, Orange

The buzzing food and wine town of Orange in the state’s Central West is home to the Byng Street Boutique Hotel where old is cleverly interlaced with new. The traditional façade of the 1896 Yallungah homestead sits proudly out front, but at the rear is a striking modern addition which melds sympathetically with the hotel’s historic roots. The supremely comfortable and stylish three suites in the heritage wing are the stand-outs.

Don’t miss: local produce is featured in the two-course breakfast served in the very pretty Yallungah dining room.

Byng Street Boutique Hotel, Orange - Credit: Pablo Veiga

Capella Lodge, Lord Howe Island

Slip into island mode at the ultra-chic Capella Lodge on World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island, 600km off the NSW coast. With just nine superlative suites, it’s the island’s most exclusive address but still retains a barefoot beachy vibe. With views over dramatic Gower and Lidgbird mountains, tranquil Lovers Bay and the picturesque coast-scape, you might find it difficult to drag yourself away to discover Lord Howe’s other otherworldly beauty.

Don’t miss: the three-hour Dreaming signature treatment at Capella Spa.

Capella Lodge, Lord Howe Island - Credit: Rhiannon Taylor

Crown Towers Sydney, Barangaroo

Towering above Barangaroo, Crown Towers Sydney is the city’s tallest hotel, standing at 275 metres tall. It has a sprawling rooftop pool deck, spa, 14 bars and restaurants, and 349 guest rooms including 22 ultra-luxe private villas – each designed so that the floor-to-ceiling windows are the central focus. But the opulence doesn't end there: 24-hour in-room dining and concierge services are available, an impressive eight-metre chandelier adorns the foyer, and the property is home to a string of high-end retailers, a state-of-the-art gymnasium and an open-air tennis court.

Don’t miss: a swim in the infinity pool, before relaxing in a private cabana with harbour vistas.

Crown Sydney, Barangaroo

Jonah’s, Sydney

From humble beginnings as a roadhouse, Jonah’s multiple incarnations have seen it evolve into the much-lauded retreat it is today. A fine dining restaurant, infinity pool and 11 elegant rooms with spa baths, private balconies, Frette robes and high-pressure walk-in showers offer sensational views over Whale Beach on the tip of Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

Don’t miss: for the ultimate A-list arrival, splurge on a seaplane flight from Rose Bay in Sydney’s east.

Jonah's infinity pool on Sydney's Northern Beaches

The Langham, The Rocks

In Sydney’s historic Rocks precinct, The Langham, Sydney is the epitome of timeless elegance. Ninety-eight luxurious rooms and suites are housed in this low-rise boutique property which includes a health club, day spa, art collection curated by Sotheby’s and indoor pool with star-studded ceiling. Pampered pooches welcome.  

Don’t miss: the afternoon tea here is legendary.

The Langham, Sydney

Ovolo Woolloomooloo

The multi-award-winning Ovolo Woolloomooloo fuses cutting-edge interiors with a plum waterfront locale on the heritage-listed Finger Wharf on the city’s eastern edge. The hotel has brought this historic wharf precinct to life, with 100 guest rooms and the chic Bar Woolloomooloo. Stroll across to the Royal Botanic Garden for a meditation session and swim laps at the legendary Andrew Boy Charlton Pool.

Don’t miss: share an antipasto platter and bottle of Australian wine at Bar Woolloomooloo.

Ovolo Woolloomooloo - Credit: Ovolo Woolloomooloo

Park Hyatt Sydney

The Park Hyatt Sydney boasts arguably Sydney’s most coveted address, perched on the edge of the harbour opposite the Opera House. All 155 guestrooms and suites offer contemporary luxury with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open to private balconies. Three elegantly designed rooftop suites take in an almost-360-degree panorama of the harbour, Opera House and Harbour Bridge. There’s an elegant spa, beauty and fitness centre with rooftop pool and terrace, 24/7 butler service and private wharf.

Don’t miss: cocktails by the striking rooftop pool.

Park Hyatt Sydney - Credit: David Mitchener

Pretty Beach House, Central Coast

Perched high on an escarpment among ancient angophoras and native eucalypts overlooking Bouddi National Park on the NSW Central Coast, Pretty Beach House embodies understated luxury. Sleeping just eight guests in elegant pavilions, expect plush interiors, bespoke pieces and artwork, private plunge pools, impeccable service and modern Italian cuisine by Michelin-starred chef Dean Jones.

Don’t miss: the Indigenous smoking ceremony at dusk is one of the best welcomes you’ll experience.

Pretty Beach House, Pretty Beach, Central Coast - Credit: Anson Smart

Raes on Wategos, Byron Bay

As one of the country’s most exclusive and bohemian coastal enclaves, Byron Bay has fabulous accommodation on every corner, but it’s hard to go past one of the area’s true legends – Raes on Wategos. Raes offers discreet service, an award-winning restaurant and seven luxurious suites in a dreamy Spanish Mission-style villa that overlooks sheltered Wategos Beach. Little wonder it’s been voted one of the world’s top 25 hotels by Condé Nast Traveller magazine.

Don’t miss: the tasting menu by chef Jason Saxby at Raes Dining Room.

Raes on Wategos, Byron Bay

W Sydney, Darling Harbour

W Hotels are renowned for their deliberate dismantling of the usual notions of luxury, replacing them with eye-popping interiors based off a New York fashion and design aesthetic, where the brand first started. It’s no surprise, then, that W Sydney in Darling Harbour glimmers and undulates like a giant, mesmerising bubble, already a contemporary Sydney icon and perfect match for the W brand. Inside the 25-floor, 585-room luxury hotel, guests will find a cocktail bar, an infinity pool that looks onto the harbour, a restaurant, gym, and revamp of the old IMAX theatre. Guest rooms boast either city or harbour views through floor-to-ceiling windows, a nautical white-and-blue colour palette and bespoke furnishings.

Don't miss: Take downtime to a new level at the rooftop WET Deck on Level 29.

W Sydney, Darling Harbour