2014 Australian Hotel Guide Editors’ Choice Awards

Best Large City Hotel

Park Hyatt

It’s about the service – seamless and sharp – and the rooms, which feel like chic harbourside apartments. And the rooftop pool. And the spa. But what clinches it for Park Hyatt Sydney, what gives it the edge over its five-star rivals, are those drop-dead, dress-circle views of the Opera House and Circular Quay. A truly memorable hotel. sydney.park.hyatt.com

Best Boutique City Hotel

Hotel Hotel

We love the exquisite attention to detail, and the lack of preciousness. Peel back the layers of quality and you’ll find more underneath, right down to the bones of the building. Interiors brim with so much inspiration that no two rooms are alike. It’s not about creating a hotel that’s “good, for Canberra”; it’s about a terrific hotel, full stop. Hotel Hotel – so good, they named it twice. hotel-hotel.com.au

Best Regional Hotel

Lake House

It has taken more than 30 years of tireless enthusiasm and meticulous attention, but Alla and Allan Wolf-Tasker have created a remarkable property that sets the standard for regional hotels in Australia. Take a beautiful setting, add sumptuous accommodation, a restaurant so good it’s a destination dining spot, a decadent spa and the sort of calm, considerate service that makes every guest feel special, and you have Lake House. lakehouse.com.au

Best Hotel Service

**Crown Towers

**It starts with Kevin Gleeson, Crown’s doorman since the day Melbourne’s glossiest hotel opened in 1994. He greets guests by name, offers insider tips to the city and, perhaps most miraculously, can accurately predict Melbourne’s famously fickle weather. He’s the first (and often the last) contact guests have at Crown Towers, and he and his colleagues set the tone for unparalleled, intuitive service that reaches its peak in the lavish Presidential and Chairman’s villas. crownmelbourne.com.au

Best Hotel Breakfast

**QT Gold Coast

**There are hotel breakfasts, and then there is the “interactive marketplace” that is Bazaar restaurant at the QT Gold Coast. If the popping colours and modern styling of the space don’t wake you up, the abundance of eating options will. Omelettes anyway you like them, and always cooked to order. House-made conserves and chutneys. Jam-filled bomboloni. Freshly squeezed juices and mocktails. A choice of miniature Bircher mueslis. Flavoured milks in jars. Daily smoothies. Dished up with sea views and a very reasonable $25 price tag for guests.

qtgoldcoast.com.au

Best Hotel Bar

**Blu Bar on 36, Shangri-La, Sydney

**To paraphrase a line from Casablanca, of all the gin joints in all the towns in Australia, there’s nothing quite like walking into Blu Bar on 36. This eye-popping space on the 36th floor of Sydney’s Shangri-La hotel doesn’t claim to have the most creative cocktails in the country, or the sharpest service, but it has something no other bar can beat – show-stopping views over the world’s most beautiful harbour. The fact they also serve great cocktails here is almost a bonus.

shangri-la.com

Best Hotel Pool

**Skycity Darwin

**Trust Australia’s steamiest capital to understand what it takes to create a fabulous hotel pool. The Skycity Darwin lagoon serves up three million litres of liquid refreshment with a 30-metre beach of white Queensland sand studded with sunbeds, and a swim-up bar. There’s direct access to an all-day café and an on-site spa. And the smart Lagoon rooms with their sun terraces open directly to the pool. No crocs, jellyfish, or other Top End terrors in sight. skycitydarwin.com.au

Best Club Sandwich

Sofitel Brisbane Central

Of all the sandwiches we sampled (and there were dozens), the kitchen at Sofitel Brisbane Central served the club with the most clout. Picture this: thin-sliced ciabatta toasted until golden, spread with butter and layered with triple Brie, slightly crisp bacon, egg, chicken, crunchy cos lettuce and barbecue sauce. And a miniature basket of beer-battered chips served scalding hot and salty. Deliciously decadent. sofitelbrisbane.com.au

Best In-Room Idea

**Westin Hotels

**Macarons as turndown treats. Beach bags with towel and thongs. Free use of bicycles. Home-made iced teas… Of all the thoughtful extras we encountered in our reviews, the Westin hotels in Sydney and Melbourne impressed most with their offer to lend guests exercise wear and a pair of running shoes (guaranteed “fresh and clean”) as well as socks (new and yours to keep) for a token $5. A great idea that allows guests to maintain their fitness regime while travelling, without having to pack their own bulky gear. westin.com