NOVOTEL DARLING HARBOUR in Sydney - Hotel Review with Photos

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Updated: January 11, 2022

Essentials
• Location: Darling Harbour, Murray St.
• Hotel website: novoteldarlingharbour.com.au
• Hotel phone: +61 (0)2 9288 7180
• Check prices for Novotel Darling Harbour

Review of Novotel Sydney Darling Harbour Hotel.

The huge Novotel hotel in Darling Harbour features spacious rooms and an outdoor pool and tennis court.

Novotel Darling Harbour – Styled like a luxury motel in a superb location.

This sprawling hotel dominates one part of Darling Harbour, an inner-city area renowned for its extensive choice of places to eat, drink, and shop. The Pyrmont View rooms face the suburbs, not the harbor, and are large enough for two double beds, so they are ideal for families. The décor is functional and features the latest mod-cons and some lovely old photos, having recently been refurbished. The Executive Darling Harbour View rooms are larger, but otherwise only the views differ. The covered outdoor pool and the floodlit tennis court are rare attractions.

Novotel Darling Harbour – The Location

Area: In the middle of Darling Harbour, with the main entrance along Murray Street to the back.
Address: Darling Harbour, 100 Murray St, Pyrmont.
Nearest Transport: Bus – Harris St at Pyrmont Bridge Rd (350m), Tram – Convention Centre (100m), Ferry – Darling Harbour, Convention Jetty (600m).
Handy to: Darling Harbour, Tumbalong Park.

Novotel Darling Harbour – The Basics

Guests: Primarily for anyone on holidays, and especially good for families.
Pets: Not allowed.
Views: About half the rooms have views of Darling Harbour, while the others face the suburban streets.
Parking: Underneath the hotel at A$59 per day.
How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
Phone: +61 (0)2 9288 7180
Email: H1181-RE@accor.com
Website: novoteldarlingharbour.com.au

Novotel Darling Harbour – Amenities

Pool: Outdoor, covered, and small.
Spa: None.
Fitness Center: The In Balance gym has an outdoor section and all the latest equipment.
Private Pools/Jacuzzis: None.

Novotel Darling Harbour – Food and Drink

Restaurants & Bars: The Ternary Restaurant & Bar is relaxed, popular, and airy. Offers extensive views and ‘wok and wine’, with an emphasis on modern Asian cuisine. • Pimm’s Pop-up at the Ternary Terrace is a long name for a small bar. Tremendous views and friendly atmosphere. Light meals also available.
Breakfast: An extra A$30 for buffet breakfast.
Room Service: Available 24 hours.

Novotel Darling Harbour – Rooms

Room Types: Pyrmont View • Superior City Skyline View • Executive Darling Harbour View • Junior Suite • Loft Suite • List of all Rooms
Smoking Rooms: By Australian law, smoking is forbidden within hotel buildings.
Best Room: On the top floor for the finest views, the twin-level Loft Suites have one or two bedrooms, as well as a bar and conference-style desk.

Novotel Darling Harbour – What’s Nearby?

Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars

Blue Fish – Superb seafood with outdoor waterside setting.
Olivo Restaurant – Pasta and seafood, perfect for people-watching.
Harbour Bar & Kitchen – Barbecue ribs, spit-roasted beef, and happy hours.
Zaaffran – Classy Indian, with a balcony for harbor views.

Local Transportation

Darling Harbour is linked to the city center by light rail, but with limited connections. Otherwise, stroll across the footbridge (10 minutes) for train stations in the city center.

Novotel Darling Harbour – The Hotel

Built in the early 1990s (and showing its age compared to newer hotels in the area), the Novotel dominates the western side of Darling Harbour.

On a raised area set back a little from the water, the multi-level hotel dominates the skyline at Darling Harbour.

Layout and Location of Novotel Darling Harbour

The hotel backs onto the former industrial suburb of Pyrmont, which is now home to modern inner-city housing.

The pool is outdoors and covered, but undersized.

All Pyrmont View Rooms are spacious and nicely furnished, but don’t feature the best views.

All rooms are spacious enough for two double beds, but seem in need of some updating.

Overall, the decor is fairly bland and lacks some colour.

New Contemporary Rooms at Novotel Darling Harbour

Most rooms are undergoing a gradual refurbishment during 2018, and will become more contemporary.

One primary reason to stay at the Novotel is the location in Darling Harbour, a major hub for shopping, eating and drinking within the city centre.

Leisure activities around Darling Harbour

There is little need to head into the city centre with so many bars, bistros and boutiques along both sides of Darling Harbour.

An oversupply of cafés and bars along both sides of Darling Harbour results in pleasingly competitive prices.

Barely 100m from the front of the hotel is Harbourside, a multi-level shopping mall with no shortage of places to spend money.

Leisure activities around Cockle Bay Wharf

On the other (eastern) side of the harbour, and easily accessible via the Pyrmont Bridge, is the Cockle Bay Wharf, yet another area of shops, cafés and bars.

Darling Harbour to city centre via footbridge

About 250m north of the hotel is Pyrmont Bridge, a very handy footbridge linking Darling Harbour with the city centre. Check rates and availability: Novotel Darling Harbour

Novotel Darling Harbour Hotel in Sydney, Australia

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