It’s been 15 years, but Sydney’s first international new build hotel has finally opened. The location, on prime waterfront territory in the city’s lively Darling Harbour, cleaves close to the Sofitel brand’s formula for opening in buzzy, high-spirited spots, while linking culturally with a French city or region – this time Marseilles.
Occupying all 35 floors of the area’s tallest building, conceived by local architects Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp to feature triangular accents that represent sails, the interiors of the 590-room hotel are the work of Dreamtime Australia Design and the A+ Design Group.
Here, the Sydney-based designers’ continue to subtly reference the area’s maritime heritage, without slipping into obvious clichés. As such, there are rope motifs which can be found in the carpets; lots of timber accents which represents the city’s wharf history; and sandstone bathrooms, with stand alone soaking tubs, that are perfect for indulging in the far reaching views of Darling Harbour and the city’s sparkling skyline.
The fourth floor outdoor lap pool with skyscraper views is an ideal spot for a pre-dinner drink before heading to Atelier, a French-inspired grill that serves up dishes that combine the flavours of the south of France with local produce, against a background of thrilling wraparound views.
INFORMATION
Website
ADDRESS
12 Darling Dr
-
The Stuff That Surrounds, episode three: Inside the home of architect Glenn SestigIn The Stuff That Surrounds, Wallpaper* explores a life through objects. This episode, we’re invited inside an architectural gem – just what you'd expect from one of the most distinctive voices in the field today
-
Germane Barnes just transformed a humble Indiana parking garage into an enormous sub-woofer systemWith Joy Riding, the Miami-based designer’s installation at Exhibit Columbus, Barnes celebrates togetherness by evoking Black car culture
-
The best Ruth Asawa exhibition is actually on the streets of San FranciscoThe artist, now the subject of a major retrospective at SFMOMA, designed many public sculptures scattered across the Bay Area – you just have to know where to look
-
The Calile Hotel is an urban resort reframing BrisbaneA seven-storey refuge in Fortitude Valley, The Calile Hotel bridges tropical retro with urban polish, elevating Brisbane’s hospitality landscape
-
Mondrian makes waves at Burleigh Heads with a striking Australian debutMondrian Gold Coast emerges as a sculptural new anchor for Burleigh Heads, pairing surf-side glamour with global polish
-
Rediscover a classic midcentury hotel in SydneyFK leads a major renovation of the landmark Sofitel Sydney Wentworth hotel, pairing 1960s modernism with an elevated, Australian-minded reset
-
Wallpaper* checks in at The Grand National Hotel by Saint Peter: ‘a lush restaurant with rooms’In Sydney’s Paddington, chef Josh Niland opens the 14-bedroom luxury hotel alongside his pioneering restaurant
-
Book a brutalist one-room wonder Down Under, the Vipp Tunnel in TasmaniaThe Danish design brand's bookable showcases arrive in the southern hemisphere, thanks to the vision of Tasmanian architectural firm Room 11
-
Wallpaper* checks in at The Eve Hotel Sydney: a lush urban escapeA new Sydney hotel makes a bold and biophilic addition to a buzzing neighbourhood that’s on the up
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Lo Scoglio: an Australian vacation rental with regenerative principlesTucked away in Byron Bay’s hinterland, an Italian-style farmhouse presents a sustainable approach to luxury
-
Five influential women hoteliers reflect on the changing face of hospitalityAs women continue to gain ground in the hotel sector, despite still being underrepresented in senior positions, five female moguls share their experiences of the past and projections for the future
