A stones throw from Oxford Street, and decked out with rainbow coloured carpets, ADGE Hotel and Residencies feels like it was purpose-built for Sydney’s sparkly Mardi Gras celebrations – in the most wonderfully colourful way.
In the cavernous foyer, vibrant, palm-patterned chairs cluster around low tables, concrete pillars tower into the high ceiling, and light floods in through a skylight that runs along the entire length of the space. Between polished concrete, the walls are adorned with bold murals by renowned tattoo artist Adrian Hing, and climbing plants overflow down a sculptural shelf structure that dominates the wall facing the reception desk. There’s something immediately fun about ADGE; it’s unpretentious and welcoming – groovy in the most un-intimidating way.
Towards the entrance on Riley Street, you’ll find Soul Deli – a playful Korean-inspired café serving a creative contemporary Korean lunch menu, and breakfast hotcakes that will live rent-free in your mind until your next visit.
The 254-room hotel is situated on the former site of the Cambridge Hotel, and towers into the sky above Surry Hills.
Our room was on the fifteenth floor, with a balcony that opened up onto far-reaching views across the city – the rooftops of Darlinghurst falling into the distance. Inside, the room was colourful and comfy; with a perfectly firm king sized bed, sizable bathroom and a Smeg fridge waiting to be filled with drinks. For that task, Oxford Street is less than five minutes walk away, but if you’d rather stay on the premises, you can order room service from the smart TV.
The design – a collaborative effort between local architecture companies Tzannes, Team 2 Architects, and interior designers SJB – has been described as “a post-covid expression of colour”, and I can’t couldn’t have put it better myself.
Keen for a staycation? You can book a room over here. If you’re thinking ahead, it might be worth reserving a room for Mardi Gras 2025 before they all get snapped up.
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