design
Harbour rocks hotel , new south wales
Australian hotels with a history The hotel in the early 1900s
Exterior of Hotel Windsor
The lobby of Harbour Rocks Hotel
Victorian suite bedroom
Hotel Windsor, victoria
From glitzy, glam hotels to blissful boutique stays and remarkable structures; Australia is full of historic hotels and each and every one provides a different kind of travel experience. These one-of-a-kind buildings vary greatly in size, era and what they offer. What they do have in common is a story. Here, Tatyana Leonov offers just a glimpse into four Australian hotels which have hosted and witnessed the development of our land. 20 DRIVEN
The Hotel Windsor is older than The Ritz and Savoy hotels in London, Raffles in Singapore and The Plaza in New York. In 1883 shipping magnet George Nipper built his magnificent dream, then known as The Grand Hotel (designed by acclaimed architect Charles Webb). Only three years passed before it changed hands in 1886 to a lad named James Munro, a temperance campaigner. He had big ideas – he burnt the hotel’s liquor license and changed its name to the Grand Coffee Palace. But by 1897 the hotel began selling alcohol again. In 1923, the hotel was once again renamed, this time to The Windsor in honour of a visit from The Prince of Wales. Today the hotel is a historic landmark. The Grand Ballroom, along with all the remains from the original building, including the grand staircase are heritage listed (since 1980). It is and always has been the hotspot to stay in Melbourne. Newlyweds book in
their wedding night at the hotel months in advance, locals recommend it to interstate and overseas visitors, and the list of notable guests is long. Vivien Leigh, Sir Robert Helpmann, Katherine Hepburn, Gina Lollobrigida, Lauren Bacall, Gregory Peck, Muhammed Ali, Meryl Streep, Daniel Radcliffe, Kylie Minogue, Barry Humphries, plus a long list of Australian Prime Ministers are just some of the glitterati who have stayed a night or two over the years. The hotel is known as the place to be if you’re into scones and tea (plus a bunch of other sweet and savoury delicacies). In fact, in 2010, The Hotel Windsor served its two millionth afternoon tea. This year, The Windsor celebrates its 130th birthday, and although it’s undergone several changes and revamps (the major extensions being in 1888 – five years after the hotel was built – and then again in the 1960), it’s still an emblematic structure. 111 Spring Street, Melbourne Victoria. 03 9633 6000. thehotelwindsor.com.au
Exterior of Harbour Rocks Hotel
In 1887 George Evans, a local lawyer, purchased a block of land in The Rocks and designed a three-storey structure divided into four sections (to make leasing it easier). A dozen convict carpenters and 16 hired men began laying down bricks and sandstone, and in its first instance, the construction housed a wool store. As the decades wore on a bunch of colourful characters took up residence in what became known as the Evan Stores, but by the mid-20th century it was in a state of disrepair. In 1973 a local art collective, known as the John Ogburn Studio Club, took up residence and renamed it the Harrington Street Gallery, home of many local artists. In the 1960s the revitalisation of The Rocks precinct began, and in 1989 the original building was transformed into a boutique hotel, eventually renamed as the Harbour Rocks Hotel. An extensive recent refurbishment has seen the building stripped back to its foundations, exposing its original sandstone and brick walls and its former working cottages. The finished result is a striking fusion of raw elegance, which blends old and new, featuring stunning European features throughout the building. Following the redesign and refurbishment in April 2012, the Harbour Rocks Hotel joined Accor’s MGallery Collection, and today the 59-room property offers visitors the chance to experience the surrounding area while immersing themselves in the rich history. Upon entering, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves are lined with tomes about the city’s past and present, including titles such as A walk in Old Sydney, Soul in the City and The Unauthorised Biography of Sydney. A section of the library is open to guests, parts of old maps of the area in the 1880s are framed and adorn each of the guestrooms, while at the Scarlett restaurant guests can dine on a Harbour Rocks Pie – a play on a dish early settlers enjoyed in the early days of the Sydney colony. 34 Harrington Street, The Rocks New South Wales. 02 8220 9999. harbourrocks.com.au
Superior Heritage Room
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