ATE MEDIA INFORMATION | HOTEL NEWS IN SYDNEY AND NSW

HOTEL NEWS IN SYDNEY AND NSWWith new hotels, luxurious refurbishments, lodge-style retreats and boutique getaways in Sydney and NSW, visitors will find plenty of places to enjoy quintessential Australian hospitality.

HOTELS NEWS: SYDNEY

Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney Airport is a new full-service apartment hotel with fully-equipped kitchens, a restaurant and bar. Located close to Mascot train station, the hotel is within easy reach of Sydney’s top attractions. Another new airport hotel, Travelodge Sydney Airport, is set to open in late 2016 with 209 rooms, car park and commercial space above the hotel. And Accor has announced it will open the $100m five-star Pullman Sydney Airport in May 2016. The 229-room property will include a restaurant and bar, conference facilities, and will be the first internationally branded five-star hotel in the international airport precinct.

In The Rocks, The Langham Sydney reopened in November 2014 following a $30m refurbishment, which included a new-look lobby, stunning dining areas, guestrooms and ballroom. A quirky addition is The Langham Pink Taxi, available to transport guests locally. After a multi-million-dollar refurbishment, the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay now has world-class technology including high-speed wireless internet, telepresence conferencing and top-of-the range electronics in each room.

Sydney will gain its second luxe Sofitel hotel with the opening of Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour in 2017. Perched at the northern end of the International Convention Centre (ICC Sydney) and overlooking Cockle Bay, the 35-storey, 600-room property will be a centrepiece of the Darling Harbour redevelopment and support the adjacent convention centre.

Four Points by Sheraton Sydney has been undergoing a $160m redevelopment as part of the revitalisation of the Darling Harbour precinct. The 683-room hotel is already the largest property in Sydney; a new tower will have 222 additional rooms, new conference facilities, plus new food and beverage options. Aloft Sydney will open in November 2016 after the city’s iconic Druids House building in Pitt Street is transformed into a-state-of-the-art funky and affordable hotel. Located in the heart of Sydney’s vibrant ‘Koreatown’ district, the 136-room hotel will be the first in Starwood’s Aloft brand to open in Australia.

Barangaroo is a $6b central Sydney development on a 22ha site on the CBD’s western harbour foreshore with magnificent water views. At Barangaroo South, the six-star Crown Sydney will

TOP: THE HYDRO MAJESTIC HOTEL, BLUE MOUNTAINS.MIDDLE: FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON SYDNEY, DARLING HARBOUR.BOTTOM: UNDERGROUND SWIMMING POOL AT THE LANGHAM.

be a world-class hotel featuring 350 rooms and suites, luxury apartments, signature restaurants, bars, luxury retail outlets, pool and spa facilities, conference rooms and VIP gaming facilities.

Two smaller hotels have also opened recently. 57 Hotel Foveaux Street in Surry Hills has 92 rooms with a sleek 1970s-era design matched by all the latest facilities. Base Sydney on Kent Street in the CBD has 19 double rooms in a stunning heritage building.

In the inner west, The Urban Newtown is a new boutique hotel in the heart of funky Newtown; studio rooms with an industrial design fit-out are close to all the action on vibrant King Street. Set to launch as a new 62-room boutique hotel in July 2015, Chippendale’s Old Clare Hotel and Carlton United Brewery Administration Building are currently undergoing a multi-million-dollar overhaul. The venue will be home to several signature restaurants. Automata will be Clayton Wells’ first solo restaurant following stints at Momofuku Seiobo and Quay; Kensington Street Social will be Michelin-starred Jason Atherton’s first Australian venue; and Noma graduate, Sam Miller, will head up his first restaurant, Silvereye.

When QT Residences Bondi opens at Bondi Beach, it will be home to some very stylish apartments overlooking Australia’s most famous golden stretch of sand. The glamorous InterContinental Sydney Double Bay opened in November 2014 in the picturesque bayside neighbourhood, offering luxury and privacy at its finest. The property has brought a new lease of life to this cosmopolitan part of Sydney known for its boutique shopping, cafes, bars and restaurants. Sipping a cocktail on the rooftop bar is fast becoming a favourite Sydney activity.

Luxury boutique hotel brand, Spicers Retreats, will refurbish and rebrand the 25-room historic Victoria Court Hotel on one of Potts Point’s prettiest streets. The redevelopment will retain the property’s 19th-century heritage and character.

Several YHA hostels in NSW are undergoing renovations or upgrades this year, including Glebe Point YHA which is getting new solar panels, and Sydney Central YHA, which will see its cafe renovated.

Pan Pacific Hotels Group has announced plans for a $25 million extension of PARKROYAL Parramatta in Sydney. Once completed in June 2016, the property will be the largest hotel in Parramatta, with 286 guestrooms.

HOTEL NEWS AROUND NSW

Some exciting new hotels, bush retreats and even a yurt have opened for business recently in regional NSW, and heritage properties have had spectacular refurbishments.

Blue MountainsThe Hydro Majestic, a glamorous Edwardian property in the Blue Mountains just two hours’ drive from Sydney, has opened after a major re-development; many rooms and dining areas have stunning views of the Megalong Valley. Dining options include the Salon du The and Cats Alley featuring a Shanghai-chic tea room and bar, The Wintergarden, a spectacular light-filled restaurant with magnificent views, and The Boiler House Café, a casual all-day eatery.

Parklands Country Gardens & Lodges, a secluded country retreat set in extensive grounds reminiscent of a grand European estate, has opened at Blackheath in the Blue Mountains. This beautiful lodge-style accommodation has double-spa treatment rooms, garden cottages and a casual restaurant.

The new Sangoma Retreat at Bowen Mountain in the Blue Mountains is a luxury boutique getaway from Spicers Retreats. The property’s five beautiful suites feature contemporary African-inspired interiors. The retreat boasts an intimate atmosphere and fine cuisine, a stunning plunge pool and spa plus panoramic views of the iconic Blue Mountains range.

Meanwhile, Emirates has appointed One&Only Resorts to manage its acclaimed luxury resort, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area in Australia.

North CoastPretty Beach House is a five-star retreat located about 90 minutes’ drive north of Sydney on the NSW Central Coast. The recently reopened, adults-only, all-inclusive retreat is surrounded by native bushland on the Bouddi peninsula with dining headed up by a team from Stefano Manfredi’s property, Bells at Killcare. Also on the Central Coast, the new 52-room ibis Styles The Entrance overlooks Tuggerah Lakes and is a two-minute walk from nearby, uncrowded beaches.

The Anchorage Port Stephens, two and a half hours’ drive north of Sydney, is undergoing a refurbishment to take advantage of its perfect bayside setting. Guest rooms will be upgraded, the pool and deck areas transformed, and a new poolside bar and upgraded function and conference facilities opened.

EMIRATES ONE&ONLY WOLGAN VALLEY RESORT & SPA, BLUE MOUNTAINS

At Camden Haven on the Mid North Coast, the treehouse accommodation is luxurious at Diamond Waters Treehouse Retreat. Set between a beautiful river and the ocean, the treehouses are surrounded by a stunning tropical garden and have rainwater showers, cosy log fires, and a koala habitat.

Set to open this year, Elements of Byron is a new resort that features private beach villas and a dramatic dune-like main pavilion, lagoon pool, fire pit, signature restaurant and spa. The new Halcyon House is set to become one of Australia’s coolest beachside hotels. Located overlooking Cabarita Beach, the ‘surfer’ motel turned luxury hotel has just 21 rooms and is 15 minutes’ drive south of the Gold Coast Airport and 30 minutes north of Byron Bay.

Located beside the Clyde River at Shallow Crossing on the South Coast, The Escape is a quintessentially Australian luxury bush experience, surrounded by national parks and state forests. Luxury tents have spectacular views over the pristine river while the Escape Kitchen and Bar uses only local produce. Further south, near Bermagui, Tanja Lagoon Camp is an exclusive retreat with safari tents in a peaceful bushland setting close to Tanja Lagoon where you can go canoeing. You’ll see abundant wildlife and enjoy swimming, bushwalking and star gazing opportunities.

REGIONAL NSW WRAP UP

The Hunter Valley YHA has recently had extensive renovations that include new bathrooms, kitchen and lounge as well as a relaxing outdoor space with pool, BBQ and hammocks.

Recently refurbished the CH on Peel in Tamworth is a stunning boutique hotel that’s stylishly decorated with contemporary furnishings. It features a restaurant and bar serving Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fusion tapas.

Get back to nature by staying in a yurt at the recently opened Talo Retreat at Moama on Murray Resort. Surrounded by pristine native bushland and just a short walk from the Murray River, the yurts have timber floors with canvas walls and a domed skylight for ‘sleeping under the stars’.

Tucked away down a country road near Forbes in central NSW, Girragirra Retreat is a luxury self-contained two-bedroom apartment set in a beautiful organic farm on the Lachlan River. The retreat overlooks a billabong surrounded by red river gums and native grasslands and offers the perfect country getaway.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONsydney.com, visitnsw.com

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