Harbour Rocks Hotel

Circular Quay & The Rocks


This deluxe boutique hotel on the site of Sydney's first hospital has undergone a chic and sympathetic transformation from colonial warehouse and workers' cottages to a series of New York loft–style rooms, with high ceilings, distressed brick and elegant furnishings. It maintains a historic feel and has a great little garden balcony terrace. Superior rooms are worth the upgrade.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Circular Quay & The Rocks attractions

1. Suez Canal

0.02 MILES

One of few remaining such lanes, the Suez Canal tapers downhill until less than a metre wide (hence the name, also a pun on the word 'sewers')…

2. Susannah Place Museum

0.05 MILES

Dating from 1844, this diminutive terrace of four houses and a shop is a fascinating time capsule of life in the Rocks. A personable guide takes you…

3. Museum of Contemporary Art

0.06 MILES

The MCA is a showcase for Australian and international contemporary art, with a rotating permanent collection and temporary exhibitions. Aboriginal art…

4. Rocks Discovery Museum

0.07 MILES

Divided into four displays – Warrane (pre-1788), Colony (1788–1820), Port (1820–1900) and Transformations (1900 to the present) – this small, excellent…

5. Argyle Cut

0.08 MILES

Convict labourers excavated this canyon-like section of road clear through the sandstone ridge that gave the Rocks its name. The work began in 1843 with…

6. The Big Dig

0.08 MILES

Before the outbreak of bubonic plague in the early 20th century and the subsequent slum clearances, this section of the Rocks was a warren of houses…

7. Cadman’s Cottage

0.09 MILES

Built in 1816 for Superintendent of Government Boats John Cadman (a former convict with a commuted death sentence for horse theft), this is the inner city…

8. Foundation Park

0.09 MILES

Thought-provoking Foundation Park is set among the preserved ruins of 1870s houses, built against the cliff face. The oversized furniture by artist Peter…