The grandeur of Sydney’s historic Sandstone Precinct has just been made grander with the long-awaited opening of the Capella Hotel. Your dream to live like royalty, even if just for one night, can become a reality with a naturally-lit 20-metre indoor pool, Italian frette linen, 24-hour room service controlled by a tablet, and goodies from natural (and lavish) skincare line Haeckels.
Taking over seven years, and costing an eye watering 300 million dollars to refurbish, this luxury hotel is the latest of its kind to grace Sydney's streets in a long time. Nestled in between the bustle of Circular Quay and Martin Place, the old school charm of this 1930s' heritage building is an enchanting home-base for all your city adventures. The Capella Hotel group collaborated with Pontiac Land to “sensitively repurpose” this heritage-listed Department of Education building. You will still catch glimpses of the building’s history in the NSW emblems carved into the heavy wooden entry doors and the Romanesque engravings that are etched across the building's sandstone exterior.
The luxury hotel flaunts a curated fusion of art deco splendour, moody interiors and European charm with its long arched windows and plentiful marble touches. Bathe while you look out at the Sydney Harbour Bridge, before dining like a modern day Jay Gatsby under the soaring ceilings of Brasserie 1930 downstairs. The chic French bistro sings alongside the resident McRae Bar to add an extra, shiny edge to your hotel experience, with all the magic courtesy of the brains at the Bentley Group.
The art inside this hotel is not to be skimmed over either. Capella's wonderfully curated collection begins with Indigenous art in the Farrer Place lobby, and continues with extravagant botanical arrangements blooming at McRae Bar. The pièce de résistance can be found at Aperture, the hotel’s grand central gathering space and old courtyard. The mesmerising robotic lighting installations hail from Studio Drift, all the way from the Netherlands.
Just know that you’ll have to pay the price to access this little slice of heaven, with room rates starting at $750 per night.
But hey, who’s counting when we’re talking about gold class indulgence?
