Visitors who prefer their travels served with style, imagination and luxury are well served by resorts, hotels and tour operators, both in Sydney and in some of the most sensational parts of New South Wales.

Sydney's elite hotels, a class act

Several of Sydney's five-star elite hotels have benefited from major refurbishments in the past 12 months.

After the biggest makeover in its 21-year history, the Park Hyatt, hotel of choice for visiting megastars and dignitaries, has set a new benchmark in contemporary luxury and style. Highlights include three dramatic rooftop suites built on a new fourth level and guest rooms with floor-to-ceiling glass that open to private balconies for wide-angle views across Sydney Cove to the Opera House. Décor also includes commissioned works by leading Australian artists and a dazzling new restaurant, the Living Room, with the ultimate view of the Sydney Opera House.

The Darling is a 171-room hotel that brings personality, charm, slick service and glossy accommodation to a prime waterfront location. Among the standout features are two floors dedicated to penthouse suites designed by LA designer Lawrence Lee. The Darling is part of The Star, the rebirthed version of Sydney's favourite entertainment complex, which adds a new galaxy of gastronomic adventures to Sydney's food universe with some of the world's most acclaimed chefs established in The Star's dining quadrant.

The Shangri-La Hotel Sydney is another recently re-emerged deluxe property, following a AUD $20 million refurbishment, with window seating installed in guest rooms designed to take in some of Sydney's finest harbour views. The Shangri-La also commands the ultimate high life view of Sydney Harbour from Blu Bar, on level 36. Perfect for evening cocktails when the dying sun spreads a golden glow across the world's greatest harbour.

Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, a luxury landmark on the city's accommodation scene, upgraded its Presidential and Deluxe Royal suites at the end of 2011. The Presidential Suite has two spacious bedrooms and stunning views of Sydney Harbour from the hotel's top floor, while the view from the bathtub in the Deluxe Royal Suite takes in Sydney Opera House.

Quay Grand Suites Sydney, recently voted the city's top Romantic Hotel by TripAdvisor, offers apartment style accommodation with a supersize serving of luxury, situated at Circular Quay. The newly refurbished ECQ Bar, sheathed in floor-to-ceiling glass provides impressive panoramas of the Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay.

The backstage location in a quiet street in The Rocks disguises the glamour of The Observatory, one of Sydney's most luxurious hotels, from the same stable as the Hotel Cipriani and the Venice Simplon Orient-Express. Regency-style furnishings with accents of Venice and the Orient emphasise the tranquil boutique atmosphere, personal service, and the day spa is one of Sydney's finest. Afternoon tea is elevated to an art form, with a menu that features 20 unique tea blends, providing guests with the opportunity to taste speciality teas from some of the world's most renowned tea regions, served in the refined surroundings of Globe Bar & Brassiere.

Overlooking the sparkling waters of Sydney Harbour and the acclaimed Sydney Opera House, the newly refurbished Sydney Harbour Marriott at Circular Quay is one of the city's premier waterfront properties and an ideal base from which to experience Sydney.

Sydney is set to welcome the birth of a new star in its line-up of prestige boutique accommodation. James and Hayley Baillie, creators of Lord Howe Island's Capella Lodge, have acquired four historic buildings in the historic Rocks district, the cornerstone of a AUD $10m project that will create a small, distinguished hotel for high-end international travellers, with the feel of a wealthy Sydneysiders home. Anticipated opening date is late 2013.

By September this year, QT Sydney will hit the market. This stylish, yet quirky hotel will have 196 rooms. The development will see the tradition of The State Theatre and former Gowings site it occupies restored to its former glory, with more than a touch of contemporary glamour.

Experiencing Sydney and beyond - far from the ordinary

Operating out of Rose Bay, just minutes from the city, Sydney Seaplanes offers a seagull's-eye view of the city's harbour and coast. Travelling aboard a classic seaplane, this is the perfect way to see Sydney's stunning coastline, including the Northern Beaches all the way to glamorous Palm Beach, as well as Sydney Opera House and an unforgettable view of the Harbour Bridge. In 2012, Sydney Seaplanes is launching a range of premium products to add to the current line-up of scenic flights combined with luxury dining and accommodation. Among the packages on offer is a night's accommodation at one of Sydney's top hotels, water-taxi transfer to Rose Bay, return Sydney Seaplane flight to Palm Beach and a three-course lunch at the legendary Jonah's, overlooking Whale Beach.

A helicopter flight is an amazing way to travel, especially with the scenic wonders of Sydney and its surrounds beneath your feet. Utilising a fleet of modern, sophisticated helicopters, Heli Experiences' tours offer the very best that the region has to offer, with some highly imaginative food and beverage options. Experiences range from a 20-minute scenic flight over Sydney Harbour to a flight west of Sydney through the rugged majesty of the Jamison Valley to the forested heights of the Blue Mountains. The Heli Hunter Experience begins with a flight over Sydney Harbour and the Northern Beaches before landing at a Hunter Valley vineyard for a gourmet lunch and wine tasting. One of their unique products is the Wild Bush Luxury Camp, a heli-flight to a secluded luxury campsite in the Blue Mountains.

Sydney HeliTours is another Sydney-based operator that puts you in the window seat for a dramatic flight over Sydney Harbour, the Blue Mountains, the Hunter Valley or along the coast.  Sydney HeliTours offers an unforgettable experience, one of their specialties is 'doors off' flights over Sydney Harbour or along the coast, a fabulous way for passionate photographers to capture amazing views.

Cruising on Sydney's glamorous harbour is a spectacular experience, and Sea Sydney Cruises whisks you away for a day of pure floating magic. Experience the harbour like a privileged local aboard a 52' Pacific Motor Cruiser, with various options along the way such as swimming at a secluded beach, fishing, or a glass of fine wine while you watch the scenery drift by from a luxurious sun bed.

Waterfront dining is Sydney's signature style. From the award winning Quay restaurant to the smart cafes at Bronte Beach, from the glittering, glamorous restaurant strip at Woolloomooloo Wharf to oceanfront dining at Bondi, Sydney has some of the world's best places to drink and dine with a bluewater view.

Poised on the cliffs overlooking Bondi Beach, Icebergs Dining Room and Bar offers a luscious Italian menu, strong on flavour and served with panache in a spunky dining room. At a quiet spot on the Hawkesbury and accessible only by seaplane or boat, the stunning, sumptuous Berowra Waters Inn draws Sydney's gourmands with Dietmar Sawyere's passionate, Mediterranean-influenced food.

BridgeClimb takes you on one of the world's ultimate walks - a climb to the dizzying heights of the Harbour Bridge for a 360 degree panorama of the world's greatest harbour. The climb is at its spectacular best at dusk, when the setting sun paints the harbour in a palette of golden colours.

When Sydney lights the fuse on the fireworks display to welcome in the New Year, the whole world tunes in. For the ultimate experience, party at the Sydney Opera House and be right there for the best view of the exploding stars and screaming rockets that blossom against the night sky with a river of fire cascading from the platform of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This is one of life's great spectacles.

The inaugural Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (March/ April 2012) played to spellbound audiences, set on a stage that teetered above the waters of Sydney Harbour, under a massive chandelier. In 2013, Opera Australia will perform Bizet's Carmen on Sydney Harbour.

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia is dedicated to exhibiting, interpreting and collecting contemporary art. It showcases the best and most innovative of local and international contemporary art in all its myriad forms - performance, sculpture, photography and video as well as painting. On 29 March 2012, the MCA reopened following a AUD $53 million redevelopment that has reinvigorated the gallery within the mainstream of Australian contemporary art, including striking new rooftop venues created to take advantage of their location with spectacular views across Sydney Harbour.

The State's leading public art gallery, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, has five floors of creative brilliance that showcase the blockbusters of the artistic world. Every Wednesday the gallery opens its doors until 9pm for a cultural feast that includes talks with curators and guest lecturers, film, performances and lively conversation and entertainment in ArtBar.

Recognised and applauded as one of the most exciting and innovative buildings of the modern era, the dramatic Sydney Opera House is a premier venue for all the performing arts. There's nothing quite like attending a performance here to add gloss to a night out. The Australian Ballet, Sydney Dance Company and the Australian Opera Company are just some of the companies that perform here regularly and its theatres host symphony concerts, dance, plays, opera, films, as well as a contemporary and new world music program for events such as Vivid Sydney.

Sydney Theatre Company is Australia's premier theatre company, a major force in Australian drama since its establishment in 1978, continuing to refine a powerful, pithy Australian theatrical tradition that has produced many talented writers, directors and performers. Under the inspired leadership of Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton as joint artistic directors, the Company has executed a series of powerful productions that have had Sydney theatregoers on the edge of their seats.

Shopping Sydney style

Exciting, energetic and constantly evolving, Sydney brings freshness to the shopping experience, with something for all tastes. Australian fashion designers such as Collette Dinnigan, Akira Isogawa, sass & bide and Camilla are just some of the famous fashion names that call Sydney home, bringing a distinctive sense of style to the fashion scene. While the city also has an abundance of labels from the fashion houses of Europe and the USA, Sydney's climate, its intoxicating blend of cultures and its love of the outdoors make this fertile ground for fashion designers who want to make their mark with original creations.

Westfield Sydney has brought a sharp edge to Sydney's upscale shopping with podium names from the fashion world including Christian Louboutin, Prada, Diane von Furstenberg, Versace and Ermenegildo Zegna, on Level 3 of the dazzling complex. Westfield also brings imagination to Sydney's inner-city shopping scene with concepts such as 100 Squared, an edgy fashion incubator concept that gives pop-up retail space to clusters of young designers, and a unique opportunity for the city's underground talent to showcase their talents. Enhancing the world-class shopping experience, the Westfield Sydney Privilege Card offers exclusive discounts, special offers and access to the onsite concierge team, which can take care of little extras such as online flight check-in, tourist information, domestic and international parcel delivery, visitor parking and taxi services.

Chic in the City's shopping tours put shoppers on the fast track to fashion, showcasing the pick of Sydney's best shopping in the glamour boutiques of Woollahra, Paddington, Double Bay and Mosman. 

The luxury league of New South Wales

Set against some of the most sensational backdrops in the whole country, New South Wales has some exceptional places to spend the night.

Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa has lifted eco-tourism to new heights of luxury. Located in the Wolgan Valley of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage area, less than three hours drive from Sydney, the AUD $125 million resort has been designed as a natural sanctuary where guests can enjoy absolute luxury, tranquility and an intimate connection with nature. The resort is totally sympathetic to the special natural, cultural and scenic values of the valley. Guest accommodation is in 40 sumptuous, free- standing suites that occupy just two per cent of the total land area. Nature-based activities include four wheel drive tours, Aboriginal interpretive tours, nature walks, wildlife spotting and horse riding.

Created in a majestic paperbark wetland just south of Byron Bay, The Byron at Byron Resort & Spa has a sculptural, sharp-edged design that makes innovative use of glass and steel. Rooms are big and beautiful with opaque glass screens between the bedroom and the lounge and a walk-through dressing room connecting with the bathroom. The resort is run with polish and panache by vastly experienced hoteliers who make the 100-room resort feel intimate. Signature treatment at the resort's spa is the Rainforest Body Ritual, a Vichy shower treatment with seven adjustable shower jets that play across your body, creating the ultimate waterfall treatment. The therapy promotes circulation, hydrates the skin and soothes, fostering balance, relaxation and a state of deep calm.

Set among the vines of one of Australia's most illustrious winegrowing areas, Tower Lodge is a polished and tranquil retreat where the cultivated pleasures of good living are refined and perfected. Each of the 12 suites has its own distinct style, enhanced by a fine collection of antiques, treasures and collectables set against rich fabrics and recycled timbers. Intimate and exclusive, Nine is Tower Lodge's own dining experience. Panelled in sandstone and rich timbers, this elegant dining room is the backdrop to a 9-course, seasonal degustation menu created by the Executive Chef for a maximum of just 16 guests.

Chateau Elan at The Vintage offers luxury accommodation in the Hunter Valley vineyards for up to 200 guests. The resort includes a state-of-the-art spa with 17 treatment rooms, 20 super-luxury spa suites and private lifestyle villas. Centrepiece of the AUD $40 million resort is a Greg Norman-designed 18-hole golf course, ranked number two in New South Wales.

Another of the Hunter Valley's deluxe boutique retreats, Spicers Vineyards Estate will be further enhanced in 2012 with the addition of new accommodation suites and an exciting new day spa facility. The Spa Anise day spa will feature single and double treatment rooms and a range of unique treatment options, while the new suites will complement the existing eight, in the same opulent, romantic style.

Peppers has long been synonymous with luxury accommodation, since it first established the brand with Peppers Guesthouse in the Hunter Valley. It now has eight properties all in stunning locations across NSW - stretching from Kingscliff to Sutton Forest. Peppers is constantly upgrading its properties including the recent enhancements to  the poolside facilities at Kingscliff, a refurbishment of the original homestead at Peppers Guesthouse and significantly upgrade of the public facilities at Peppers Anchorage, Port Stephens.

Set in a superb position on the Bouddi Peninsula, close to pristine national parks and gorgeous beaches yet within easy reach of Sydney, Bells at Killcare now features Bells Day Spa. Housed in a restored, two-storey barn, the spa features LI'TYA products, based on Australian native plants and botanical extracts. The Spa complements Bells other sumptuous ingredients, including a modern Italian restaurant under the inspired direction of Stefano Manfredi and sublime accommodation.

Overlooking Brisbane Waters on the northern shores of the Hawkesbury River and surrounded by ancient angophoras, Pretty Beach House is a super-sophisticated private guesthouse in a magical setting. Just a 90 minute drive from the heart of Sydney, the house consists of just three guest pavilions that set a new standard for sumptuous, refined accommodation in a pristine bushland setting with all meals and a discerning collection of beverages included in the price.

Small, well-tailored and relaxed - all the good adjectives apply at Capella Lodge, which sits on a ridge in a premier position toward the southern end of Lord Howe Island. There are 10 suites, which come in either one-storey or loft style, with an upper-storey bedroom and the same beach house-inspired décor as the rest of the lodge. From the deck at the front of the lodge, the ground drops away into pastures that glissade down to the blonde beach at Lovers Bay with the massive, cloud-scraping green buttresses of Mount Lidgbird in the foreground. Capella Spa offers a menu of rejuvenating and relaxing treatments that utilise the Island's endemic kentia palms and marine environment - ideal after a day of hiking the island's supreme walking trails.


For more information go to www.Sydney.com or www.visitnsw.com

To access the image library and download images go to www.images.destinationnsw.com.au

Who's at ATE 2012?

Destination New South Wales. Booth 35. Eastern and Western. www.destinationnsw.com.au  
Altmann and Cherny - Opal Specialists.  Booth 21. Western. www.altmanncherny.com.au
Blue Mountains Tourism. Booth 25. Eastern and Western. www.visitbluemountains.com.au
BridgeClimb Sydney. Booth 12. Eastern and Western. www.bridgeclimb.com
Byron Bay and Beyond. Booth 15. Eastern and Western. www.northernriverstourism.com.au
Chateau Elan Hunter Valley. Booth 140B. Western. www.chateauelan.com.au
Four Seasons Hotel Sydney. Booth 28. Eastern and Western. www.fourseasons.com/sydney
Fraser Suites Sydney. Booth 17. Eastern and Western. www.sydney.frasershospitality.com
Heli Experiences. Booth 23. Eastern. www.heliexperiences.com.au
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. Booth 201. Eastern and Western. www.hyatt.com
Lord Howe Island Tourism Association. Booth 9. Western. www.lordhoweisland.info
Luxury Lodges of Australia Ltd. Booth 169. Eastern and Western. www.luxurylodgesofaustralia.com.au
Mantra Group. Booth 157. Eastern and Western. www.mantragroup.com.au
Mirvac Hotels & Resorts Quay Grand Quay West, Booth 204. Eastern and Western. www.mirvachotels.com/QuayGrand
Shangri La Hotels and Resorts. Booth 41. Eastern and Western.  www.shangri-la.com
Spicers Retreats, Hotels and Lodges. Booth 218. Western. www.spicersgroup.com.au
Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Booth170. Eastern and Western. www.starwoodhotels.com
Sydney HeliTours. Booth 9. Eastern. www.sydneyhelitours.com.au
Sydney Opera House. Booth 31. Eastern and Western. www.sydneyoperahouse.com
Sydney Seaplanes. Booth 40. Western. www.seaplanes.com.au
The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa. Booth 8. Western. www.thebyronatbyron.com.au
The National Opal Collection. Booth 38A. Eastern and Western. www.nationalopal.com
The Observatory Hotel. Booth 20. Western. www.observatoryhotel.com.au
The Star. Booth 42. Eastern and Western.  www.star.com.au
Toga Hospitality. Booth 200. Eastern and Western.  www.togahotels.com.au
Westfield Sydney. Booth 39. Eastern.  www.westfield.com.au
Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa. Booth 36. Eastern and Western. www.wolganvalley.com