Would you rather start the day with a flat white or short black? Drink a schooner of Toohey’s New or a pint of VB? Listen to AC/DC or Amyl and the Sniffers? Marvel at the landmarks of the Sydney Opera House or Flinders Street station? Stay on the south coast or east coast?
Australia’s two biggest cities – Melbourne and Sydney – each have their own charm. Melbourne’s centre is a mish-mash of glass modernity and preserved Victoriana where bars and coffee shops fill mural-splattered side streets. Meanwhile, Sydney dazzles as a shimmering harbour metropolis, rich with green space and fringed by surf-ready beaches. Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street and Hilton Sydney capture the essence of each city while providing a central base from which to explore. So, which destination is calling your name?
The headlines
Sydney is home to Australia’s big hitters in terms of sightseeing. Just catching a glimpse of the bright white, sail-like shells of the Sydney Opera House is enough to fulfil a bucket list moment and you can delve deeper on a backstage tour inside. Sydney harbour is best experienced by boat trip, or you can take a hair-raising walk across the upper level of Sydney Harbour Bridge. Hilton Sydney puts you in the centre of Sydney’s sights, just around the corner from the ornate Town Hall. For a bustling metropolis, there’s an abundance of green space too and Australia’s oldest park – Hyde Park – is overlooked by Hilton Sydney. An easy stroll away, the Royal Botanic Gardens back on to the harbour so wanders through the tropical botanica come with the cackle of kookaburras and the whistles of cockatoos, ending with a perfect view of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
Melbourne’s sights are a little less obvious; hidden down lanes and housed in art deco buildings across the city centre. Hilton Melbourne slots into the city’s historic centre on Little Queen Street, housed in a glorious 1920s building. Just around the corner, the National Gallery of Victoria boasts one of the biggest stained-glass ceilings in the world – the 1968 design by Australian artist Leonard French is in the Great Hall. Stepping inside Melbourne’s ode to art feels like entering a cathedral where modernism and dadaism are worshipped. For a more casual art experience, explore the alleyways, such as Hosier Lane, where striking murals and vibrant street art cover every surface. Flinders Street station, Australia’s oldest, was once among the busiest in the world. Its Edwardian architecture features a copper dome and clock tower – there was even once a running track on the roof for staff to use.
Proper good tucker
Sydney’s fine-dining scene is unparalleled in Australia. Plates are presented as works of art, using the abundance of fresh produce from the sea, neighbouring mountains and sprawling fertile land outside the city. While institutions such as Saint Peter seafood restaurant and sleek, sophisticated Bennelong at the Sydney Opera House scratch the high-level gastronomy itch, a steady influx of immigrants from across the globe have fed Sydney’s casual dining scene. You’ll find sea-fresh sushi, unctuous bowls of pho and perfectly seasoned gyros in the family-run joints of Sydney’s eclectic neighbourhoods. Head to Chinatown – the largest in Australia – for more than just the dim sum and peking duck. Sydney’s nightlife offering includes rooftop cocktail bars boasting views of the city skyline and secret bars tucked away at street level. Beneath Hilton Sydney, its Marble Bar feels like a turn-of-the-century speakeasy where mixology-first cocktails are created within a heritage-listed space that first operated as a live music bar in 1893.
There is no shortage of fine-dining options in Melbourne either, where establishments such as Farmer’s Daughters embrace the abundant produce of Victoria’s surrounding farmland. Melbourne’s dining is an all-day affair: long lunches, boozy brunches and plenty of coffee stops in between. Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street puts the length and breadth of the city’s dining scene on your doorstep, including Queen Victoria Market. Dating back to 1878, this open-air market is the go-to spot for foodies, where stalls are packed with local produce from kangaroo biltong to Gippsland cheese. At lunchtime, queues snake from street food stalls. The late-night scene here is a little more intimate than in Sydney, with cocktail bars tucked down laneways and taprooms for local breweries leading the beer-drinking scene. Embracing the city’s art deco centre, the Douglas Club within the hotel is a smooth spot for a nightcap, decked out like a buzzing 1930s lounge bar.
Beside the seaside …
Trams connect the centre of Melbourne with the beachy suburb of St Kilda, where golden sand meets the calm water of Port Phillip Bay. Here, an evening at the iconic Luna Park funfair can be accompanied by salty fish and chips for a classic seaside experience. Slightly farther along the coast, Brighton beach is crowned with a rainbow sweep of colourful bathing huts. Beach days in Melbourne are all about waterfront cafes and refreshing strolls along the promenade.
Sydney’s Bondi beach might be the most famous stretch of sand in Australia. Bone-white and soft as caster sugar, this buzzing spot unsurprisingly attracts swathes of sunbathers, swimmers and surfers alike. If you like your beach days combined with a bit of action – catching waves, jetskiing, paddleboarding – Sydney is the choice for you.
Where to stay
Melbourne and Sydney have very different vibes. Melbourne is all about sipping a flat white, cultural strolls around art galleries and slowly enjoying a laid-back city. Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street puts you right in the centre, close to the National Gallery of Victoria and Victoria Market. Surrounded by coffee shops, hole-in-the-wall bars and restaurants, it’s the perfect base to explore the city. Housed in the beautiful 1930s former Melbourne Equity Chambers building, it embraces the history of the city in architectural details such as rich wood panelling in plush rooms, and the bar that’s reminiscent of an old-world cocktail lounge.
Hilton Sydney is also in the heart of the action – a short walk from the Botanic Gardens, Art Gallery of New South Wales and surrounded by the buzzing rooftop bars and fine dining restaurants of the CBD (central business district). It towers in sleek modernity above the street and rooms at the top have a far-reaching view over the metropolis and out to the islands in Sydney’s labyrinthine bays. Below ground, the Marble Bar eschews modernism for striking turn-of-the-century grandeur – the perfect spot for a night cap.
The good news? You don’t actually have to choose between Melbourne and Sydney. Make it a twin city stay with transfers between Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street and Hilton Sydney and have it both ways: a flat white and a short black.
Explore Sydney or Melbourne or other iconic APAC cities and find your perfect stay with Hilton
