Hotels Haymarket

Haymarket covers the southern edge of the city around Chinatown, Darling Square and Paddy's Markets, and it suits a visitor who wants dinner options at the door and short walks to the big event spaces. Central and Town Hall stations are walkable, the light rail runs through, and ICC Sydney and Darling Harbour are a short stroll away. Parking is limited and paid, so most guests find it easier to come by train and walk from there.

Two hotels listed here, two quite different stays:

• The Ultimo occupies a heritage-listed 1911 building on Ultimo Road, with 121 rooms and a front desk staffed 24 hours, from $170 per night.
• Meriton Suites Campbell Street faces the Capitol Theatre and offers studios and one-bedroom suites, each with a kitchen and washer-dryer.
• A family of four fits in one room at The Ultimo, in either the 26 square metre Ultimo Studio or the Ultimo Family with a king zip bed and two singles.
• Couples and solo guests are better matched to Meriton Suites Campbell Street, where every suite sleeps two.
• The Meriton building adds a pool, spa and sauna indoors plus a gym, while The Ultimo keeps its rooms simple, with a mini fridge, tea and coffee and free wifi.

For a theatre night, the Capitol is across the road from Meriton Suites Campbell Street, and The Ultimo puts the Paddy's Markets light rail stop three minutes away on foot. Either makes a late finish in the city an easy trip back to bed. Budget is the other dividing line: The Ultimo is the lower-priced option and suits a short stay built around eating out, while the Meriton's full kitchens and laundry make more sense if you are in town for most of a week.