Medusa

Mr & Mrs Smith have just returned from a stay at this stylish Sydney sanctuary, and just as soon as they've unpacked their designer shopping and processed their Mardi Gras digipics, a full account of their fashionably fastforward Australian city break will be with you. In the meantime, just to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside vibrant boutique hotel Medusa...

If you like your minibreaks slick and sophisticated, then Sydney's elegant boutique hotel Medusa is for you. Slap bang in upbeat inner-city Darlinghurst, the epicentre of edgy bars and spas, gourmet restaurants, boutique stores and cool clubs, it's home to a creative neighbourhood, akin to New York's SoHo, that mirrors the hotel's style-savvy guests. 

Medusa's interior isn't afraid to make a design statement either, with all of its individually decorated rooms harnessing a theatrical colour palette, with bright hues on feature walls, over-scaled headboards, lighting and chaise longues – running the gamut from scarlet to turquoise, orange and green. A heritage late-19th-century mansion, its look is a sumptuous  fusion of contemporary and classic with custom-built furniture that channels an Italian high-design vibe. Even the pastel pink hall has attitude, with a red-carpeted staircase and kitsch-yet-cool antler chandelier enticing you in. Not for those of minimalist persuasion, but it's fun, feminine and feisty with a romantic feel. 

The highlight is Medusa's pretty, tranquil courtyard, which teams yellow lounge chairs, lilac walls and an illuminated green reflection pool for a Miami-meets-Mediterranean mood. The social hub of the hotel, it's where guests and their friends gather to chat and chill. If you fancy a sociable stay pick a ground- or first-floor room giving onto the internal courtyard, but if you prefer privacy opt for a more serene streetside room (there's even one with a double spa-bath outside on the balcony).

There's no restaurant or bar at Medusa, but the informed concierges make up it, happily pointing you to a myriad of handpicked food and drink options within walking distance. We recommend Medusa for party types (it's handy for Mardi Gras) and those in search of a more relaxed, romantic Sydney getaway (you can stroll everywhere in villagey, Darlinghurst yet most of the city's highlights are close by, from hot shops to serene parks, the Sydney Opera House, harbour, Botanic Gardens and high-energy financial heartland the CBD). This isn't a place to dress down though: with the hotel popular with media, models, and fashion types, just make sure you coordinate your It bag with your pocket-sized pooch. So this season.