SD › Sydney › Best Hotels › InterContinental Review
Updated: January 11, 2022
Essentials
• Location: Macquarie Street.
• Hotel website: icsydney.com.au
• Hotel phone: +61 (0)2 9253 9000
• Check prices for InterContinental
The historical InterContinental offers luxurious rooms, some overlooking the Royal Botanic Gardens, and is in a prime city center location.
InterContinental – An opulent, convenient, historic, and modern hotel.
The indisputable elegance is immediately apparent in the atrium café with live piano music. Set within the historic Treasury Building, the InterContinental soars over thirty levels; rooms are similar, only the layout and views really differ. They are all spacious enough for two double beds and some have interconnecting doors, making them useful for families. Most feature a sofa alcove alongside the window and some unique furniture. Panoramic views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and/or Opera House are offered from some rooms and guaranteed from the suites on the top floors. The large indoor pool also provides some amazing views, while the twin-level Health Club gym, with a spa and sauna, is very good. The hotel is convenient to the city center and Circular Quay (for trains and ferries).
See Also
InterContinental – The Location
- Area: Macquarie Street, in the heart of the city, surrounded by parks, cafés, and old buildings, and very close to public transport.
- Address: 117 Macquarie Street.
- Nearest Transport: Bus – Museum of Sydney, Phillip St (100m), Tram – Circular Quay (350m), Ferry – Circular Quay (300m).
- Handy to: Circular Quay, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Opera House, historical Rocks area.
InterContinental – The Basics
- Guests: Mostly business people, and couples or small groups on short getaways.
- Pets: Not allowed.
- Views: Differ greatly – of the harbor, Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Royal Botanic Gardens, or the city.
- Parking: Available for A$65 per night.
- How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
- Phone: +61 (0)2 9253 9000
- Email: sydney@interconsydney.com
- Website: icsydney.com.au
InterContinental – Amenities
- Pool: Large, indoors, and with fabulous views, but otherwise not so inviting.
- Fitness Center & Spa: Odyssey Health Club & Spa is on the top floor, with a sauna and jaw-dropping views.
- Private Pools/Jacuzzis: None.
InterContinental – Food and Drink
- Restaurants: Café Opera is on the ground floor. European-style bistro offering a wide range of meals, and specializing in seafood buffets. • 117 Dining is sophisticated and award-wining, with ‘Asian fusion’ cuisine and an extensive wine list. • The Meat & Wine Co. features an atmospheric street-level setting, with an emphasis on steak and wine.
- Lounge/Bar: The Cortile, located in the atrium of the historic Treasury Building, offers an extensive drinks menu, light meals, and live music. Famous for its High Tea each afternoon.
- Breakfast: Costs an extra A$42.
- Room Service: Available 24 hours.
InterContinental – Rooms
- Room Types: City Side Room • Eastern Harbour View Room • Harbour Bridge View Room • Opera House View Room • Australia Suite • The State Suite • The Governor Suite • Executive Suite • List of all Rooms
- Smoking Rooms: By Australian law, smoking is forbidden within hotel buildings.
- Best Room: The Australia Suite on the 29th floor features a grand piano, kitchen, marble bathroom, and extensive balcony offering unparalleled views.
InterContinental – What’s Nearby?
Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars
- The Spice Room – Classy and chic Indian.
- Settlement on Quay – Contemporary Australian cuisine with street-side seating.
- Alfredo Authentic Italian Restaurant – Traditional food in a historic building.
- Quay Bar – Views, cocktails, conversations, and light meals.
- Bar Luca – Classy comfy bistro, with a great selection of cocktails and drink specials.
Local Transportation
- A 2-minute walk to Circular Quay, with the ferry terminal and a train station.
InterContinental – The Hotel
The InterContinental hotel is in a prime position, on the corner of two of Sydney’s oldest streets, Macquarie and Bridge streets.
All rooms are in the modern tower that looms over the historic exterior.
The hotel is based in the mid-19th-century Treasury Building in the city center. It is within walking distance of all major inner-city attractions: Circular Quay, the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Sydney Opera House and the historical Rocks area.
The Meat & Wine Co is a classy bistro on the ground level that offers air-conditioned seating inside or street-side tables perfect for people-watching.
Some rooms provide access to the club lounge on the top floor, with optimum views.
The club lounge has an outdoor seating offering extraordinary views across Sydney.
The club lounge on the top floor offers views of the bridge, Opera House and harbour.
The Cortile café in an atrium is renowned for High Tea every afternoon.
The indoor pool is a decent size, but offers no views and is not that appealing.
Views from some rooms are of the distant Royal Botanic Gardens
All rooms are spacious, comfortable and well-furnished.
The rooms are spacious enough for two double beds, but the decor is fairly similar in every room.
Most rooms offer a pleasant window-side seating area.
Some views are limited, often directly facing other buildings.
The best rooms are those facing the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Some rooms feature combined views of the Botanic Gardens, suburbs and harbour.
Views to the Royal Botanic Gardens are across an overpass.
Barely 200m north along Macquarie Street is Circular Quay, a hub of office blocks and upmarket hotels.
There is also a train and bus stop at Circular Quay, but the area is mainly used as a ferry terminal. It is the only place in the city center for ferries across the magnificent harbour, and to places like Manly Beach and Watsons Bay.
Walk about 700m north along Macquarie Street to the iconic Sydney Opera House. Its ‘sails’ can be seen from all over the harbour.
Dominating the skyline in most directions, with a base at the northern end of The Rocks, is the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Inner Sydney is based around an extraordinary harbour, and many locals enjoy sailing.
To enjoy the best of the magnificent Sydney Harbour join a cruise or simply take a ferry to Manly from Circular Quay, only 200m from the hotel. Ferries to Manly run about every 30 minutes and are remarkably cheap on Sundays.
From Circular Quay, it’s only two stops by train to the Queen Victoria Building. With oodles of elegant boutiques and charming bistros, it’s one of the most popular places to visit in Sydney.
From Circular Quay, it’s only another 300m to The Rocks, an historic area with delightful cafés and shops.
The original site of Sydney, The Rocks is spread over a compact area of cobblestone laneways lined with cafés and bars.
The Rocks is home to numerous old pubs, including The Orient, which claims to be the oldest in Sydney. Check rates and availability: InterContinental
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