Heard Paddington is a nice area, well-located. Any suggestions on upscale hotels there?

Hi, Andi!<BR>There are few &quot;upscale&quot; hotels in Paddington... this is an area of narrow streets, old houses, tiny shops (great fun to browse!), and, therefore, not given to the larger developments. Most of the hotels I know in the area would be classed as &quot;boutique&quot; hotels, I think (even though I'm not 100% sure what this means!). The only major chain in the area that I recall is the Medina Executive, and although it advertises itself as being &quot;in&quot; Paddington, its location, down by the White City courts, is not very close to the classy atmosphere you're seeking. The Sullivan and the Royal may be more in the area you want, though they are more in the &quot;moderate-price&quot; range; you can check them for yourself on www.australianexplorer.com/hotels/paddington (where the Sullivan is listed at around $AUD120) and http://travel.yahoo.com/p/travelguide/99050. <BR>I think most Sydneysiders might feel that Paddington is a great place to visit for a day, but you might do better to stay closer in... the Marriott at Hyde Park, for instance, is right near the corner of the road which goes straight up to Paddington, and you could walk it in fifteen minutes... yet the Marriott is also only a few minutes' walk (across the park) to the main shops of the CBD.

To add on to Alan's reply, I stayed at the Marriott when I went to Sydney. It's a great location and the staff was exceptional. Most places were within walking distance and w/ the great weather there, you were more inclined to walk around rather than taxi around.

thanks to both of you - think I will stay more centrally located (Circ. Quay, as other threads on this board seem to recommend).

Hi, again, Andi!<BR>I think that's a wise move. Really, it's very easy to get to Paddington from the hotel area in Sydney, and the walk up from Whitalm Square is, in fact, half the fun.... you will pass lots of interesting little restaurants where you can stop on the walk back. Buses go past the door, so you can take the easy way back from the restaurant of your choice.<BR>What kind of price range were you looking for with hotels in the Circular Quay area?