Sydney Hotels & Tourism

White beaches, blue harbours, gilded lifestyles and lots of flash.

Sydney is Australia's oldest city, the economic powerhouse of the nation and the country's capital in everything but name. It's blessed with sun-drenched natural attractions, dizzy skyscrapers, delicious and daring restaurants, superb shopping and friendly folk.

Although it's come a long way from its convict beginnings, Sydney still has a rough and ready energy, and offers an invigorating blend of the old and the new, the raw and the refined. While high culture attracts some to the Opera House, gaudy nightlife attracts others to Kings Cross.

Sydney wasn't a planned city and its layout is further complicated by its hills and the numerous inlets of the harbour, its focal point. The centre of Sydney is on the south shore of the harbour, about 7km (4mi) inland from the harbour heads. Skyscrapers in the Central Business District (CBD) vie for dominance and harbour views, but the city's relentlessness is softened by shady Hyde Park and the Domain parkland to the east, Darling Harbour to the west and the main harbour to the north. The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the harbour tunnel link the city centre with the satellite CBD of North Sydney and the suburbs of the North Shore. Sydney Airport is about 10km (6mi) south of the city centre. Central station, Sydney's main train station, is in the south of the city centre, and the main bus terminal is located outside it.

Australia is a multi-cultural country, and Sydney is one of its most diverse centres. It's not unusual to walk down a city street and hear people speaking Italian, Greek, Lebanese, Vietnamese or Arabic as their first language. Aboriginal languages are also spoken. English-speaking Sydneysiders have a passion for abbreviations and are liable to use a hotchpotch of local slang that can take the first-time visitor a while to untangle.

Travellers to Sydney, Australia can expect to find accommodation of all types, from upmarket Sydney hotels and resorts to more budget-focussed and unique options. For your next holiday accommodation in Sydney, make sure you check the regular and special offers on hotels.com.au first. Australia is host to a wide range of travel experience, suitable for all budgets. And Sydney is a great place to visit, blending experiences such as a swim at Bondi Beach with famous attractions such as the Sydney Opera House and Taronga Zoo. And don’t forget shopping shopping at the photogenic Queen Victoria Building , and sample the famous ferries with a ride to Manly for an unforgettable Sydney experience. Wherever you’re staying, hotels.com.au offers a huge range of Sydney hotels and Sydney accommodation options.