The Darling at The Star
A casino-anchored stay 650 metres from Cockle Bay
About this hotel
The Darling at The Star is less a hotel with a casino attached than a self-contained entertainment complex with rooms above it: twenty bars and restaurants and a full casino floor sit 650 metres from Cockle Bay, with a day spa for daytime recovery from busier nights. Rooms lean toward comfort over minimalism, with flat-screen satellite TVs, iPod docking stations, tea and coffee facilities, Egyptian cotton sheets and luxurious bathrobes, and a choice between city-skyline views and outlooks toward Pyrmont. The Opera House and The Rocks are an eight-minute drive away and the airport twenty, keeping the property connected without depending on Darling Harbour's own nightlife for every evening. It suits guests who want the option of staying inside the entertainment rather than travelling to find it.
- On-site casino
- Day spa
- City skyline or Pyrmont views
- Twenty dining and drinking venues
Our take
The Darling suits travelers who want a casino, day spa and twenty dining and drinking options on site, treating the property itself as the destination for at least part of the stay. It is a lighter fit for anyone seeking a quiet harbourside retreat, since the energy here runs toward entertainment and nightlife rather than calm.
- ✓Request a city-skyline room over a Pyrmont-facing one if the brighter nighttime view matters more to your stay.
- ✓Use the day spa to recover before an evening on the casino floor rather than saving it for the end of the trip.
- ✓Budget an eight-minute drive to the Opera House or The Rocks if you want a change of scene beyond Darling Harbour's own twenty venues.
Why we love it
- Casino and day spa on site
- Twenty bars and restaurants
- 650 metres from Cockle Bay
- Egyptian cotton sheets and bathrobes
Why guests love itThree couples on a long-planned weekend away chose The Darling for having everything under one roof. Days started at the day spa, afternoons drifted between a few of the twenty bars and restaurants, and the skyline-view rooms came into their own after dark as the city lights spread toward Cockle Bay. Nobody needed a taxi until checkout. They said the energy rarely dips, which suited a group celebration, but couples after a calm harbourside escape would find it too busy.