Hotels in Australia

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

The "fabulous location",a short walk from the Opera House and Harbour Bridge,is the draw at this "fairly nondescript urban hotel" built on the site of Sydney's first jail. Rooms in silk and mahogany and rich, earthy hues "don't have that 'wow' factor, although the amazing views make up for it." Sample salads and oysters at The Cafe.

531 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

This 20-year-old semi-spherical tower is flanked by Louis Vuitton and Hermgrave's shops. "Spacious public areas" have Art Deco accents, high ceilings, and native-wood paneling. Rooms in muted tones with eggplant accents have floor-to-ceiling windows with city or Yarra River views. Bar Deco has nightly live music, but "the food is only average."

548 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis

New to the Gold List

This 25-floor former Sheraton's perfect Location score is thanks to its Federation Square setting: You can "walk to everything." Sheer bronze drapes and silk panels with gold-leaf prints make the lobby "truly magnificent, a show-stopper." Deluxe corner rooms have views of the Yarra River and the surrounding Southgate neighborhood. The two-story Chuan Spa offers 40 treatments influenced by Chinese medicine.

387 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

A nineteenth-century judge's cliff-top summer residence in Blue Mountains National Park, 90 minutes from Sydney, it has 22 acres of landscaped grounds. Gardens and an orchard give it "the feel of an English country home" and a perfect Design score. Rooms in pink, lilac, and green are "done up in florals but in a soothing way" and come with locally bottled spring water. Darley's serves modern Australian food.

85 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

"Put on your flippers and walk off the beach and into the most impressive sea life." Little wonder this island resort with 24 beaches merits perfect Location and Activities scores. On shore, "clean and uncluttered" rooms in pastel tones have sleek furnishings, private balconies, and hammocks. Osprey's rotating menu focuses on seafood and fruit.

40 rooms

Amenities: Beach, Pool, Spa, Tennis, Water sports

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

The Sydney Harbor location of this S-shaped three-story hotel,a former water-police headquarters between the iconic bridge and the Opera House,"puts you where you want to be." Rooms in cream leather, navy blue, and stainless steel have private balconies that give them a "quiet feel." "Staff are always responsive." Order afternoon tea at the Little Kitchen.

158 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa

New to the Gold List

Formerly Le Meridien at Rialto, this top-scoring Australian property is a nineteenth-century twin-building Venetian-style former wool store designed by William Pitt. Public spaces flaunt stained-glass windows, iron balustrades, and cobblestoned pathways. Rooms score perfectly for their "traditionally classic decor" in soft yellows and blues and European furnishings with Georgian accents. Cafe Rialto, located in the nine-story glass atrium that connects the two buildings, serves grill dishes.

244 rooms

Amenities: Pool

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

Overlooking majestic Hyde Park, the hotel has an unremarkable exterior, so "you don't expect anything inside to be too exciting," but the modern public areas are "a pleasant surprise." Contemporary rooms have Bose sound systems and flat-screen TVs, and some have private balconies. Botanica Brasserie's "impressive buffet" includes local rock oysters and tiger prawns.

557 rooms

Amenities: Pool

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005

A 1993 Rocks district property named for the nearby Sydney Observatory, the hotel is "quiet but a bit of a walk from Sydney Harbour and most sights." Modeled after two nineteenth-century Sydney homes, it has rooms with four-posters, mahogany furniture, and "incredible bathrooms." The indoor pool earns praise for its starry, fiber-optic-lit sky, as do Galileo's French-Japanese fusion dishes.

100 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005

At this seven-year-old block, the pastel-colored rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows that give guests views of Regent Place and St. Paul's Cathedral. The Art Deco lobby leads to a curving staircase and makes "a breathtaking impression upon arrival." Return to the Lobby Lounge for afternoon tea, or sip cocktails in front of the fire at the Martini Bar.

262 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

"Beautiful, classic design" melds a modern business-district high-rise and Sydney's historic General Post Office. Aquamarine glass and stainless steel are recurring elements in the "beautifully executed" modern rooms; the 51 heritage rooms, located within the former post office section, have more traditional furnishings. Alas, the Mosaic restaurant's modern Australian cuisine is "overpriced and very predictable."

416 rooms

Amenities: Pool