If you’re booking accommodation near Sydney shopping, the precinct you sleep in matters more than the star rating on the door. Sydney’s retail spreads across four distinct areas, and only one of them lets you shop, eat and sleep without getting in a car.
Here’s how the CBD, Paddington, Bondi Junction and Double Bay compare, and why the last one is worth a closer look.
The City Centre: QVB, Pitt Street Mall and Westfield Sydney
For sheer scale, nothing beats the CBD. The Queen Victoria Building holds five levels of shopping inside an 1898 sandstone shell, complete with tiled floors and stained glass. Pitt Street Mall runs open-air a short walk away, with David Jones and Myer facing each other across the street and Westfield Sydney carrying the luxury end on its upper levels. The 19th century Strand Arcade is the one to find if you want independent Australian designers rather than chains, and Castlereagh Street and Martin Place hold the flagships: Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tiffany and Hermes.
Staying in the CBD puts you in the middle of it. It also means city-centre rates for a room that’s usually smaller, a long way from the water, and surrounded by office towers that empty out at six. Fine for two nights. Wearing over a week.
Paddington and Woollahra: Boutique and Considered
A short trip east, Paddington and Woollahra are where the independent Australian designers sit. The Intersection, at Oxford Street and Glenmore Road, packs Zimmermann, Scanlan Theodore, Bassike, St Agni, Viktoria & Woods and Jac + Jack into a block or two. Further along Oxford Street, Parlour X stocks Chloe, Fendi and Saint Laurent inside a converted church, and Berkelouw runs three floors of books.
Queen Street in Woollahra is the quieter half of the same trip. Moss & Spy for Australian fashion, Parterre for furniture, and Anne Schofield Antiques for antique jewellery.
Come on a Saturday and you get Paddington Markets as well, running in the Uniting Church grounds at 395 Oxford Street since 1973, 10am to 4pm rain or shine, with more than 150 stalls.
Worth half a day of anyone’s trip. Not worth basing yourself in, though, because the accommodation options are thin and most visitors end up staying nearby and travelling in.
Bondi Junction: One-Stop Convenience
For a big centre under one roof, Westfield Bondi Junction at 500 Oxford Street pairs Australian labels and streetwear with a luxury precinct and both David Jones and Myer. It’s one train stop from Edgecliff and the best wet-weather option on this list.
It’s also a shopping centre rather than a place. Once the shops close there’s no reason to still be there.
Double Bay: Shopping, Dining and a Place to Stay, All in One
This is where Double Bay separates itself. It isn’t a precinct you visit and then leave. It’s a village, with the boutiques, the restaurants, the cafes and the accommodation all inside a few minutes’ walk of each other.
The shopping runs along Bay, Knox and Cross streets. Scanlan Theodore has a Bay Street boutique at number 45A and Carla Zampatti has been at number 12 for decades. Cross Street holds jeweller Jan Logan at number 36 and Mode Sportif at number 8. Knox Street has Cosmopolitan Shoes, trading there since 1996, along with Hannah Artwear and the Cosmopolitan Centre at 2 to 22.
There’s a strong consignment scene too, which is where the value is if you know what you’re after: Secondo, APT57 and Revivre all deal in pre-loved designer. Our shopping guide to Double Bay runs through the stores in more detail, and Destination NSW lists the suburb among Sydney’s most stylish shopping streets.
The dining has kept pace. Indigo has been doing alfresco on Knox Street for years, Bibo runs Mediterranean share plates with a serious wine list, and newer arrivals have brought Cantonese, Japanese and Mexican menus to the strip. Add the harbourside cafes and a short walk down to Redleaf Beach, where the netted Murray Rose Pool sits, and you have a precinct that works for an evening out and a slow Sunday alike.
Why Base Yourself at The Savoy Hotel, Double Bay
Staying at The Savoy Hotel puts all of it on your doorstep. Forty rooms at 41 to 45 Knox Street, in the middle of the village rather than a walk from it, so you can eat dinner and walk home afterwards.
Rooms run from Standard Atrium through to Family Rooms and the Retreat Suite, all with reverse cycle air conditioning, an ensuite, tea and coffee and key card access, and all non-smoking. Have a look at our rooms and tariffs.
Getting around is straightforward. Bus routes 324, 325, 326 and 327 run seven days from a stop within 100 metres of the door. Edgecliff station is a 10 to 15 minute walk, uphill on the way there and easy on the way back, and from there it’s one stop to Bondi Junction and three to Town Hall. The ferry wharf is a few minutes away if you’d rather arrive at Circular Quay by water, and there’s a taxi rank a few metres from the hotel.
If you drive, the Wilson car park on Cross Street runs from $33 a day and street parking is free from 6pm to 9am. Our transport guide has the detail.
So you get the transport links without the CBD room rate, and a village you’d actually want to spend an evening in. more to the area than the shops if you have a spare afternoon.
Choosing Accommodation Near Sydney Shopping
Three things matter more than the star rating when you’re booking around shopping.
- Check the walk to a station, not the distance to the CBD. Plenty of listings say close to the city and mean 25 minutes on foot.
- Check the parking rate if you’re driving, because eastern suburbs day rates add up over a four night stay.
- Check late transport if you plan to eat in town. Buses and ferries thin out after 10pm and a taxi back east is not a small fare.
Ready to book? Stay direct with The Savoy Hotel for the best available rates, or call (02) 9335 5700 if you want a hand picking a room.