Hotels in the centre of Sydney today tends to be a sore point among many in the modern day. The overall quality of hotels within the centre lacks, severely. And without spending well over $1,000 per night on accommodation like the Park Hyatt (a hotel which is gorgeous and overlooks both the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House) the mid-range 5-star hotel options are extremely limited.

However, an independent hotel seems to offer a solution to Sydney’s mediocre offering. A little-known hotel named The Primus which sits towards the south of Pitt Street and near parallel with Cockle Wharf takes residence in Sydney’s renovated and grand ex-Sydney Water Board building.

I’ve now stayed at The Primus multiple times and each time I stay something new seems to surprise me. The fittings in the hotel rooms are superb with the styling calling back to the building’s heritage of the 1950s and a modern twist. Most of my own trips to Sydney have been short one- or two-day visits. However, I’ve always said I would be able to stay much longer at The Primus.

The hotel’s facilities are similarly superb year-round. The Primus features a rooftop pool and bar which is heated perfectly for winter and feeling like a city oasis during summer. The rooftop, which is also dubbed Level Seven, also has its own delicious cocktail menu which is also seasonal.

Downstairs in The Primus’ breathtaking foyer also doubles as a pre and post-dinner bar. The Primus’ restaurant, The Wilmot, offers a wide range of menu items, however what has impressed me over and over again at The Wilmot is the breakfast. The buffet breakfast served at The Wilmot is by far one of the best I’ve had internationally. It features a combination of both freshly prepared and buffet foods but no matter how that food is stored is to die for. The Wilmot also features a fresh juice and smoothie bar with breakfast.

Where unalike, for example, the Crown Metropol in Melbourne or the Plazzo Versace on the Gold Coast, The Primus does not feature anything special with scenery or view, it makes up for in friendly service, above standard fittings, perfection quality food and beverage and breathtaking architecture. It really does deserve a spot in the top hotels in Sydney. And for me it certainly gets that spot.