The best hotels in Sydney tend to cluster by the harbour to make the most of the iconic views. And although there are none around Chippendale or Redfern, the area is well served by the city's metro and within a brisk walk from most of those listed below.

This new property from Hong Kong's Langham Group is near Sydney Observatory in The Rocks, the city's oldest neighbourhood, surrounded by charming historic pubs and a stone's throw from the excellent Museum of Contemporary Art. When you're done with culture, try relaxing by the 20-metre indoor pool, underneath a domed ceiling studded with stars.

This iconic structure, a former cargo processing facility on the Woolloomooloo Wharf, was spared the wrecking ball in 1988. Since then it's been operated by W Hotels, the Taj Group and, most recently, Hong Kong's own Ovolo Group. The wharf is filled with pleasant, buzzy al fresco restaurants and it's a hop, skip and a jump from the Art Gallery of New South Wales and Sydney Opera House.

If you're after a more intimate, less touristic experience, try Simpsons hotel, housed in a lovingly refurbished arts and crafts mansion. Potts Point is one of the city's most gracious neighbourhoods, famous for its high concentration of art deco apartment buildings, and Challis Avenue is one of it's leafiest, chicest thoroughfares.

Downtown types will want to check out Medusa in Darlinghurst, right in the heart of town and within walking distance of just about everything. This 18-room property is housed in a Victorian terrace, but there's nothing Victorian about the groovy decor, with its stunning colour-blocked walls and wavy leather chaise lounges, courtesy of Redfern's own Scott Weston Architecture & Design.