Overview
When planning a stay in the heart of Sydney, it's all too easy to stick to the CBD with its high-rise luxury hotels. But look a little further past the towering skyscrapers, and you'll notice accommodation options a little further out with just as much to offer. One such spot is Mrs Banks Hotel, a boutique stay on the Paddington end of the legendary Oxford Street.
Once upon a time, this building was a bank originally constructed in 1914 and reconstructed as a design-first accommodation worthy of the 21st century. The aesthetics are modern but homages to the previous century can be found if you go looking for them.
In terms of rooms, get comfy in one of the several queen rooms stocked with all the essentials, or book one of the more spacious Paddo twin/twin plus rooms with the same offering plus a bit more bed for your buck. Should you feel stately, opt for one of the three suite rooms (deluxe heritage, junior heritage or king heritage), each believed to be a component of the bank manager's residence in the building's past life.
What Mrs Banks lacks in on-site amenities, it makes up for with an absolutely perfect location. With a central spot on Oxford Street, you couldn't ask for a better base to explore Sydney than this. Turn out the front, left or right, and you'll be walking distance from the finest sights, bites and sips of the Harbour City.
Images: Byron Martin for PADDO(Collective)