Capella Sydney review: The new luxury hotel in Sydney CBD

Capella Sydney Main Entrance - Farrer Place. Photo / Supplied

Location: In the heart of downtown Sydney.

Style: A luxury escape tucked-away from the bustle.

Price: From AU$750 ($820) per night.

Perfect for: A romantic love-in or a business splash-out.

First impressions:

Occupying a handsome 1912 sandstone Edwardian Baroque-style building that was formerly home to the Department of Education, the design and build for Capella took seven years – the fit-out is quite breathtaking, with lofty atrium spaces juxtaposed with cosy corners, and impressive art pieces and historical reminders throughout.

Capella Sydney Hotel Lobby. Photo / Supplied

Rooms:

There’s a range of guestrooms, suites, and accessible suites starting from around 50sq m. My Skyline Room was spacious, with arched windows overlooking city rooftops, and a wee glimpse of the harbour bridge. The bed was adorned with custom Italian Frette linen – in pale grey, it can’t be laundered the easy/chemical-laden way with bleach, which speaks about the custom approach here. A bedside tablet controls climate, curtains, and lighting and gives access to hotel info and dining options. The evening housekeeping service placed a pottle of locally made sleep balm by the bedside and napkins under my strewn personal items such as hairbrush. The mini-bar is stocked with local goodies, some of which are complimentary.

Bathroom:

Huge. The toilet is separated with fluted glass, there’s a generous walk-in shower, dual basins, and toiletries by sustainable London brand Haeckels. A Dyson hairdryer nestles in a custom-made box.

Food and drink:

Aperture, in the light-and-plant-filled lobby area, serves daytime fare including afternoon tea under gently rising and falling kinetic blooms (an installation by Dutch artist duo DRIFT). McRae Bar elevates the “Victorian drinking den” concept with curated cocktails including a list of Cobblers, featuring fortified wine and seasonal fruit. Signature restaurant Brasserie 1930 was created by renowned hospitality outfit Bentley Group. It serves a local spin on classic French brasserie fare, making the most of local produce with dishes that lean towards decadent and rich – among the bounty I was served were Merimbula oysters, Kinross Station lamb, and Tasmanian sea urchins. The wine list is outstanding and so was the knowledge on it when I visited. The brasserie also hosts guests’ breakfast – an extensive continental buffet bolstered by cooked-to-order dishes and barista coffee. Also, don’t miss the newly opened hotspot Clam Bar just over the road, from the Pellegrino’s 2000 folks.

Facilities:

Architects have reworked what was the Department of Education’s informal art gallery with a glass-domed ceiling into a light-filled wellness space boasting a 20m heated indoor pool, fitness centre, yoga platform, spa, steam rooms and experiential showers, and Auriga Spa. Wi-Fi is complimentary as you’d expect, but I kept getting booted off whenever my device was idle for more than a few minutes – irksome but I hope a mere error with the settings that has since been fixed.

Bicycles are available for guests, and daily “rituals” take place in the property’s cultural hub, The Living Room, including a welcome with a First Nations guide, and the “Echoes of Eternity” aperitif hour. Before my dinner booking, I chanced on the latter, which happens daily from 5.30-6.30pm. Hotel “Culturalist” Matthew talked me through the story of Sydney man Arthur Stace, a war veteran and alcoholic who found religion and lived life on a mission chalking the word “Eternity” across the city’s footpaths more than half a million times until his death in 1967. Perhaps ironically the story is accompanied by a cocktail – a clarified Starward whisky and Mr Black coffee liqueur number that’s built via dripping through a steampunk-ish Victorian contraption – and a canape (delicious beef tartare in a pastry case, on my visit).

In the neighbourhood:

In the heart of the sandstone precinct, a short walk to Circular Quay, it’s well-placed for commerce, retail, and cultural highlights including the newly expanded Gallery of NSW, and the Sydney Opera House.

Family friendly:

A “Family Moments” package offers a room for two adults and one child aged up to 12, plus options for connecting rooms at a reduced rate, and dining. Little Stars is the hotel’s children’s programme.

Capella Sydney's Liberty Suite. Photo / Supplied

Accessibility:

Wheelchair access from Loftus St, and a number of rooms are dedicated “premier accessible”, with specifically designed bathrooms and more room for manoeuvring.

Sustainability:

The property’s environmental policy is still being written. In my room there was no plastic wrapping, the Haeckels amenities are sustainable, vegan, seaweed-based and not packaged individually.

Contact:

capellahotels.com/sydney