Any qualms about the unhostel-like prices will be shelved the moment you head up to the rooftop of this sprawling, modern YHA and see the million-dollar views of Circular Quay. All of the spacious rooms, including the dorms, have private bathrooms and there are a host of sustainability initiatives in place.

Built in 1836, this atmospheric sandstone pub has a tidy set of upstairs rooms, with exposed stone walls and dormer windows with harbour glimpses. Most of the nine, light-filled rooms have en suites; there are also cheaper rooms with shared facilities. The downstairs microbrewery is a welcoming place for a pint. Rates include breakfast.

This quaint 100-year-old guesthouse offers lovely rooms which have an Australian flavour without straying into twee territory. Rooms come in a variety of configurations, have tea-and-coffee making facilities and feature hand-crafted furnishings and polished floors. Rates include a cooked breakfast.

Old-world charm meets gentle contemporary styling at this long-standing favourite. The rooftop garden, downstairs wine bar and Circular Quay location are major drawcards. Next door to the historic Fortune of War pub, front rooms can be noisy on weekends.

At Sydney's most expensive hotel the impeccable service levels and facilities are second to none. With full frontal views across Circular Quay, you can catch all the action from your bed, balcony or bathtub. From the rooftop pool you feel you can almost touch the Harbour Bridge. And with 24-hour personal butler service for all guests, it's not like you need to be anywhere else.

With the Opera House as its neighbour, the building known locally as 'the toaster' has a scorching-hot location. These well-designed contemporary apartments set you in the glitzy heart of Sydney, encircled by top restaurants, cocktail bars and that attention-seeking harbour.

Recently reopened after a $30 million revamp, this opulent hotel eschews excessive glitz in favour of an elegant antique ambience. This is where you head for a true five star stay featuring afternoon turn-down service, in-house pastry kitchen, page-long pillow menu and an extravagant pool and day spa experience, where guests can swim under a star-dazzled ceiling.

The Hong Kong–based chain's Sydney offering is a suitably sleek tower with palatial rooms and seriously spectacular views. As expected, service is efficient and discreet, whatever the request. The acclaimed Altitude Restaurant on the 36th floor offers a well-edited menu focusing on seasonal produce.

One of the older high-rise hotels, Quay West's early-1990s decor could just about qualify as retro. The roomy apartments are a home away from home, each with a full kitchen, lounge and laundry room. The views are extraordinary and the cheesy 'Roman-style' pool on level 24 is a lot of fun.

This deluxe boutique hotel on the site of Sydney's first hospital has undergone a chic and sympathetic transformation from colonial warehouse to a series of New York loft–style rooms, with high ceilings, charcoal brick walls and elegant furnishings.

There's a lot to be said for staying in a serviced apartment, not least the ability to be able to wash your smalls whenever the need arises. Each of the one- to three-bedroom apartments in this modern tower has laundry facilities and a full kitchen complete with a dishwasher. Not that you'll want to cook, with Chinatown at your feet.

Near both Chinatown and Darling Harbour but with double-glazed windows to ensure a good night's sleep, Adina offers spacious, fully equipped apartments and smaller studio rooms with kitchenettes. The larger apartments offer the best value.

Right on the park, this relaxed place offers studio rooms with kitchenettes, deluxe rooms with balconies and full kitchens, and some two-bedroom apartments. All have flat-screen TVs with cable access. Breakfast and parking is included in the rate.

Fun, sexy and completely OTT, this ultra-theatrical hotel is located in the historic State Theatre. Art deco eccentricity is complemented by retro games and DIY martini kits in all the rooms, which have 12 madcap styles. There's also a spa complete with hammam and old-school barber, plus a bar and grill operated by one of the city's most fashionable restaurateurs.

This luxury address is popular with business travellers who choose between elegant heritage rooms in the grand General Post Office building or bedding down in a modern high-rise. Thoughtful extras like lending guests exercise gear (including running shoes!) are impressive.

A room at this so-hip-it-hurts hotel is your VIP pass to the city's most decadent night out. What Establishment lacks in facilities it makes up for with its fabulous clutch of acclaimed bars and restaurants, not to mention designer good looks that wander from Japanese-style rooms to muted, tranquil abodes both with massive bathrooms stocked with Bulgari toiletries.

This hostel’s not just central, it’s actually in Central Station. A nouveau-industrial renovation has turned a former parcel shed (complete with platform) into a hip hostel. You can even sleep in dorms in converted train carriages. The kids will love it (but bring earplugs). Private en suite rooms also available.

Flashpackers sleep soundly in this converted 1900 department store on top of Sydney’s busiest intersection. It’s a convivial, colourful, professionally run hostel with 520 beds, lots of activities, a tour desk, 24-hour check-in, a sunny cafe, a bar and no excuse for neglecting your inner party animal.

Near Central Station, this 1913 heritage-listed monolith is the mother of all Sydney YHA properties. The renovated hostel includes everything from a travel agency to an in-house cinema. The rooms are brightly painted and the kitchens are great but the highlight is sweating it out in the sauna, then cooling off in the rooftop pool.

In a heritage-listed wool store, this stylish gem combines stark industrial minimalism with the warmth of ironbark wood beams and luxury appointments. Rooms range from the aptly named shoebox to the airy lofts and attic suites with harbour views. The cool but casual staff point out the hip hotel must-have's: lobby space set up for Instagram selfies, bikes for hire and an iPad in every room.

Beyond the bling of Star City Casino lies the sumptuous Darling. Sink into beds laid with 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets and choose from a menu of 12 pillows. Hard to get up? No problem. Guests can adjust the lighting, air temperature and select a time for the blinds to open in the morning via remote control. The sweets and alcoholic treats in the well-stocked mini bar make for a great midnight feast.

A great choice for working travellers, this chilled-out hostel has decent facilities, plenty of organised activities and simple rooms with sinks. Less uptight than some YHAs, there's a convivial vibe particularly on the rooftop terrace which is popular on barbecue nights. A real plus are the surrounding cafes and easy access to public transport into town.

Count yourself lucky if you nab one of the two guest rooms at this bijou escape in Glebe's leafy back streets. Forsyth B&B has light, art-filled rooms, one with a balcony overlooking the city. The accommodating owners provide personalised itineraries, airport transfers and help with public transport. Breakfast is served in the Japanese-inspired garden. Minimum three night stay.

This popular hostel has scooped up a pile of awards for its boutique take on budget accommodation. Beyond the standard dorms there are double rooms with sleek en suites, luxury hotel quality beds and TVs. Soak up those skyline views on the rooftop terrace. Guests are provided with extra-large lockers with a power supply to safely charge electronics.

A great, no-frills hostel experience with a cool rooftop terrace and a snazzy communal area. A definite plus is the free breakfast and free wi-fi on the ground floor.

You couldn’t wish for a more conveniently situated hotel than this urban bolt-hole. Most of the spacious, contemporary rooms have private balconies with city skyline vistas. Downstairs the happening Baccomatto Osteria serves brilliant Italian food, including the hotel breakfast.

As soon as you spot the bold wall murals, it's clear the ADGE is all about putting a clever twist on the ubiquitous serviced apartment experience. The 12 idiosyncratic but extremely comfortable two-bedroom apartments are bedecked with garishly striped carpets, smart TVs and colourful retro fridges. Free wi-fi, a welcome drink and a nightly turn-down service make this hotel one of Sydney's best boutique options.

Medusa’s shocking pink exterior and witty, luscious decor was once the height of hotel hipsterdom. Today the small colour-saturated suites with large beds and regal furnishings (the best face the courtyard) are looking less decadent. Thankfully the staff are as energetic as ever and small touches like the Aesop toiletries go a long way. So does the tremendous location.

This won’t be the flashest place you’ll stay in Sydney (the vibe is kinda 1994), but it offers that rare combination of location, price and a bit of elbow room. Not to mention a complimentary hot breakfast buffet. All rooms have courtyards or balconies, some with leafy outlooks. Good wheelchair access.

Carved out of the historic Woolloomooloo finger wharf, now home to some top restaurants, much of the industrial machinery has been left exposed, to be admired over cocktails in the Water Bar. Rooms are mostly split-level, with king-size beds perched above living areas. Standard rooms are lit by skylight, giving the feel of staying on a luxury liner.

If Polly wanted a cracker of a hostel she might head to this well-maintained, secure little place which feels more like a share house (albeit a rather clean one!) run by sisters Effie and Sasha, rather than a backpackers. The courtyard is strung with hammocks. There are no private rooms, just dorms – and as a 'genuine' youth hostel, Blue Parrot only accepts 18- to 35-year-olds.

Far enough from the Kings Cross fray, Eva’s is a long-time favourite offering free breakfast and wi-fi, plus an ace rooftop barbecue area and a sociable kitchen-dining room. Clean and secure.

There's no accommodation positioned closer to the heart of the action than this hostel directly above Kings Cross station. Ordinarily that wouldn't be a good thing, but Jackaroo passes muster. While communal spaces are lacklustre and rooms cramped, they are very clean. Try to nab a rear-facing one but pack earplugs regardless. The vibe is bustling and (extremely) youthful. A no-frills breakfast is included.

In the style of a simple European pensione, Hotel 59 offers good bang for your buck on the quiet part of Bayswater Road close to Rushcutters Bay Park. The cafe downstairs does whopping cooked breakfasts (included in the price) for those barbarous Kings Cross hangovers. Two-night minimum.

Presiding over William St this swish high-rise bridges the junction between Kings Cross and Darlinghurst. Space-age corridors open onto slick, spacious black-and-white rooms – all have king-size beds, quality linen, huge plasma screens and iPads. Courtyard suites offer roomy private balconies equipped with stylish outdoor furniture. Guests have free 24-hour access to a large public gym in the building.

Chintzy charm reigns supreme at this faded but well-run B&B, which has 25 rooms in a pair of three-storey 1881 terrace houses. The larger more expensive rooms have balconies. The continental breakfast is served in the courtyard.

At the posh end of Potts Point, surrounded by fabulous restaurants, is this understated hotel. The studios are a little faded but all have small kitchenettes and there's a laundry on each floor. An added plus is the rooftop pool and gym. Ask for a room on a higher floor for city and harbour views.

This smart hotel tries for the boutique experience but unfortunately misses the mark when it comes to the small details. What it does offer is attractive and affordable lodgings with a great address. Cheaper rooms are compact so upsize to a King Deluxe for more space and larger windows. Given the location, it can get noisy on weekend nights.

At the quiet end of a busy cafe strip this 1892 villa has been affectionately restored with decorative flourishes of yesteryear. The perennially popular Simpsons is widely loved for its charming service and the cosy luxury of the 12 guest rooms. The downstairs lounge is perfect for a game of chess and a complimentary sherry.

Deftly run by the ever-smiley Kathryn, this grandiose 1888 Victorian terrace opposite Centennial Park, has two tastefully decorated rooms dotted with antiques; choose between the en suite attic room or the 1st-floor room with a balcony. Great location for chichi shopping and dining.

A well-managed­ 64-room hotel with simple but comfortable rooms in a handy location on the Paddington-Darlinghurst border. There's heavy-duty triple-glazing on the Oxford St frontage, while the rear rooms face a quiet lane. The central courtyard has a small solar-heated pool and there are free bikes for guests.

Following a lavish renovation, this resort has been restored to the grandeur that first made it a celebrity hotspot back in the day. Swathed in Italian marble and twinkling chandeliers, it's all class from the Stillery gin bar to the slick rooftop pool overlooking the bay. Many of the light and airy guest rooms have superb harbour views.

Perched on a hillside between Bondi and Tamarama Beaches, this 95-bed art-deco hostel is the best in Bondi. Dorms sleep four to eight, and some of the private rooms have ocean views – all are clean and well maintained. Facilities include a cinema room, games room, courtyard barbecue, free bodyboard and snorkel use, and a stunning rooftop deck.

Bondi's newest hotel is super modern, smartly appointed and just a barefoot dash to the surf. The apartments all have balconies and there's a fabulous retail and restaurant precinct downstairs. The hotel offers small conveniences such as grocery delivery to the rooms, a lap-pool, gym and in-house movies making it perfect for longer stays.

In a tranquil pocket behind Campbell Pde, this charming place offers a homely atmosphere with rustic-chic furnishings and a well-equipped communal kitchen. Though only a two-minute walk from the beach, you may well be tempted to stay in all day – the courtyard and terrace are great spots for relaxing, and the rooms are conducive to long sleep ins.

Plenty of hotels don’t live up to their name and thankfully neither does this one. Right across the road from the beach, the 17 contemporary rooms at this relaxed, family-run affair are well designed. They come with kitchenettes and small stylish bathrooms fitted out with mosaic tiles and stainless steel sinks. Breakfast included.

When you stay at a guesthouse run by designers with a passion for cooking and gardening, you know you're in for a good time. Brom and Julian have created a peaceful retreat with four graceful spaces with soaring ceilings and French doors opening onto large verandahs. The communal breakfast is a highlight. Rates include airport transfers.

A minute's walk from Newtown station and a bunch of great bars and eats, this brand new hotel in a former RSL Club offers industrial-sleek studio accommodation. The Urban stands out from the crowd with a slew of extras like free wi-fi, free landline calls Australia-wide and relaxed check-in/-out options. Kitchens include mini-bars stocked with local craft beers.

Backpackers (mainly Dutch) mix it up with international students and holiday workers at this laidback hostel minutes from Manly Beach. The bright and clean four person dorms with en suite are the way to go, as the overpriced private rooms are in need of sprucing up.

This low-key bed and breakfast is in a handsome Federation-style home on a hill above Manly. The two simple but tastefully decorated rooms make the most of high ceilings, lead-light windows and polished timber floors. The only downside is the steep hike back from the beach.

This sumptuously decorated 1880s cottage is perched on a quiet street close to the beach and ferry wharf. Two rooms are available but the delightful host only takes single bookings (from one to four people) – meaning you’ll have free rein of the antique-strewn accommodation, including a private lounge with a grand piano and open fire.

Right on Manly’s ocean beach, this midriser has a dated corporate vibe but is a million miles from the city’s business hustle. Check the surf from ocean-front balconies, or hit the rooftop pool if you don’t want sand in your laptop.