Details
Address
The QT Sydney, Hotel George & Market Streets, Sydney NSW 2000. Prices range between $420-1500 AUD per night. For further information or to make a reservation please call 00 800 37 46 83 57
About
Merging two of Sydney’s grandest and iconic buildings, this hotel lives and breathes its former art deco glory with added theatrics and Hollywood fervour (thanks in part to its owners, Australia’s largest cinema chain). The 200-room hotel bursts with personality[s] – no doubt following in the footsteps of the Schrager and Ace business model.
Vibe
Don’t check in expecting corporate calm, which describes most Australian hotels. Here, eclectic, plush and a heavy dose of OTT rule the day. From the five different themes of art deco, rockabilly, gothic and burlesque to the flamboyant staff (cast by judges à la Australian Idol style), this hotel is as loud and proud as they come. Pop coloured sofas, LED sculptures, walled vintage suitcases, retro stacked televisions and a sensor based musical lift (solo guests get songs about loneliness and couples get love songs, while groups get party tunes) – and that’s just the start. The rooms follow the same chaotic ethos: think deep red and mauve velvet everywhere, bowler hat lampshades, animal head figurines on the wall and illuminating glass cabinets. Multiple personality disorder, maybe?
Highlights
SpaQ, was a standout. Spacious art deco rooms, a barber shop, a complete range of massages, facial and body treatments (kudos to the Regenerative Pure C facial for wiping the signs of our 24 hour long-haul flight) and a Hammam-inspired steam room. And lastly, location. If you have decided to forego the beachside for the city, this is as good as it gets: smack bang in city centre and opposite the main shopping street (think Westfield, Prada and Chanel without a souvenir koala to be seen).
Eat & Drink
The hotel’s Gowings Bar & Grill is testament to Sydney’s supreme dining scene. Expect all the trendy fixtures: an open plan kitchen, hanging copper lights, art installations and the 2013/14-buzz cuisine of a European-style brasserie. But you’re on holiday, so leave the hotel and take a short stroll around the city. From Neil Perry’s Spice Temple and Rock Pool to the cheaper eats of dumplings courtesy of Din Tai Fung, wherever you eat, you will eat well. Drink wise, don’t expect to be raving all night, but if wine bars, sleek watering holes and whiskey dens are your thing, there’s a plethora within walking distance (Stitch and Baxter’s Inn were firm favourites).
Top Tip
Download the QT concierge smart phone app. For newbies to Sydney, it’s got your back.
Why Go Now
The heatwave is over—meaning – the days are in the pleasant mid 20s rather than the scorching high 30s.
