Destination The ever-changing Harbour City is re-emerging from the challenges of 2020 with so much to entice visitors and locals alike.
Rediscovering
Sydney
Kayaking on Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
N
ot even a year like 2020 could dampen Sydney’s spirits, and now the city, home to the Gadigal of the Eora nation, has come alive again with a renewed sense of vigour and vitality. Venues have been transformed, hotels are getting makeovers and new experiences are on offer, creating the perfect backdrop for upcoming conferences and events in the New South Wales capital.
New and refreshed product While 2020 may have been an utterly challenging year for a hotel to open, for some it gave them a chance to pull back the curtain quietly and settle into their new digs. Little National Hotel was one of those, opening in November last year, right above Wynyard station. Entering via an unassuming lobby on Clarence Street, hotel guests can expect compact yet thoughtfully planned rooms, with luxury essentials like T2 tea and Nespresso coffee, super king beds and unlimited free Wi-Fi. The real showstopper is the communal Lounge and Library on the rooftop, complete with an outdoor terrace and indoor fireplace. Available exclusively to hotel guests, the rooftop is reason alone to book your delegates into this property. For high-end groups looking for a conference venue and accommodation all in one, the newly opened Crown at Barangaroo should be on your list. The 573-square-metre Pearl Ballroom is an intricately styled space for galas, award ceremonies and conferences, and can be divided in three private spaces for smaller 44 Spice Winter 2021
events. For intimate dinners or product launches with a difference, the 178-square-metre Opal Suite offers breathtaking views over Darling Harbour and sophisticated interiors. A number of long-standing hotels across the city have undergone refurbishments in the past year, including Hilton Sydney, which saw a $25 million accommodation makeover, and Hyatt Regency Sydney, which refreshed the remaining three quarters of its rooms and suites. Meanwhile, a $95 million redevelopment of InterContinental Sydney is currently underway.
Nightlife reignited Thanks to the removal of the controversial lockout laws, Sydney is on a mission to reignite its nightlife and reposition its night time economy. In a bid to regain what was lost in the six years of the lockout laws, the NSW Government has appointed a 24-hour economy commissioner, former managing director of Time Out Australia Michael Rodrigues, who was a strong advocate for the removal of the restrictions. After a year of little after-dark activity, Sydney’s bar scene is roaring back to life. A host of new venues have also emerged over the past 18 months, including the Four Pillars Laboratory in Surry Hills, with exclusive hire options for up to 100 guests, TWR at Crown Sydney, with its luxe styling by New York design firm Meyer Davis, and Dean & Nancy on 22, a sophisticated cocktail bar atop the brand new A by Adina Sydney. ➤