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Sydney’s hotel scene has been on the up and up over the past few years, but one opening in particular has managed to turn heads far beyond Oxford Street. In the latest Travel + Leisure ‘It List’ – a global roundup of the 100 best new and renovated hotels – Sydney’s very own 25hours Hotel The Olympia Sydney has topped the list in the Best City Hotels category. And based on our Sydney Editor’s experience, it’s not hard to see why.
Set inside a reinvented cinema-era landmark on the buzzy southern edge of Paddington, this is the cult European brand’s first Australian outpost – and it’s landed big main character energy and a sparkling roll call of accompanying brands. Inside the renovated historic shell, you’ll find bold interiors, tongue-in-cheek design details, and a split personality in the best possible way: 109 rooms divided into “Dreamers” and “Renegades”, depending on your travel energy.
Downstairs, the hotel is home to a handful of destinations worthy of a place on anyone’s Paddington hit list: The Palomar (a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant that’s already been shortlisted for the Time Out Sydney Food and Drink Awards 2026), The Mulwray (an indoor-outdoor bar serving on-point Martinis well into the night, Jacob the Angel (a London-inspired cafe) and the second outpost of the beloved concept store Sorry Thanks I Love You.
Upstairs, rooftop bar Monica is doing what good rooftops do best – sunset views and big holiday energy. And if you book direct? You’re rewarded with a 1pm checkout and a minibar stocked with complimentary snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. Yes, really. If you were looking for an excuse to add this to the top of your staycation bucket list, the recent nod from Travel + Leisure might just be it.
While this Paddington gem's crown is the biggest headline as far as we’re confirmed, Australia as a whole showed up strong on this year’s list. In Melbourne, the eco-luxe 1 Hotel Melbourne earned a nod in the Affordable Luxury category thanks to its sustainability-first design and jungle-level greenery (we’re talking over 7,000 plants inside the building). Up north, Queensland also had a moment with two resort standouts: the sleek, high-rise Mondrian Gold Coast and the breezy island escape The Sundays Hamilton Island, both delivering the kind of waterfront, poolside, cocktail-in-hand energy the tropics do best.
Wanna know what else is making waves in the hotel world right now? You can check out Travel + Leisure’s full list of the 100 Best New Hotels of the Year here, and you'll find the best city hotels list (with our very own 25hours at the top) right here.