Design elements include a copper-clad entry paying homage to subterranean Sydney and its disused railway tunnels, and a blue circular bar and nest-like seating referencing the Australian Bowerbird.
Sydney was in fact the first location for the W Hotels brand outside the US, but the original W Sydney in the city’s Woolloomooloo suburb was rebranded as the Blue Hotel (managed by Taj Hotels and Resorts) in 2007, and has since again been rebranded under the Ovolo brand.
W Sydney becomes the third property operating under the brand in Australia, joining W Brisbane and W Melbourne – the latter of which opened within the mixed use Collins Arch development in Melbourne in 2021.
Marriott opens W Melbourne
Commenting on the opening George Fleck, vice president and global brand leader of W Hotels, said:
“W Sydney marks our W Hotels brand’s triumphant return to Sydney, a long-awaited addition to our robust portfolio in Australia, following our recent debuts in Melbourne and Brisbane.
“W Sydney will cultivate a new cultural and social hub in the vibrant Darling Harbour precinct. It is the perfect canvas for a non-conformist approach to the luxury hospitality landscape with W’s bold and energetic ‘Whatever/Whenever’ service ethos, dynamic design, and immersive programming as we celebrate Sydney through a new lens.”
For our recent feature looking at post-pandemic developments in Sydney, see:
Sydney sails on
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