Globe hopping
36 / Revisited: Sydney
Skin deep beauty in
Sydney
Australia’s Harbour City is fully “open” and as appealing as ever. Steve Hartridge suggests reasons why it is time for a first or return visit
New tours are available at the Sydney Opera house
F
rom the sweeping sails of its opera house to the giant iron coathanger that is the Harbour Bridge to the yellow-and-green coloured boats leaving Circular Quay for the suburbs, Sydney is a city packed with familiar icons. But with new hotels, tours and a raft of upcoming events, there are fresh reasons to recommend the city.
What’s new Sydney’s hotel stock has been revitalised by several recent openings. Ace Hotel opened in the Surry Hills area of the city in May, on the site of a former brick-making factory. Rooms in the 257-key, 18-storey hotel feature record players, vintage furniture and murals by local artists. The hotel has a ground floor bar – decked out in a colour palette inspired by the rust, ochre and greens of Australia – and a restaurant (LOAM) serving a menu that is 60% plant based. A second restaurant (Kiln) and rooftop bar are on the way.
take a pottery class in Marrickville, sydney
Also new is Australia’s first Kimpton hotel, located centrally on Pitt Street. The 172-key property opened earlier this year on Valentine’s Day, but officially launched with a VIP party in May. Anyone familiar with Kimpton’s U.S. properties will recognise hallmarks such as artworks displayed throughout the hotel, pet-friendly policies, bikes available to borrow and early-evening free wine tastings. Billed as Sydney’s first six-star hotel, Crown Sydney is housed in the city’s tallest building at the newly developed Barangaroo waterfront precinct. It features 349 rooms (with 22 villas) plus an array of food and drink venues, including the celebrity favourite Nobu. On the 26th floor, CIRQ bar offers fabulous views of the harbour. A 1930s Art Deco building has been given a new life as a boutique hotel – Aiden Darling Harbour. The eight-storey hotel in Pyrmont opened in April, featuring 88 smart rooms. On the events side, Sydney is already
looking forward to 2023. The city will host Sydney WorldPride (February 17-March 5) and will stage matches in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Here are five Sydney experiences to recommend to clients...
Top experiences Behind the curtains at the Sydney Opera House: The Sydney Opera House Tour experience has been ‘reimagined’ and now offers the chance to learn about the history and future of this world-famous concert hall via an immersive digital experience in a new purpose-built venue with state-of-the-art technology that includes 270-degree visuals and surround sound. Also new are iconic moments from past Concert Hall performances. Note that the Concert Hall itself is currently closed as it is undergoing renewal works to improve theatre machinery, acoustics and accessibility. A second new tour focuses on the
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