This is Sydney's Most Luxurious Suburban Stay

Best for

An opulent getaway.

The hotel

Showing all of its wisdom and none of its age, the five-star Intercontinental Double Bay has modernised the elegance of its Regency-style bones, with crisp white and cool grey tones, warmed by luxurious brass finishes and plush, velvet textiles. Ascending a winding Italian marble staircase in order reach reception further confirms the retained elegance at this almost 30-year-old property.

The location

Sydney’s leafy Double Bay, less than five kilometres from the CBD, tends to draws stylish day dawdlers, partial to window shopping, coffee sipping and salad picking. It’s for this type of social visitor that the Intercontinental Double Bay reserves its sense of refinement – The Stillery Bar and Lounge welcomes giddy groups for pre-dinner drinks and the rooftop cabana bar is similarly flush with visitors in the market for summer sundowners. Despite its proximity to the city, the area is quiet and relaxed and Sydney Airport is conveniently located less than thirty minutes away by car.

The rooms

The defining difference between room types – Classic, Courtyard, Village View and Bayside – is the view that greets guests on their balcony. The latter is the obvious frontrunner, with a glistening panorama of Sydney Harbour a worthy reason for an upgrade. Rooms are generous and thoughtfully decorated, with a day lounge positioned perfectly for a charming outlook. Anyone looking for luxury will appreciate that each room is crowned with Italian marble bathrooms with generous double sinks, as well as a separate bath and shower. Fluffy robes and matching slippers wait in the wardrobe to complete your indulgence.

Food and drink

On-site Stillery Bar and Dining encompasses both the atmospherically dim 1940s-inspired gin bar and an inviting, plant-dotted dining room. The bar offers over 140 types of rare, vintage and craft varieties of the spirit and staff will happily and knowledgeably help you through the plethora of options. The adjoining restaurant’s menu is creatively flecked with native ingredients, adding a particular flair to options such as sirloin and short rib beef (wattleseed features here) and zesty cured salmon (lemon myrtle adds a fresh sting). This is one place you’ll want to fill up on bread, too: the unassuming serve that arrives before your meal is a highlight, with a distinct lemon-myrtle bite brilliantly flavouring the crust.

For business travellers

There are seven function centres within the hotel, making it a popular choice for conferences and events. For solo business travellers, private business cubicles on the lobby floor offer a quiet, relaxed space for work and phone calls, complete with a desktop computer and printing facilities, open 24 hours.

For wellness travellers

Although there are no on-site gym facilities, complimentary access to Snap Fitness Double Bay – mere metres from the hotel’s entrance – is provided upon request. Downstairs in the adjoining plaza, the Moroccan-tinged Trumps Spa offers an extensive range of indulgent treatments soothingly performed by candlelight. Treatments span facials, massages and even hammam visits, with the former featuring luxury skincare from Payot and Sodashi, and all can be organised by the hotel or directly with inviting and attentive Trumps Spa staff.

The fab factor

The resplendent 10-metre rooftop infinity pool with adjoining cabana bar puts Sydney Harbour, framed by the headlands of Darling Point and Point Piper, on stunning display.