With spectacular celebrity-approved palaces overlooking the harbour and magical beachside boltholes hiding in sun-soaked coves, Sydney’s hotel scene is already pretty unparalleled. In fact, in the most recent hotel awards from renowned travel media brand Travel and Leisure, it was revealed that 50 per cent of Australia’s best city stays are right here in Sydney. But the Harbour City isn’t stopping there. Later this year, doors will open at the first Australian outpost of 25hours Hotels. 25hours Hotel The Olympia is due to open in the heart of Darlinghurst this spring – here’s what we know so far.
First things first: location, location, location. If you’ve spent any time in Darlinghurst in recent weeks, you’ll have seen the scaffolding begin to come down around the huge heritage-listed building on the corner of South Dowling Street and Oxford. The former theatre (initially opened in 1911 as ‘West’s Olympia Theatre’) has spent the past few decades as a palace of entertainment, becoming Sydney’s first twin cinema in the 1970s before briefly reverting back to a live theatre venue in 2014.
This year, the building will officially begin its new chapter as a hospitality mecca, with the 109-room hotel set to welcome a Santa Monica-inspired rooftop bar, a coffee shop celebrating Sydney’s café culture, a sexy, film noir-inspired cocktail bar and an intimate restaurant. All four dining spaces in the hotel will be helmed by acclaimed Sydney chef Mitch Orr (the man responsible for bringing Kiln to life on the top floor of the Ace), who's taking on the role as Culinary Director in his biggest project to date. Based on Orr's track record, we've got very high hopes, and the images we've seen so far of the venue plans look pretty special. Alongside the foodie offerings, the hotel is also set to house a magical internal garden, a high-end retail space and super-luxe wellness facilities.
For now, 25hours Hotel The Olympia is slated to open in spring 2025 – we’ll share more details when we can, and you can sign up for updates and book your stay over here.
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