The Porter House Hotel's sandstone facade hides a hospitality complex across five floors of moody, heritage-rich interiors. Photo / MGallery Collection
Tom Rose checks into the heritage-listed Porter House Hotel in central Sydney.
After a few days soaking up Sydney’s showbiz and marvelling in the beauty of its northern neighbour, the Central Coast, our final temporary residence in New South Wales is tucked away somewhere we least expect.
The Porter House Hotel, a 19th-century tobacco factory-turned-luxury stay, champions its industrial past through stylish refinement, frozen between worlds as a counterpoint to the city’s constant motion.
Eyed from the street, the gritty sandstone facade is the obvious commander of attention. Built in 1876, it reflects an early period when many of the distinctively golden buildings that warm Sydney’s streets today were first being imagined and realised.
But as you’ll come to see inside, Porter House is bound to the first 10 floors of a 36-storey steel high-rise. Rooms are in the modern build, and a smart hospitality precinct spans all floors of the colonial relic.
The history and the avant-garde of the place is balanced in perfect harmony, and makes for an extraordinary guest experience.
Location: 203 Castlereagh St, Sydney, Australia.
Castlereagh St is only a block from Hyde Park, yet its remarkably quiet. A one-way lane runs south, with a parallel one looking to have been freshly gobbled by a cycleway. Extra points for the multi-modal access.
Perfect For: Couples or solo travellers seeking a retro-modern retreat to make their home base. Centrally located and equally secluded.
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First Impressions: Porter House was built by Hugh Dixson as a tobacco factory and warehouse, then used as a showroom and a leather merchants in its later years. The wood and leather finishes spotted throughout are an acknowledgment of its manufacturing legacy.
To check in, we walk through a covered alley adjoining the complementing buildings, and into the sandstone original. It’s a pretty effortless task - our arrival is logged and wooden electronic keys quickly issued, then we’re finally free to explore our short-term digs.
The room: There are 122 lodgings throughout Porter House, ranging from classic stays to luxury suites. We stay on level nine of the tower.
The rooms are light and heavily influenced by Art Deco. Circular design features like the windows and bedheads add gentle curves to the room, while padded leather and wooden accents bring the historic homage from next door into the private spaces.
There are further idiosyncrasies, like the all-encompassing control board used to open and close the blinds or switch between lighting. In a standard room though, a little more storage space would be handy for those on extended stays.
Bathroom: The open basin is marble and brass, splitting the rain shower and toilet into two rooms behind frosted glass doors. Hairdryers are conveniently tucked away, and Australian skincare brand Appelles is the amenity of choice.
Facilities: Porter House comes equipped with a gym and a heated outdoor lap pool for easy fitness breaks. There’s also free Wi-Fi and wraparound concierge services, alongside the hospitality hub spanning three floors of the historic build.
Food and drink:
Porter House’s main building hosts several unique dining experiences. Get your morning pick-me-up, or an evening drink, at the Porter House Grounds & Cellar Door. Breakfast is served à la carte upstairs at Dixson & Sons, which also stays open for lunch and dinner.
Modern Chinese cuisine is served on the first floor at Le Ho Fook, its second location after first finding success in Melbourne. And on the top floor, a snazzy baijiu-inspired cocktail lounge, Bar See See, just opened its doors in November.
Keepsakes are left in the rooms to bring home as a tangible reminder of your stay. The chocolates might not last the journey, but the ceramic teapot, spiced wattleseed tea and hand-embossed leather coasters will.
In the Neighbourhood: From the front door, you’re within a block’s stroll of Hyde Park, the Art Gallery of NSW and Pitt Street Mall. A 10-minute walk east takes you to the heart of Darlinghurst, Oxford Street, past its trendy cafes and second-hand shops. You’re close enough to Sydney’s major attractions to explore on foot, and well-connected to greater Sydney by public transport.
Sustainability: The Porter House actively strives for green credentials. There’s no buffet breakfast. The coffee pods are recyclable. Cleaning is opt-in for guests. Many of the room’s amenities are refillable. And the fridge sits unstocked, but a menu is left in case anything is needed.
Sustainability: The Porter House actively strives for green credentials. There’s no buffet breakfast. The coffee pods are recyclable. Cleaning is opt-in for guests. Many of the room’s amenities are refillable. And the fridge is unstocked untill you order anything from the supplied menu.
The building’s adaptive reuse is itself a sustainability triumph, and other attentive details like the wooden keys show they really have thought these details out and improved where possible. It’s a flashy hotel that remains eco-conscious.
Accessibility: Accessible rooms are available for guests with mobility needs; features like roll-in showers and wide doorways may ensure a more comfortable stay. The entrance is step-free. Lifts and a crossover bridge further connect levels in the new tower and heritage wing.
Price: Guest room prices vary significantly with the hotel’s dynamic pricing system, but deals can be struck for classic rooms for as low as $279. Suites are priced from around $515.
Contact: For more information, visit porterhousehotel.com.au or call +61 02 8236 8888.
New Zealand Herald Travel visited courtesy of Destination NSW.