Name: Novotel Sydney Darling Harbour
Address: 100 Murray Street, Darling Harbour, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Sydney, Council Of The City Of Sydney, AU
Price range: $152–$493 per night
Rating: 8.25

What guests think

Novotel Sydney Darling Harbour wins praise for its walkable Darling Harbour location, friendly staff, and hearty breakfast, while recurring critiques cite dated rooms and bathrooms, long elevator waits, and construction that blocks harbour views and complicates access.

Many find the rooms spacious with comfortable beds, though reports mention shower over bath setups, limited in-room modern conveniences like streaming apps or a minibar, preset or weak air conditioning, and occasional noise from hallways or the central atrium. Cleanliness is mixed, with several citing dust, mouldy grout or missed replenishment checks alongside numerous comments about tidy spaces. Facilities feel uneven: a small unheated outdoor pool and compact gym contrast with pleasant lobby and bar areas; parking is convenient but often considered expensive. Overall, expect a practical, well-situated base if you can accept older interiors and some operational hiccups.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Facilities are mixed: the outdoor pool is small and unheated, the gym compact and dated, but lobby/bar areas are pleasant. Recurrent complaints note slow, crowded lifts and parking that many find expensive.

Related guest reviews

6

james

Jan 8, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Parking was expensive!! $65 per night. The breakfast was ordinary and I ordered in a kids meal fish and chips. It had about 8 chips and 3/4 of a thin strip of fish. Disappointing I had to walk down to the shops to get something extra.

8

Daniel

Apr 4, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Nice hotel great buffet however pool is very small and now that the shopping centre has gone less around the area unless walking other side none the less still a nice stay

8

Paula

Jun 9, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great location, friendly staff and The Tenery restaurant had the best food. Rooma could do with a bit of an ugrade and a warm spa would be a good addition to the hotel as pool is not geated. Overall had a good time overlooking harbour.

10

Kristine

Aug 1, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Beds and pillows were very comfortable. The reception, bar area, outdoor seating and lounge had a great atmosphere and was very appealing to relax in. The staff allowed a very early checkin after we arrived from an overnight flight. Will stay here again.

6

Cheryl

Jan 12, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

Our room was very warm and air con wasnt working properly. The lifts are limited and took over 45 mins to get from level 10 to ground. Wouldnt stay in this hotel again.

8

Gerry

Jan 16, 2025

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Stayed 4 nights

Rooms were ok need more lifts we waited almost 10mins every time we needed a lift

10

Jane

Oct 16, 2025

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Stayed 3 nights

Very good experience. It would be nicer if the outdoor pool was a heated pool.

10

Cheri

Jan 12, 2025

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Stayed 4 nights

Brilliant spot . Bar area lovely and convenient shop/ coffee shop for anything you need. Pool area needs improvement /updating.

8

Charmaine

Jan 12, 2025

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Stayed 3 nights

Lots of things to like about this hotel. The highlight was probably the breakfast - so much food, and so much variety . The location is amazing and we had views of darling harbour at night. A short walk across the Pyrmont Bridge has you in the city centre. Our room was nice but we were quite disappointed with the other facilities on offer. The pool and gym are located outside and are extremely dated and small. For a family with kids on holiday this was a big let down. There is a real issue with the lifts. You would wait for 3-5 minutes for a lift to come, only to find it full, and then have to wait 3-5 mins for the next. No stairs for those willing to climb them, so you could be stuck for a long time. Everyone was frustrated with them, but I'm not sure what the hotel can do about them and the lack of them (there are only 4 for a big hotel). Overall a good stay but I'm not sure we will stay here again.

8

Helen

Jan 12, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Room was great and view. Bit disappointed with the size of pool considering size of hotel.

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Cleanliness

Cleanliness feedback is inconsistent, ranging from spotless rooms to reports of dust, mouldy grout, dirty dishes/glassware, and toiletries not replenished.

Related guest reviews

2

philip

Jan 27, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Check in was a debacle, I was given 3 different check in times by 3 staff members. our room was filthy, bathtub was full of hair, place had not been cleaned. Downstairs area stunk like sewage. horrible stay, will never stay again.

2

MYOUNGSUNG

Feb 11, 2026

·

Stayed 5 nights

객실이 먼지 등 위생이 별로네요

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8

Natalia

Feb 23, 2026

·

Stayed 2 nights

Mattress is great, bedlinen is clean. Carpets are not very clean, especially in the corners. Bathroom riles are mouldy in the bathtub area. Breakfast is just Ok, very basic, with view on the construction site and buildings.

8

Rebecca

Jul 3, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

Reception and check in were great. The Buffet Breakfast was really fresh and lots of variety. The room was average in both cleanliness and comfort. The glass I wanted to use for water had lipstick and what appeared to be some left over food on it. Really turned my stomach!

8

Nadira

Feb 14, 2026

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Stayed 4 nights

Staff was courteous however I don’t think the room was as clean as it could have been. Hand soap ran out the day before leaving which tells me it wasn’t being checked.

6

MARIA DEL PILAR

Sep 25, 2025

·

Stayed 6 nights

La limpieza de la habitación decepcionante

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6

Annika

Oct 25, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

Rooms needs to be refurbished and cleaning was poor. Light in my bathroom was no functioning even after I asked to get it fixed itcwas still non functioning when I checked out. Lobby area and bar are nice and modern.

2

Rana

Jan 11, 2026

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Stayed 2 nights

It’s not good service very bad room not very clean

6

Juliana

Jul 18, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

Nice hotel. The room wasn't very clean, the bed is terrible and bathroom is very old and not clean

10

Karen

Jan 15, 2026

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Stayed 3 nights

Great position overlooking Darling Harbour and easy to get around from there. We arrived early but we were able to check in and have our room straight away which was a delight. Room was lovely and clean and spacious and clean towels provided every day. Staff are lovely and I would definitely recommend this hotel.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Rooms are generally spacious with comfortable beds, but many feel dated with shower-over-bath setups, dim lighting, preset or weak A/C, limited modern features (no streaming apps/minibar), and some noise from hallways or the atrium. Harbour views are often obstructed by nearby construction.

Related guest reviews

6

Kristan

Jun 30, 2025

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Stayed 2 nights

The property is well presented and the breakfast and service was great! The rooms are a bit outdated and not worth what we paid. The rooms are so dark! Even the light in the bathroom not great for applying make up. The block out blind was the highlight! So much construction around that you can’t see anything. Service and staff were phenomenal

6

Lauren

Oct 16, 2025

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Stayed 2 nights

Comfortable enough but rooms clearly haven’t had any money spent on them in years. For the price of the hotel and Novotel name I expected better

8

Joan

Nov 21, 2025

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Stayed 4 nights

The bathrooms are definitely getting outdated. Hate the shower over the bath. Also why don't some rooms have king size beds?

8

Nicholas

Jan 26, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

Nice enough hotel. Spacious rooms. Nice views, which will soon be lost with the new residential tower development. But for a room costing $400 a night there was no minibar, no breakfast, and a queen bed lost in a big room. Won't go back

8

mary

Dec 31, 2025

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Stayed 4 nights

The hotel is in a good location. Rooms are spacious, and beds are comfortable. A good choice for breakfast, but it could be hotter.

8

ayesha

Dec 16, 2024

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Stayed 2 nights

The air conditioner in our room was pre set to a lower fan speed and we could not change it. The weather was too hot and we spent some very hot suffocation nights in the room.

6

Jodi

Nov 8, 2025

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Stayed 2 nights

The only thing we didn’t like about our stay is that we paid extra for a harbour view room and we definitely did not have a harbour view. There is a building getting built in front of the Novotel which completely blocked our view. Very disappointing.

10

Rosie

Jul 7, 2025

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Stayed 4 nights

Hotel is awesome apart from the air conditioning. Ours didn't work that well and we couldn't change the setting or turn it off

6

Pammella

May 16, 2025

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Stayed 2 nights

TV didn't have apps, so that was disappointing. Location was good, room was clean.

8

Matt

Jan 18, 2025

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Stayed 2 nights

There's a lot to like about this property. I appreciated the location, the complimentary bar vouchers upon arrival and the room was a great size too - but there were some shortcomings. The design of the building means if your room is close to the atrium, the noice from the lobby and bar area is quite substantial, there were a few stray hairs left in the bathroom which is a bit ick and getting to the hotel from the Darling Harbour side isn't straightforward. Overall, we enjoyed out stay.

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Service

Service is widely described as friendly and helpful, with staff often accommodating special requests and early check-ins. Some guests report rude interactions, very slow check-in lines, or requests not actioned.

Related guest reviews

10

Janeeta

May 31, 2025

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Stayed 2 nights

Staff were very friendly and helpful.

8

Claire

Oct 10, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

Enjoyed our stay, convenient location to Lyric theatre. Good breakfast and quiet room. Had to wait in a very long and slow queue to check in as a plane full of delayed-flight passengers were sent here to stay unexpectedly.

10

Rasmus

Oct 5, 2024

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Stayed 6 nights

Great hotel and location. Can’t thank enough the team who work there. One thing is the great hotel and surroundings, but this is nothing without the entire team and their commitment. It’s like a family and home…I will be back

6

Dolores

Jun 14, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Our stay was good until last day, we had a late checkout, 12pm. We went for breakfast and upon returning to our room found we were locked out, our key card was blocked. We went to reception and waited in a queue for 20mins to be seen and then were told the problem was rectified. When we returned to our room the key card would not work again, so back reception where again we waited in the queue and for the second time and again were told the problem was sorted but again it failed to open the door. We then begged the house keeper on our floor to let us in so we could collect our luggage. We were up and down the lifts like yoyos and when we finally checked out, we complained to the young girl at reception and she basically said "sorry about that" and proceeded to ignore us. There was no care factor what so ever, we wasted so much time and were then running late to get to the airport. Disappointing end to a otherwise nice stay.

10

Jamie

Apr 19, 2025

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Stayed 2 nights

Wonderful service at check in from Anita. She is a beautiful soul with beautiful nails 😂 and was super helpful and friendly when we were checking in.

8

Paul

Sep 7, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

Great stay. James at the front desk was a great intro to the hotel. My daughter just played NRLW (Raiders Vs Roosters game). She needed to do a cool down after the game. James opened the hotel pool for her. Great service.

8

Rebecca

Feb 27, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

We asked room service for 2 extra mugs and more milk. They never turned up

4

Germaine

Dec 1, 2025

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Stayed 3 nights

Staff extremely rude and dismissive

10

Craig

Oct 12, 2025

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Stayed 2 nights

Fantastic staff. Allowed earlier check in and very friendly and helpful.

2

Abhideep

Dec 12, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

Rude reception, argumentative staff who endlessly argues with guest for asking a pair of cups, such as they could not find cups on any floors and keeps the guest waiting, and when the guest request an update they threaten them saying complain to their General Manager. Obviously a very bad management who is either shielding such staff or has no feedback loop.

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Location

Excellent Darling Harbour location with light rail nearby and easy walks to the ICC and major attractions. Several mention construction disrupting views and that access/signage from the tram or harbour side can be confusing.

Related guest reviews

8

Jae Yoon

Sep 6, 2024

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Stayed 2 nights

there should be a better direct access and sign from the light rail station. It is a real strong point of the hotel location with the light rail stop is right underneath of the hotel but we couldn't find a way to go up to hotel at the beginning and had to go long way around to the hotel entrance.

8

Damon

Apr 1, 2025

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Stayed 7 nights

The Novotel has been a fixture of Darling Harbour for as long as I can remember. It is a nice hotel and provides good value given its location. Only unfortunate thing is that access to the hotel is not directly accessible from DH and requires a bit of meandering. Still, would recommend!

4

Rosmarie

Apr 11, 2024

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Stayed 3 nights

Very disappointing stay. There is a huge development going on at the river and access to the hotel from the tram stop and Darling Harbour is through a car park and ramp. It is badly signed and does not feel safe at night. Card to enter room was not correctly set up and I had to got down to reception. I was stopped as they were filming and told to wait. This is not acceptable for a four star establishment. Pool and outdoor recreation is not inviting and not well maintained.

10

Miguel Rivera

Sep 1, 2025

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Stayed 6 nights

Great location. Having train stop next to it, is a winning.

10

Michael

Oct 11, 2024

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Stayed 2 nights

Found the Novotel to be very pleasant. The staff were very helpful. Room was spotless, quiet. Hotel was just a short walk to anywhere in Darling Harbour and the light rail stop just out back was perfect. Will definitely stay at here again.

10

Abraham

Jan 12, 2026

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Stayed 3 nights

Great location. Walk to almost everything in Sydney. Darling Harbor has lots of restaurants, bars, and outdoor entertainment. The morning breakfast is a treat.

10

Anna

Sep 28, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

An easy walk to restaurants and our evening show at the Lyric Theatre.

8

Alisha

Jul 26, 2024

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Stayed 2 nights

Great value, yummy breakfast & room service. They let us check in early!! However we didn't realise we were right next to a demolition site! Nothing much going on around & quite a walk to the CBD.

10

Valerie

Apr 2, 2024

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Stayed 2 nights

Great location on Darling Harbour. Very easy to get to from the airport via train to Central and the light rail to Convention which is right at the hotel. Good breakfast and the location looks out over the harbour.

10

Kate

Oct 19, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

Easy to access, ample parking spots and very central. Buffet breakfast is always a winner. The light rail stop just downstairs is super convenient

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Dining

Breakfast is frequently praised for variety and quality, and the on-site restaurant/bar is generally well-liked. Some note lukewarm hot items, slow coffee queues, limited late-night room service, or occasional venue closures.

Related guest reviews

10

Dwayne Lenodd

Jun 8, 2025

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Stayed 5 nights

Staff was nice. Breakfast buffet was amazing!

8

Richard

Feb 24, 2026

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Stayed 3 nights

The room was very good but the TV had a sizable hole in the screen most likely caused by pixel burn. The staff were very good and the restaurant was much better than expected

8

Juan Carlos

Aug 12, 2025

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Stayed 5 nights

Excelente restaurante e café da manha. A comida foi fantástica. O quarto, no entanto, poderia ser melhor. A localização é muito boa.

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10

Abraham

Jan 12, 2026

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Stayed 3 nights

Great location. Walk to almost everything in Sydney. Darling Harbor has lots of restaurants, bars, and outdoor entertainment. The morning breakfast is a treat.

8

Pradip

Oct 6, 2025

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Stayed 2 nights

Check in was not good as we saw dirty dishes and left over food left outside the door when we checked in. Everything else was good. Happy hour drinks was only limited to a select few drinks and was still expensive.

10

Dexter Louis

Oct 6, 2025

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Stayed 8 nights

Fantastic hotel convenient situated on the Tram line which made it very easy to get around. The room was surprisingly big and very clean. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Had the breakfast buffet which was very good. Walking distance to Darling Harbour. Would definitely recommend this hotel.

10

Shayleen

Sep 17, 2025

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Stayed 3 nights

Location was excellent as only a short stroll to restaurants/cafes in Darling Harbour. Accommodation, bar and food choices was exceptional - all in all a fabulous experience and would definitely stay here again.

8

Karina

Sep 1, 2024

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Stayed 4 nights

Great property very close to Darling Harbour and the city, rooms were great Hotel is good, breakfast was great except that the hot food was pretty cold :(

2

Chris

Feb 14, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

Booked Novotel as I was arriving late & they advertised 24 hour room service- when I arrive I’m told not hot food on room service only cold snacks! Arrive at my room to a very musty smell of a room that had not been opened for a long time, only one of two beds made up with bedding for the second bod in a heap on a sideboard. Tried to take a bath but no plug to be had in the room - overall a terrible hotel - spend your dollars elsewhere

8

Alma

Mar 23, 2025

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Stayed 2 nights

While this is very convenient for the convention centre (though signage to get there is limited!) and the basics are adequate, little things are annoying. There are very few little niceties: no robe, no free water (I put some from the tap in the glass in the fridge, and it froze!), no Earl Grey tea, and chamomile tea not topped up on the second night. Again, breakfast buffet is pleasant and adequate but no mushrooms or avocado. Nice barrista, but with only one machine and many people, service is slow. Again, downstairs bar is sensibly stocked, but very slow with cocktails.

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Month	Average price
January	$188
February	$286
March	$253
April	$166
May	$184
June	$163
July	$162
August	$234
September	$175
October	$228
November	$271
December	$233

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19 $287
20 $166	21 $178	22 $226	23 $214	24 $160	25 $160	26 $262
27 $173	28 $190	29 $184	30 $196

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $243	2 $369	3 $493
4 $298	5 $184	6 $204	7 $204	8 $204	9 $276	10 $321
11 $172	12 $193	13 $351	14 $316	15 $248	16 $363	17 $386
18 $152	19 $181	20 $267	21 $275	22 $232	23 $228	24 $304
25 $193	26 $269	27 $339	28 $357	29 $303	30 $316	31 $362

Novotel Sydney Darling Harbour

Prices for Novotel Sydney Darling Harbour

Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Executive 1 Bedroom Loft Suite, 1 King Bed (Darling Harbour Facing)

Superior Room, 1 Queen Bed

Executive Room, 1 Queen Bed (City Skyline)

Superior Room, 2 Double Beds

Deluxe Double Room, 2 Double Beds (City Skyline)

Deluxe Room, 1 Queen Bed (City Skyline)

Executive Room, 2 Double Beds (City Skyline)

Executive Suite, 2 Double Beds (City Skyline)

Executive Suite, 1 Queen Bed (City Skyline)

Guest reviews of Novotel Sydney Darling Harbour

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

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FAQs about Novotel Sydney Darling Harbour

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