Standing with marble-trimmed grandeur in the heart of one of Sydney’s most expensive harbourside suburbs, InterContinental Double Bay occupies one of the city’s most historic hotel sites. Formerly home to the Ritz-Carlton, then the Stamford, the six-storey building has served as the base for some of Sydney’s most famous visitors, from Elton John to Madonna. In 2014, the doors opened at the InterContinental Double Bay, a hotel that has deliberately maintained the classic, Champagne-fuelled approach to hospitality. Well-heeled valets wait at the entrance to park your car, a grand piano stands in the lobby, and the opulent hotel bar is draped in deep red velvet. This is a “hotel”-style hotel – a place to check in for old-school indulgence.
What are the rooms like at InterContinental Double Bay?
Ranging from entry-level ‘Classic’ rooms to a palatial 155-square-metre ‘Royal Suite’, the hotel’s 140 rooms all benefit from either vast arched windows or glass-walled balconies, flooding them with natural light and welcoming in the gentle harbour breeze. Choose between views of the sparkling harbour, leafy village or the hotel’s French provincial courtyard, and wake up to the sound of Australian magpies singing from the treetops. Ours was one of the smaller rooms but had everything we needed, including a spacious bathroom (with an excellent double-head shower as well as a bathtub) and an adorable balcony overlooking the bay.
Which are the best restaurants at InterContinental Double Bay?
Confidently titled The Bar, the hotel’s bar reopened in 2022 after a thorough refresh which, if anything, took the venue back in time rather than forward (in the very best way). The result is an opulent, divinely classic hotel bar that takes its cues from the grand establishments of New York and Paris. The lavish, warmly lit space hides behind heavy velvet curtains on the first floor of the hotel and serves a tight, refined menu with the kinds of classic dishes enjoyed in high-end hotel bars the world over: oysters, prawn linguine, scotch fillet laced with café de Paris butter, and (naturally) a signature cheeseburger with shoestring fries. Drinks follow a similar vein: on-point Martinis and magnums of Moët are the go.
Breakfast (a traditional hotel buffet complete with a juice bar and pastries from local favourite Baker Bleu, with hot dishes available to order) is served next door in the dining room, and the rooftop bar is the spot to hit for casual share plates and loaded pizzas.
What is the service like at InterContinental Double Bay?
The service during our stay was formal and relatively removed, but the bar manager at the rooftop was endlessly kind – going above and beyond to make sure the space looked perfect, drinks were flowing and pizzas were delivered poolside, piping hot.
Is there a gym at InterContinental Double Bay?
While there’s no dedicated gym within the hotel proper, guests are granted complimentary access to Fit Collective – a well-equipped gym located on the ground level of the hotel’s building. Open 24/7, this relatively compact fitness facility offers an impressive range of equipment, including dedicated cardiovascular machines and resistance training equipment. If you’d rather get your steps up in the open air, there are some beautiful running routes and walks in the area – the Hermitage Foreshore Walk is a personal favourite.
Is there a spa at InterContinental Double Bay?
As with the gym, the on-site spa is independently owned but housed within the hotel’s building and open to hotel guests (bookings required). Found on the ground floor of the building, Trumps Spa Double Bay offers massages, facials, body treatments and hair/beauty services – so you can take care of your body, soul and blow-dry without leaving the building.
Is there a pool at InterContinental Double Bay?
The rooftop infinity pool is the jewel in the InterCon’s crown. Cutting a turquoise rectangle into the sky on level six of the hotel, the harbour-facing pool is framed by comfy shaded cabanas and sun-soaked daybeds. During our visit, the bar had partnered with the playful cocktail brand CINCiN on a springtime activation, and groups of girlfriends gathered around the pool with buckets of canned cocktails on ice. We opted to follow suit and lost a few hours drinking cocktails in a cabana as the season’s first swallows danced in the sky and the sun disappeared behind the city.
What’s the area like around InterContinental Double Bay?
Occupying a leafy, sheltered cove on the eastern banks of Sydney Harbour, Double Bay is one of the city’s most ritzy residential suburbs. Polished mansions sit behind manicured lawns, and the wide, tree-lined streets house some of Sydney’s most high-end eateries (Margaret, Gran Torino and Next Door Double Bay are notable mentions). The impeccably presented vibe of the suburb (I’d put good money on this being the corner of Sydney with the highest density of Botox studios per square metre) has earned it a reputation for being superficial, but there’s a European charm to the sun-drenched piazzas and rows of high-end boutiques. Look past the polish and you’ll find a delightful harbourside base that’s within a 15-minute drive of some of the city’s best beaches, and a breezy ferry ride from the CBD. If you’re craving a beach day but don’t want to travel, a five-minute walk will take you to Murray Rose Pool (known as Redleaf), one of Sydney’s most magical harbour swim spots. Pack a picnic (and maybe some cans of CINCiN from your minibar) and set up here for the afternoon – it’s the kind of uniquely Sydney place that’s impossible to forget.
Why should you book a stay at InterContinental Double Bay?
For a timeless taste of old-world glamour in one of Sydney’s most bougie, slow-paced suburbs.
Address: 33 Cross St, Double Bay, NSW, 2028
Price per night: From $429 per night.
Closest transport link: Edgecliff Train Station is a five minute drive from the hotel (or 15 minutes on foot), and Double Bay Ferry Wharf is a five minute walk.
Book now: Over here.
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