The Golden Age of cinema comes to life at Sydney’s latest lifestyle hotel with the opening of 25hours Hotel The Olympia on Thursday October 9.
Located on the heritage-listed site of the former West Olympia Theatre and the legendary Grand Pacific Blue Room at 1-11 Oxford Street, the 109-room hotel is a celebration of the art of storytelling.
A design collaboration between Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, Indyk Architects and Woods Bagot, the hotel features creative design details inspired by iconic movie sets – think the dramatic hexagonal carpet from The Shining – an in-house theatre for unique meetings, conferences and events, guest rooms themed by the archetypal protagonists of cinema, ‘Dreamers’ and ‘Renegades, and a video kiosk stocked with classic movies for rental.
The opening marks the Australian debut of 25hours, the latest of three internationally acclaimed Ennismore lifestyle brands to hit the market this year, following the launch of Hyde and Mondrian hotels in Melbourne and Gold Coast respectively.
25hours Hotels Founder, Christoph Hoffmann, described the opening as “a very special moment” for the brand.
“From the beginning, our vision has been to create hotels that are tied to their settings and are rich in character,” he said.
“The Olympia is a perfect match for that philosophy: a historic theatre with a colourful past, at the intersection of some of Sydney’s most vibrant neighbourhoods. 25hours is a lively home for curious minds and creative spirits to come as they are.”
Memorable F&B
The 25hours brand message ‘come as you are’ is weaved throughout the culinary experience across the hotel’s four distinct food and beverage venues, General Manager, Jake Guilfoyle, explained.
“We want to be diverse in our approach; a casual sense, but very personable in our style of hospitality and service,” Guilfoyle told HM.
“You can come at different times of the day and experience different styles of dining and experiences.”
Culinary Director Mitch Orr leads a talented culinary team of focused on delivering food and beverage experiences that stand on their own.
“We want to strike the right balance between standalone food and beverage and hotel,” Guilfoyle said.
Renowned London restaurant, The Palomar, makes its Sydney debut at the hotel on its 10th anniversary, bringing vibrant flavours from Southern Europe, North Africa, and The Levant.
Guests and locals can also enjoy The Mulwray, an intimate bar serving up biodynamic wines and classic drinks; ground-floor café Jacob the Angel for coffee and pastries by Lune Croissanterie; and rooftop bar Monica for live music, DJ sets and neighbourhood views.
Founders of London’s acclaimed Studio Paskin, siblings Layo and Zoë Paskin, developed three of the four venues, with Monica conceived by Ennismore’s food and beverage studio, Carte Blanched.
Location, location, location
Situated where Paddington, Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Kings Cross and Moore Park converge, the hotel is intended as a neighbourhood hub, connecting to the city’s artistic roots and Oxford Street’s LGBTQIA+ heritage.
“We’re at a really awesome intersection of the five neighbourhoods,” Guilfoyle said.
“I can’t think of another hotel in Sydney that has such a beautiful outlook, atrium, neighbourhood, yet it’s so close to the city, St Vincent’s Hospital, the entertainment precinct in Moore Park – there’s so much happening.”
“We want to be a welcoming, open house to the whole community, but at the same time, the 25hours brand has such a strong presence over in Europe, we anticipate that that international inbound market will also have a huge impact. This will be very diverse guest.”
Creative collaborations
Partnerships with local brands will be an important element of the guest experience.
“We’ve got a fitness partnership with Flow Athletic, which is a local neighborhood gym,” Guilfoyle explained.
“Our guests will have complimentary access to their classes, and we are setting up a Run Club.
“We’re also looking to partner with Akari, a wellness supplier that can create tonics to aid sleep and reduce stress, and we’re exploring the possibility of a gym retailer taking over our basement level.”
The hotel also features retail and lifestyle collaborations with Sorry Thanks I Love You, Kreafunk, Soeder, Samova, Canvasco, and Freitag, bringing together fashion, music, art and design.
Strategy for growth
The hotel has created more than 100 new jobs, with Guilfoyle among the latest to join.
“We clicked quite quickly,” he said of joining the team six weeks ago.
“The ethos that I have is that we’ve got no ego, it’s a very flat line structure and we’re all here to do a job.
“We’ve got a really strong leadership team and operational talent.”
Looking ahead, Guilfoyle is confident that through by tapping into creative industries such as film, fashion and the arts, corporate opportunities and partnerships with key businesses such as the nearby St Vincent’s Hospital, the hotel will thrive.
“Bookings are strong,” he said.
“Opening at the busiest time of year has its advantages. I’ve got no concerns with our weekends and leisure periods. Like every hotel, we will need to work on that midweek demand, attracting those corporates and [digital nomads] to experience the hotel.”