Talk about contrasts. When first-time guests turn into the New York-style alleyway housing Establishment Hotel, it’s hard to imagine what luxury lies behind the brick walls. Yet a gentle push on the boutique hotel’s huge pivoting door reveals a world a million miles from Sydney’s hustle and bustle. The first thing you notice in the very zen lobby is the wafting of exotic incense as friend [ more... ]

Talk about contrasts. When first-time guests turn into the New York-style alleyway housing Establishment Hotel, it’s hard to imagine what luxury lies behind the brick walls. Yet a gentle push on the boutique hotel’s huge pivoting door reveals a world a million miles from Sydney’s hustle and bustle. The first thing you notice in the very zen lobby is the wafting of exotic incense as friendly desk staff check you into your home away from home. This five-star hotel might be tucked into Sydney’s midtown, a five-minute walk from the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Royal Botanic Gardens, but the emphasis is on resort-style service. General manager Owen Jones arrived in April 2010, bringing with him years of extensive hotel experience in 5 star properties. Guests will open their door to find music already playing in a room that either has a “dark” palette, with exposed beams, timber flooring and other rustic details that pay homage to the building’s former life as a warehouse, or one dressed in a “light” pastel palette of carpets, cushions, throws and fine furnishings. Up top are two stylish dual-level penthouse suites. Wherever guests stay, they enjoy complimentary broadband and wireless connections, fragrant Bvlgari toiletries, a deep bath crowned with Philippe Starck tapwear, a mini-bar stocked with Belvedere vodka, Ten Cane rum, Patron tequila and Moet & Chandon, room service and a concierge who can secure preferred seats in any Merivale restaurant and VIP access to Merivale bars, including those within the much-lauded ivy further along George Street. Guests in the Penthouse may also enjoy Merivale’s complimentary Bentley driver service (at the discretion of management). A discreet internal doorway allows hotel guests direct access to Establishment’s bars and restaurants. The pick of the restaurants is est., one of Sydney’s few three-hatted restaurants. Chef Peter Doyle is regarded as the founding father of modern Australian cuisine, and his extraordinary lunch and dinner tasting menus continue to draw discerning gourmets from around the world. Establishment also attracts a discerning crowd to Hemmesphere, a Moroccan-style fourth-floor cocktail lounge that feels more like a private club. Adding to the feeling is the ultra-exclusive Dom Perignon Lounge, a 24- seat enclave within Hemmesphere designed by Australia’s own Collette Dinnigan. Lovers of Japanese fare come from far and wide for the extraordinary delicacies and cocktails with an eastern twist served at sushi e, also found within Hemmesphere. On the ground floor is Establishment’s main bar, with a 42-metre marble bar as its centrepiece, and the British Raj-inspired Gin Garden, boasting 27 rare gin varieties from around the world and an Indian menu. In the mornings Gin Garden, an atrium bar with sky views and a relaxing water feature, is where hotel guests enjoy a buffet breakfast with artisan breads, yoghurts, cereal and fruit or an a la carte hot breakfast. ESTABLISHMENT HOTEL • Boutique hotel with 31 deluxe rooms (choose “dark” or “light”) and two penthouse suites • Complimentary broadband and wireless in-room connections • Concierge service offering preferred access to Merivale restaurants and bars across the city • Internal access to Establishment restaurants (est., sushi e, Gin Garden) and bars (Hemmesphere, Dom Perignon Lounge, Gin Garden and Main Bar). The entrance to Tank Stream, an intimate wine bar, is via the hotel lobby • Bentley driver service (conditional on availability) • Room service with meals from Establishment kitchens • Private exercise room on level two • Quiet location behind George Street in Bridge Lane • Five-minute walk from the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour • Bose stereo * iPad & Apple T.V in every guest room • CD and DVD library • Philippe Starck tapwear • Bvlgari toiletries • Mini-bar with fine spirits, wines, champagnes and chocolate • In-room plunger coffee and selection of teas Establishment Hotel 5 Bridge Lane, Sydney, NSW 2000 Enquiries 9240 3100 merivale.com info@establishmenthotel.com