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From harbourfront heritage homes to award-winning architectural escapes and boathouses you reach by water, Sydney has some of the most spectacular short stays in the country. We have rounded up the best luxury Airbnbs in Sydney for a couple’s weekend, a group celebration or a design-led getaway, every one checked and currently bookable.
Use the at-a-glance guide below to find your fit, then read on for the full rundown on each, including the layout, standout amenities, a guest rating where available and a direct booking link. Prices move with demand, so treat any figure as a guide.
Sydney’s Best Luxury Airbnbs at a Glance
- Best for a design-led nature escape: Palm Pavilion, Church Point
- Best for a big group by the beach: Ben Buckler House, Bondi
- Best for a romantic hideaway: Magical Maianbar Retreat
- Best for a harbourside family stay: Fernleigh, Double Bay
- Best for a waterfront couple’s escape: Boathouse on the Waterfront, Avalon
The 12 Best Luxury Airbnbs in Sydney
1. Palm Pavilion, Church Point
The winner of Best Design Stay in Australia at the 2024 Airbnb Awards, Palm Pavilion is an architectural container house on the edge of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Floor-to-ceiling windows deliver uninterrupted rainforest views, and a palm-flanked outdoor pool and long outdoor table are built for group gatherings.
Why we chose it: An award-winning architectural escape with rainforest views and a palm-fringed pool.
- Location: Church Point
- Bedrooms: 3
- Beds: 5
- Guest rating: 4.96/5
- Standout amenities: Air conditioning, Wi-Fi, Kitchen, Dryer, Bathtub
- Best for: A design-led nature escape
2. The Arc Bondi Beach
A newly completed, architect-designed home rated in the top 1% of Airbnb listings worldwide and a 2025 Airbnb Best Design Stay finalist. It centres on an Italian glass-mosaic heated plunge pool with colour lighting, off-form concrete and marble finishes, and a two-storey garden atrium that floods both levels with light. It sleeps eight, ten minutes from the sand.
Why we chose it: An award-finalist design home with a mosaic plunge pool, a ten-minute walk from Bondi.
- Location: Bondi Beach
- Bedrooms: 4
- Beds: 5
- Guest rating: 4.97/5
- Standout amenities: Wi-Fi, Kitchen, Pets allowed, Free parking, Private hot tub
- Best for: A design-led group by the beach
3. Fernleigh, Double Bay
A beautifully renovated c.1920 heritage home in one of Sydney’s most fashionable harbourside suburbs. Expect high decorative ceilings, a formal lounge with an ornate fireplace, a Miele-appointed kitchen and a decked courtyard, with the ferry to the city and Manly a short stroll from the end of the street.
Why we chose it: Old-Sydney elegance in a blue-chip harbour suburb, with the ferry on your doorstep.
- Location: Double Bay
- Bedrooms: 4
- Beds: 4
- Standout amenities: Air conditioning, Wi-Fi, Kitchen, Bathtub, Dryer
- Best for: A refined harbourside family stay
4. Darling Point Penthouse
An entire-floor penthouse with panoramic views of the Harbour Bridge, harbour and city skyline from the living and dining areas. It sits moments from the Opera House, the city and the eastern beaches, and is one of the most sought-after harbour-view stays in Sydney.
Why we chose it: A full-floor penthouse with one of the best harbour-and-bridge panoramas you can book.
- Location: Darling Point
- Bedrooms: 3
- Beds: 4
- Guest rating: 4.93/5
- Standout amenities: Wi-Fi, Kitchen, Dryer, City skyline view, Beach access
- Best for: A view-first couple or small group
5. The Glass House, Darlinghurst
An inner-east smart home that earned a place in House & Garden’s Top 50 Rooms in Australia. Expect voice-controlled lighting, music and heating, heated marble floors throughout, an open fireplace, an internal water feature and designer furniture, with indoor and outdoor living zones. It sleeps six.
Why we chose it: A genuinely high-design smart home, heated marble floors and all, in the heart of the inner east.
- Location: Darlinghurst
- Bedrooms: 3
- Beds: 3
- Guest rating: 5.0/5
- Standout amenities: Wi-Fi, Kitchen, Dryer, Air conditioning, Cot – available upon request
- Best for: A design-obsessed city stay
6. Ben Buckler House, Bondi
A brand-new five-bedroom residence at Bondi’s most coveted address, the Ben Buckler headland. Expect expansive ocean-facing terraces, multiple indoor-outdoor dining areas, a home theatre and garage parking for several cars.
Why we chose it: Five bedrooms and ocean-facing terraces at Bondi’s premier headland address.
- Location: Bondi Beach
- Bedrooms: 5
- Beds: 6
- Standout amenities: Air conditioning, Wi-Fi, Kitchen, Balcony, Bathtub
- Best for: A big group at the beach
7. The Moroccan Retreat, Bilgola Plateau
Hand-crafted from Hebel and layers of lime, straw and red clay drawn from the plateau itself, this is genuine Moroccan architecture on the Northern Beaches. It comes with sweeping views over the plateau and Angophora Reserve, four bedrooms and five beaches within ten minutes.
Why we chose it: A one-of-a-kind, hand-built Moroccan home with five Northern Beaches on its doorstep.
- Location: Bilgola Plateau
- Bedrooms: 4
- Beds: 4
- Guest rating: 5.0/5
- Standout amenities: Air conditioning, Wi-Fi, Kitchen, Dryer, Waterfront
- Best for: A characterful group getaway
8. Magical Maianbar Retreat
An adults-only studio inside the Royal National Park boundary and a 2025 Airbnb Best Design Stay finalist. It is brimming with flowers and ferns, with a glorious stone bath for two and a private gate straight to the beach. Organic products, fresh fruit and a continental breakfast are included.
Why we chose it: A rare adults-only stay inside the Royal National Park, with a stone bath and a beach gate.
- Location: Maianbar, Royal National Park
- Bedrooms: 1
- Beds: 1
- Guest rating: 4.96/5
- Standout amenities: Wi-Fi, Bathtub, Bay view, Garden view, Beach access
- Best for: A romantic nature retreat
9. Sandstone Cottage, Great Mackerel Beach
One of the original sandstone cottages on Great Mackerel Beach, absolute beachfront with uninterrupted views of Pittwater, Lion Island, Barrenjoey Heads and Palm Beach. The main house is joined by a separate Tree House studio, with access by ferry or water taxi only.
Why we chose it: Heritage beachfront with knockout Pittwater views, reachable only by water.
- Location: Great Mackerel Beach
- Bedrooms: 3
- Beds: 6
- Guest rating: 4.96/5
- Standout amenities: Wi-Fi, Kitchen, Dryer, Balcony, Pets allowed
- Best for: A secluded beach gathering
10. Tides Reach Boathouse, Pittwater
A modern nautical cottage reachable only by water taxi from Church Point, sitting uniquely over the Pittwater shoreline with an expansive entertainer’s deck and a deepwater jetty. The backyard leads straight into Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.
Why we chose it: A boat-access-only hideaway over the water, with a deck made for entertaining.
- Location: McCarrs Creek, Pittwater
- Bedrooms: 4
- Beds: 7
- Guest rating: 4.96/5
- Standout amenities: Wi-Fi, Kitchen, Beach access, Sea view, Air conditioning
- Best for: An off-grid group adventure
11. Boathouse on the Waterfront, Avalon
An idyllic waterfront cottage perched directly on the shores of Careel Bay, with open-plan living and a deepwater jetty. You can launch a kayak, paddleboard or jet ski straight off the deck.
Why we chose it: Water at your doorstep, paddle or jet-ski straight off the deck in Avalon.
- Location: Avalon Beach
- Bedrooms: 2
- Beds: 3
- Guest rating: 4.97/5
- Standout amenities: Wi-Fi, Kitchen, Pets allowed, Beach access, Bay view
- Best for: A waterfront couple’s escape
12. The Salty Dog, Newport
A wooden boathouse for two floating serenely off Newport, near Palm Beach. A loft bedroom with luxury linen sits above a combined lounge, dining and kitchen, with a ladder straight into the water, a dinghy with oars, an outdoor shower and a continental breakfast hamper included.
Why we chose it: A floating boathouse for two, about as romantic and unusual as a Sydney stay gets.
- Location: Newport
- Bedrooms: 1
- Beds: 1
- Guest rating: 4.99/5
- Standout amenities: Kitchen, Free parking, Marina view, Private patio or balcony, Shared beach access
- Best for: A couple’s novelty escape
Comparison
| # | Airbnb | Area | Size | Best for |
| 1 | Palm Pavilion, Church Point | Church Point | 3 bed | A design-led nature escape |
| 2 | The Arc Bondi Beach | Bondi Beach | 4 bed | A design-led group by the beach |
| 3 | Fernleigh, Double Bay | Double Bay | 4 bed | A refined harbourside family stay |
| 4 | Darling Point Penthouse | Darling Point | 3 bed | A view-first couple or small group |
| 5 | The Glass House, Darlinghurst | Darlinghurst | 3 bed | A design-obsessed city stay |
| 6 | Ben Buckler House, Bondi | Bondi Beach | 5 bed | A big group at the beach |
| 7 | The Moroccan Retreat, Bilgola Plateau | Bilgola Plateau | 4 bed | A characterful group getaway |
| 8 | Magical Maianbar Retreat | Maianbar, Royal National Park | 1 bed | A romantic nature retreat |
| 9 | Sandstone Cottage, Great Mackerel Beach | Great Mackerel Beach | 3 bed | A secluded beach gathering |
| 10 | Tides Reach Boathouse, Pittwater | McCarrs Creek, Pittwater | 4 bed | An off-grid group adventure |
| 11 | Boathouse on the Waterfront, Avalon | Avalon Beach | 2 bed | A waterfront couple’s escape |
| 12 | The Salty Dog, Newport | Newport | 1 bed | A couple’s novelty escape |
Sydney Luxury Airbnb FAQs
It depends on the trip. For design, the award-winning Palm Pavilion at Church Point and The Arc at Bondi Beach lead the way, while Fernleigh in Double Bay and a Darling Point penthouse deliver classic harbour glamour. For something unusual, The Salty Dog is a floating boathouse for two off Newport.
The eastern suburbs (Double Bay, Darling Point, Bondi) offer harbour and beach glamour close to the city, while the Northern Beaches and Pittwater are the place for architectural homes, boathouses and waterfront escapes. The Royal National Park to the south hides a few secluded design stays.
Boutique apartments and boathouses generally start a few hundred dollars a night, while larger architectural and harbourfront homes run well into four figures, especially over summer, long weekends and major events.
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