The one at the beach
THE SEBEL
These days, Sydney's Bondi, Manly and Coogee beaches are very much backpacker country. But we're happy to recommend this place, as it's tucked down at the quieter end of Manly's Ocean beach. All the rooms have balconies (ask for one with a sea view) and, if the prospect of meeting jellyfish, sharks or muscly surfer dudes sets you all aquiver - and not in a good way - you can opt for the dinky hotel pool instead of the sand.
There are plenty of picturesque walks in the immediate vicinity, including some in national parks, with bush trails that lead to secret beaches. Manly is a half-hour ferry ride from the city (£5.75 return), and the cruise is a treat in itself, well worth doing even if you don't bunk up at the hotel. Studios from £132; 00 612 9977 8866, www.mirvachotels.com
The classy one
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THE OBSERVATORY
Dripping with grace and timeless charm, this hotel can easily make you think you're visiting another era. From the grand foyer to the individually decorated rooms, the attention to detail is superb, and this is reflected in the service.
Flop on your four-poster bed, tinker with antique-looking furniture and swish lush curtains to reveal windows that actually open. Don't miss the pool, which glistens beneath a domed ceiling twinkling with fibre-optic trickery that resembles the southern sky.
The hotel is a bit of a sanctuary, but step outside and you'll see the location is deviously divine - squirrelled away, but just a short amble from the attractions of the Rocks district and the glitzy hubbub of Circular Quay. Doubles from £225; 00 612 9256 2222, www.observatoryhotel.com.au
The plush one
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SHANGRI-LA
There's uncluttered comfort in the bedrooms, gleaming marble in the bathrooms and an old-fashioned solidity to the furniture that makes drawers slide smoothly, light switches go clunk, and tropical-downpour raindrops come out of the shower. Everything is swathed in an ultramodern atmosphere of subtle Asian elegance, and the Shangri-La offers overindulgence all the way.
The hotel has an opulent outlook, too. It's the tallest of the few hotels that gaze over the classic Sydney Harbour view: you get both the bridge and the opera house in one sweeping vista. The real show stoppers, however, are the Altitude restaurant and Blu Horizon bar on level 36. Book in advance for the view seats - but not if you suffer from vertigo. Doubles from £185; 00 612 9250 6000, www.shangri-la.com
Ye olde one
HARBOUR ROCKS HOTEL
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A hotchpotch of styles has been bundled together to make this historic hotel. There are clusters of buildings of assorted vintage: some rooms were once the cottages of Sydney's early settlers, with original sandstone arches here and there, while the newer ones have bay windows and sneaky-peek glimpses of the opera house. Located in the Rocks - a lovely area of narrow lanes, souvenir shops and bustling bars - the hotel offers scallywag charm in spades. It even has a resident ghost.
Be aware, however, that some of the services are a bit dated. Your bags ride in the elevator, but you don't (it's only a goods lift). Instead, you have to negotiate a maze of baffling stairs and passages. And the internet service was not the best. Doubles from £125; 00 612 8220 9999, www.harbourrocks.com.au
The budget one
BAYVIEW BOULEVARD
Rooms here are simple but stylish, with timber-panelled walls, crisp linen and tidy, functional furniture and fittings. All the standard bits and pieces are included, such as in-room safes and tea- and coffee-making facilities - not bad for a budget option.
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Tom Jones, John Wayne, Sammy Davis Jr and Frank Sinatra have all stayed here, but they did opt for the presidential suite. If that's out of your reach, schmooze your way into one of the rooms on the upper floors and you'll get green and blue views across the park and on to the water. Even if you end up in a standard room, you can mosey on up to the restaurant and cocktail bar on the 25th floor to soak up stunning views and rather good drinks. Doubles from £80; 00 612 9383 7222, www.bayviewboulevard.com.au
Travel brief
Airlines competing on the Kangaroo Route include Qantas (020 8600 4300, www.qantas.com ), British Airways (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com ) and Virgin Atlantic (0870 380 2007, www.virgin-atlantic.com ), which have one-stop, same-plane flights from Heathrow to Sydney; from about £700. Services involving a change of plane are offered by Emirates (0844 800 2777, www.emirates.com ) and Singapore Airlines (0844 800 2380, www.singaporeair.com ).
Austravel (0844 412 4620, www.austravel.com ) has five nights at the five-star Shangri-La from £940pp, including Qantas flights. Or try Trailfinders (0845 058 5858, www.trailfinders.com ), or Travelmood (0844 815 9400, www.travelmood.com ).
Andrew Quested travelled as a guest of Austravel