Little National Hotel Sydney

Nestled between skyscrapers in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, Little National Hotel stands out due to its steel frame and curved edges. Finding its entrance is a little trickier (cue lapping the building multiple times), but once you orient yourself, discover the unassuming door and whizz up in the elevator to the second-floor check-in desk, everything feels straightforwardly calm. 

My room, located on the tenth floor, was classed as ‘the Big Room’ and it certainly lived up to its name, being especially generous in size for a city-centre hotel. The highlight of this spacious corner room? The wraparound floor-to-ceiling window with views of the surrounding cityscape. And coming in a close second was the king-size bed with its four-poster frame. Its mattress was sink-into-able in just the right way, and it was dressed with the coolest, crispest sheets to offset the hot and sticky weather Australia is largely known for.

The hotel’s design takes inspiration from Japanese and Scandinavian aesthetics (or Japandi, if you prefer), with clean lines, light-hued woods and matte-black trimmings. And the look is emphasised by the traditional Japanese tea set waiting to greet me on arrival. Simplicity and comfort are at the fore, but interiors feel expensive too. 

The Little National is a modern hotel in every sense, and – while my luddite ways often make me resistant to techy touches at first – like clockwork I reluctantly come to realise how great they can be. For example, the bedside panel meant you could alter the lighting and temperature while still horizontal. At the touch of a button you could have a whole range of illumination options and avoid the tiresome hotel dance of fiddling with multiple switches or fumbling to find the loo in the middle of the night. My personal favourite tech feature is the ultimate lazy luxury: opening the curtains when you wake, without emerging from the covers, and letting the light flood in. 

Attracting a mix of business travellers, city-breaking couples and the odd young family, Little National is ideal for those who work on-the-go or fly frequently. The rooftop terrace has a designated workspace area that rivals many reputable co-working spots, with plug-sockets, free printing and a mini kitchen stocked with bottomless coffee and an extensive range of T2 teas. As someone who often has to take Zoom calls while precariously perched on a hotel bed or finish an article on a laptop balanced on a dresser I’ve fashioned into a desk, I really appreciated how straightforward Little National made taking care of business. And the impressively well-equipped and always-open gym meant keeping healthy while on the road was easy too. If you’re low on motivation, the hotel has partnered with Doma Wellness, an app for live workouts. 

I was in Sydney at the tail end of a two-week trip that took me across New South Wales to an old friend’s wedding, the beaches of Byron bay and the lush forests of the Blue Mountains. My last two nights were spent in Australia's showstopper city, and Little National made an ideal base for exploring. It’s just a 15-minute walk from Circular Quay – and those iconic views of Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge – alongside an array of waterside dining and drinking options. However, towering above Wynyard train station, it’s also ideal for heading in and out of the Eastern suburbs and is only a 30-minute hop from the airport. 

Beyond ticking off the big-hitter sights, I went to the contemporary gallery Sydney Modern Project. Sadly my visit didn’t quite line up with the opening of the £191 million expansion (dubbed the most significant cultural addition to the Australian city for 50 years), but you could feel the excitement for its impending arrival in the air nonetheless. Art aside, with Sydney on the cusp of its first non-covid summer, when international tourism was returning, and a solid stretch of blue-sky days lay ahead, it felt like an opportune moment to visit. 
 
In Bondi, the famed beach suburb with its over-Instagrammed ocean baths, I enjoyed people-watching, brunch (Bill Granger’s place lives up to its hype), grabbing coffee (the Gertrude & Alice Bookstore deserves special mention), and yet more people-watching. In the Paddington area (Oxford Street, to be precise) I browsed sofas and sunglasses in the boutiques of covetable Aussie brands; and my local friend accompanied me on the Rose Bay to Watsons Bay coastal walk, which offers arguably the best view back over the harbour, plus some lovely swimmable beaches and a snoop at some of the best (read: most expensive) real estate in town. 

Back at Little National, the lofty rooftop terrace is a lovely spot to retreat to, whether you want an alfresco wine in summer, or cup of tea by the fire pit in winter. And, with one last, sighing look at the skyline, it was also the perfect place for toasting to the end of my trip down under, and – almost certainly –  future return.