The Grace Hotel
A rooftop indoor pool inside a heritage building
About this hotel
The Grace Hotel puts its indoor pool somewhere most CBD hotels don't: on a rooftop fitness floor inside a lovingly restored historic building rather than a modern tower. The setting alone makes it stand apart from Meriton Suites World Tower or Capella Sydney, both newer builds with a different kind of pool experience. Rooms feature flat-screen TVs with cable channels and pay-per-view movies, a tea and coffee maker, refrigerator and hairdryer, and some rooms include breakfast served in-room. The Rocks and Circular Quay sit fifteen minutes' walk away, and the Queen Victoria Building and Pitt Street Mall are close enough to count as the hotel's own doorstep, useful for anyone wanting shopping without a taxi. Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House are both within reach on foot, rounding out a CBD stay built on heritage architecture rather than height or a harbour-view balcony.
- Rooftop indoor pool and sauna
- Restored historic CBD building
- Near QVB and Pitt Street Mall
- Fifteen minutes from Circular Quay
Our take
The Grace Hotel suits travellers who want the character of a historic building alongside a genuine rooftop pool, particularly those planning to shop at the Queen Victoria Building or Pitt Street Mall on foot. It's a strong four-star option for value against the five-star towers on this list, less so for anyone wanting a harbourfront balcony, since the building's heritage setting favours character over water views.
- ✓Book the in-room breakfast option if it's offered on your room type, since not every category includes it.
- ✓Walk to the Queen Victoria Building first thing, before the Pitt Street Mall crowds build up.
- ✓Use the rooftop pool in the late afternoon for the best light over the historic CBD rooftops.
Why we love it
- Rooftop indoor pool in a heritage building
- Sauna on the same fitness floor
- Doorstep access to QVB and Pitt Street Mall
- Fifteen minutes from Circular Quay and The Rocks
Why guests love itA couple exploring Sydney's CBD on foot finds The Grace Hotel's rooftop pool becomes the natural end to a day of shopping at the Queen Victoria Building and Pitt Street Mall, both close enough to reach without transport. The heritage building itself adds character that the newer glass towers nearby don't offer, and the fifteen-minute walk to Circular Quay and The Rocks keeps the harbour within reach without requiring a taxi every time they want to see it.