A diamond in the Cross

Members of the Eight Hotels group are usually bigger on "lobby flash" than bedroom floor space. So this newcomer is a surprise, says Mark C O'Flaherty in the Independent. Rooms are spacious, "comfy" and "up-to-the-minute", with big terraces (welcome in sunny Sydney), iPod docking stations and wall-mounted widescreen TVs. The Diamant's Kings Cross location might be "insalubrious", and the hotel itself feels like a "corporation HQ", with its decor just "a few centimetres to the wrong side of sterile". But the food is "well-executed comfort fare" and the staff are "a delight". Doubles from A$400 (£178), room only. Contact: diamant.com.au or call +61 2 9295 8888. ·