AustralianGourmetTraveller-June2018

Sydney

Though too small for energetic

lapping, the 20-metre infinity

pool on level four is perfectly formed

for scenic dipping and positioned

for Insta-ready posing.

Hotel gyms are often relegated

to spare-room real estate, in the

basement or squeezed into awkward

spaces. Not here. A phalanx of cardio

and weight machines is lined up at

floor-to-ceiling windows facing Darling

Harbour and the city skyline.

Start the day with wraparound

harbour views and a cut-above

bufet breakfast ($40, Continental $34)

in Atelier by Sofitel. The distances

between food stations demand a plan

of attack so your espresso doesn’t cool

while you’re browsing baskets of fresh

pastries, ordering eggs or waes,

or ladling congee and condiments.

As the sun sets and the

cityscape lights up, settle in

at the Champagne Bar with a glass

from the long list of mainly marquee

Champagnes. The house pour, a 2009

Louis Roederer, is a good place to start.

The Victoria Street location

places guests in the urban

jungle of Potts Point and King Cross,

full of good eateries and bars, and a

stroll from the harbour and city centre.

The hotel’s passport is a little

black book of its “favourite

neighbours”: cool eateries, cafés,

bars, spas and shops. It’s like having

a concierge in your pocket.

Breakfast is served in the

Garden Room, a sky-lit space

of hanging creepers, potted succulents

and sofas printed like botanical

canvases. A highlight of the healthy

bufet is tarts filled with coconut-cream

granola and studded with fruit and

flowers. Eggs are cooked to order, as is

the French toast with lime mascarpone.

The reception bar treats

houseguests to an apéritif –

perhaps a Chardonnay Spritz – and

canapés at 6pm-7pm and stays open

for them until 3am. Thoughtfully

stocked minibars feature Nick O’Leary

shiraz, Clyde Park chardonnay,

Hawke’s lager and Mumm.

WHEREDarlingHarbour.COSTFrom $499, without breakfast.AT A GLANCE

590 rooms and suites, adjoining rooms; bars, restaurant, pool, gym, paid valet

parking.IN ROOMPaid WiFi, cofee machine, some baths and walk-in wardrobes,

pillow menu, Lanvin toiletries.BEST ROOMSPrestige Suites occupy prized corner

positions with harbour views from living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms,

and access to the 35th-floor club lounge.

WHEREPotts Point,

2km from the CBD.

COSTFrom $429, with

breakfast.AT A GLANCE

20 rooms and suites;

bar, paid self-parking.

IN ROOMFree WiFi,

smart TV, some baths

and balconies, Leif

toiletries.BEST ROOMS

The three Victorian

Terrace suites combine

the heritage charm of

marble fireplaces and

polished timber floors

with king beds, baths

and dress-circle seats

on lace-trimmed

balconies facing

Victoria Street.

SPICERS POTTS POINT

Tucked behind the bump and grind of Kings Cross, leafy

Victoria Street is home to backpacker inns, a boarding

school and, now, an elegant small hotel spanning a trio of

19th-century terraces. Spicers Potts Point is an inner-city

sanctuary of 20 rooms ranging from studio-style queen

rooms to the urban glamour of Victoria Terrace suites.

The décor is cool and calming – bleached oaks, greys

and creams enlivened by Martine Emdur’s paintings of

submerged Sydney swimmers. The welcome is gracious;

luggage is spirited away, guests are given a “passport”

loaded with local tips and treated to cocktails and canapés

each evening at the reception bar. A home away from

home.120-124 Victoria St, Potts Point, (02) 9357 3200,

spicersretreats.com

SOFITEL SYDNEY

DARLING HARBOUR

Set high above the throng, the

Sofitel is the new five-star face

of the Darling Harbour tourist

precinct. While it’s koala souvenirs

and fish ’n’ chips outside, inside

is an alternative universe where

greetings are in French and the

white-marble lobby is sweetly

scented and lit by candles.

Upstairs is a Champagne bar, an

infinity pool that appears to flow

into the harbour and 590 serene

rooms and suites. Full-length views

of the city skyline and harbour

dominate, though there’s attention

to detail in plush sandstone-veined

carpets, heavy timber columns,

maritime photographs and leather

detailing inspired by vintage

luggage. The tranquillity will be

complete when a huge aquarium

is unveiled in the lobby.12 Darling

Dr, Sydney, (02) 8388 8888,

sofitelsydneydarlingharbour.com

Bathroom in a Luxury Room

with Darling Harbour View.

Victoria Terrace

Suite.

164 GOURMET TRAVELLER