Sydney, Australia

Oxford House

Price per night from$169.51

Price information

If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (inclusive of taxes and fees) available in the next 60 days.

Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (AUD265.00), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.

Oxford House Photos

Style

Pride in place

Setting

Paddington flair

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Don’t worry darling, Oxford House might be modelled after the sun-kissed motels of Palm Springs but you haven’t actually woken up on the other side of the world – this artistic abode is still very much in the centre of Sydney. Cali design cues include leafy courtyards, retro pastels, muted tones and a Seventies-style pool; while interiors take inspiration from the abundant artistic flair of the neighbourhood. You’ll find best-in-class local amenities in the rooms (custom robes by Double Rainbouu, sex kits by Standard Procedure and bath products by Grown Alchemist), and the same can be said for both the street-facing restaurant and first-floor pool bar, with menus curated by renowned local chefs and spicy margaritas shaken by beaming bartenders. 

Smith Extra

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A cocktail each at the pool bar

Facilities

Photos Oxford House facilities

Need to know

Rooms

55, including seven suites.

Check–Out

11am. Earliest check-in, 2pm, but flexible, subject to availability.

More details

Breakfast can be purchased at the hotel – choose to dine in the plant-framed pool terrace, light-filled restaurant or your bed.

Also

Paddington lights up every February and March for Sydney’s annual Mardi Gras, one the largest Pride festivals in the world.

At the hotel

Guests-only swimming pool, terrace bar, street-level restaurant, and free WiFi. In rooms: Nespresso coffee machine, GHD hairdryer, Marshall speaker, minibar with Australian-brand snacks and drinks, custom Double Rainbouu bathrobes and slippers, and Grown Alchemist bath products.

Our favourite rooms

The Standard Iona rooms face the colourful terraced houses of Paddington, and come summer, the neighbouring Jacaranda trees turn an intoxicating purple. If you’re in need of extra space then the Oxford Terrace Suites are the largest of the lot, overlooking Oxford Street from the bedroom and the sparkling pool from the lounge.

Poolside

From mid-morning, the Seventies-style pool bathes in sunlight. Ferns and ivy stream down the natural stone walls of the inner atrium surrounding the heated plunger, with loungers, oversized umbrellas and generous bottles of Standard Procedure suncream lining the perimeter.

Packing tips

'Togs', ‘thongs’, and linen 'daks' to throw on in the arvo. Oh, and a checklist of Aussie slang.

Children

Cots are readily available and free of charge, just contact the hotel with plenty of advance notice.

Food and Drink

Photos Oxford House food and drink

Top Table

We rather like watching the world go by from any of the window booths in the ground-floor restaurant.

Dress Code

The custom, monogrammed bathrobes are perfectly acceptable for breakfast at the pool bar, but throw on some linen or crochet when the clocks strike noon.

Hotel restaurant

There’s people-watching a-plenty at Oxford House’s street-level restaurant, thanks to the wide glass panes spanning the length of the dining room. The art-adorned space is intimate yet airy, with low-hanging lights and gorgeous tapestries – one of which is particularly eye-catching; a jacquard wall-hanging by Kitty Callaghan titled Venus (you’ll know when you see it). The all-day menu features fresh oysters, just-baked flatbreads with housemade dips, crispy-skin chicken with green harissa and salt cod croquettes – but we really loved the roast cauliflower generously doused with herbs, tahini and merlot vinaigrette. 

Hotel bar

We could spend quite some time waxing lyrical about Oxford House’s sun-soaked pool bar. It’s been thoughtfully designed, contrasting the natural-stone walls with potted banana palms and cream-coloured umbrellas to shelter diners from the midday heat. There’s an extensive wine list and plenty of cocktails, mocktails or juices to choose from, but the best serve is undoubtedly the OH! Margarita – a mix of habanero-infused tequila, mezcal, lime and passionfruit, haloed by a volcano salt rim. Californian-inspired dishes are served throughout the day, including grilled king prawns, lobster rolls, summer salads and a daily crudo. Expect DJ sets on Fridays and Saturdays, plus live music and a laidback Sunday session to close out the week.

Last orders

Breakfast is from 7am to 11.30am in the restaurant or pool bar, followed by all-day dining from noon to 11pm.

Room service

Order juices, salads and lobster rolls to your room from 7am to 3pm.

Location

Photos Oxford House location
Address
Oxford House
21 Oxford Street Paddington
Sydney
2021
Australia

Sydney stay Oxford House’s doors open out – predictably – to Oxford Street, a lively stretch of cafés and bars in leafy Paddington.

Planes

The hotel is within easy reach of Sydney airport. It’s a 25-minute drive, or a 30-minute journey by bus and train.

Trains

Museum station is a 16-minute walk from the hotel, or flag down bus number 333 which covers much of the city, from Circular Quay to Bondi beach.

Automobiles

Much of Sydney’s major sell-points are within walking distance or reachable by public transport. If you’re looking to explore further afield then there’s handy covered parking at the hotel, charged at AU$50 for 24 hours. Contact the hotel in advance to book your spot.

Worth getting out of bed for

Follow in the locals’ footsteps with a morning walk around the gardens, wetlands and lakes of nearby Centennial Park. Paddington is blessed with a central location – from here you can easily reach the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, the Royal Botanic Garden, the acclaimed Art Gallery of NSW, or the Rocks. Assembly Label’s Paddington store is tantalisingly close by, or try the weekend markets at Bondi for more beachy finds. Speaking of, we love Bronte, Tamarama and Clovelly (best for snorkelling) in the Eastern Suburbs; or head to the Northern Beaches of Shelly and Manly – there’s a speedy public ferry from Circular Quay – with pit-stops at Rollers Bakehouse and Anita Gelato. Bondi beach and Bondi Icebergs Pool make for a sunshine-soaked day too, with an açaí bowl from Oakberry or loaded salad from Fish Bowl fuelling hours spent in the ocean. Come evening, make your way to Milk Beach – this calm cove faces the Harbour Bridge and is just the spot for a sundowner.

Local restaurants

For lunch, we love street-facing bistro the Strand – mussels, steak frites and duck many, many ways make up the menu. Café Freda’s is a popular alfresco spot – tuck into pickles, tostadas and fish-finger sandwiches, or try the pasta special, which changes weekly. El Loco at Slip Inn is informal and great for groups (we loved the jalapeño margaritas and baja fish tacos). Try Chin Chin for South-East Asian curries, noodles, dumplings and barbecue dishes; or Bangkok Bites – a typical Thai eatery complete with red plastic chairs, sizzling plates of noodles and a beef massaman curry to write home about.

Local cafés

Australians take their coffee pretty seriously. Try Rebels N Misfits, a café and sandwich spot on Goulburn road; hyper-friendly Ada’s Affair in Darlinghurst; or minimalist Artificer Coffee on Bourke Street (remember to pick up a sweet treat from Bourke Street Bakery while you’re in the area). For eat-in, try the Rusty Rabbit’s pancake stacks and avocado toasts; or Paramount Coffee Project’s banana and walnut bread, skillet pancake and fried-chicken yuzu burger. 

Local bars

It doesn’t get much more convenient than El Primo Sanchez, a Forties-inspired tequila and cocktail bar one door down from the entrance to Oxford House. It’s been lovingly described by locals as ‘chaotic’ thanks to the high-energy bartenders (more often found atop the counter than behind), the free-flowing mezcal shots and the pint-sized karaoke room. Margaritas might be the main draw, but you’re best off lining your stomach with the street-style tacos, guacamole and chorizo con papas, too. For something slightly more low-key, head to the Strand’s Parisian-inspired rooftop, where oysters, negronis and bottles of wine pair with cut-above views of Darlinghurst.

Reviews

Photos Oxford House reviews

Anonymous review

By Mr & Mrs Smith

Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this art-adorned hotel on Paddington’s liveliest street and undertaken a spicy margarita cleanse, a full account of their urban escapist break will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside Oxford House in Sydney…

‘Peaceful’ isn’t often used in conjunction with Sydney’s Paddington suburb – particularly Oxford Street, a stretch busy with cafés, restaurants, bookshops and bars from dawn to, well, dawn. Yet stylish hideaway Oxford House’s walls seem, somehow, to turn down the noise. Sure, there’s live music and DJ sets at the pool bar on weekends, but the rest of the Californian-inspired spaces are relaxed. Some rooms come with small Juliet-style balconies; others boast large windows and traditional terrace-house views. Every inch of the hotel has been designed to maximise natural light and air flow; and warm hues, potted plants and an abundance of greenery complement the mid-19th-century architecture. Sydney’s suburbs are rooted in creativity – this used to be the bijou Arts Hotel after all – something that’s reflected in the current design. Curated by George Gorrow, walls feature works by the likes of Lena Gustafson, Adam Turnbull and Niah McLeod. And the creativity continues to the kitchens: dishes are crafted by Public’s culinary director Nick Mahlook. Don’t miss the well-thumbed juice menu, all by local Sydney brand Simon Says – they’re delivered to the house by Simon himself day in, day out.

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Price per night from $169.51

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