Australia’s anticipated recovery from the pandemic was slightly derailed last year by the Delta variant which saw Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra return to extended lockdowns with border closures nationally. However, following the global roll-out of vaccination programmes and recommencement of international travel, the Land Down Under is one of the busiest and fastest growing hotel markets in the APAC region. Sydney, in particular, shows promise with a robust pipeline comprising key international players.
According to pipeline data collected by Tophotelprojects, 16 projects totalling 3,699 rooms are currently in the works for the Australian capital. Of the new arrivals, seven will join the five-star segments, while nine will occupy the four-star category.
The data service indicates that no less than six projects are scheduled to open this year, four are planned for 2023, two are on track for completion in 2024, while two more are set to debut in 2025 and 2026. There are also eight hotels expected to open in 2025, with a further two still TBA.
Featured below are just a handful of the most exciting hotel projects expected to arrive in Sydney over the next four years. If you would like further information – including contact details for the developers, operators, designers and procurement teams behind each project – please visit www.tophotelprojects.com
Ace Hotel Sydney
Housed in Surry Hills’ historic Tyne House brick factory – the site of one of Australia’s first ceramic kilns – the 264-room hotel marks Ace’s first stake in the Southern Hemisphere. Inspired by the rich history of Surry Hills and the warm, cinematic colour palette of the Australian landscape, Flack Studio's interiors act as a call and response with the city’s past, superimposing its eras and evolutions in a contrast of natural textures and tones.
EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: Opening Date: Q2 2022 • Developer: Golden Age Group Pty • Operator: Ace Hotels • Architecture: Bates Smart - Sydney • Interior Design: Flack Studio
Waldorf Astoria Sydney
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts will make its Australian debut in 2025 within the mixed-use development, AW One Circular Quay. Construction is underway on the 28-floor,220-key property, with Tokyo-based firm Kengo Kuma & Associates and Sydney-based Crone Architects overseeing the design of this milestone project.
EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: Opening Date: 2024 • Operator: Hilton Worldwide • Architecture: Kerry Hill Architects, Crone Partners • Interior Design: Stack Studio
25hours Hotel Sydney
Marking the second 25hours project to open in Australia, the hotel group is in the process of transforming the former West’s Olympia Theatre on Oxford Street into a 105-key hotel with guestrooms, public areas and event spaces designed by Hong Kong-based studio, A Work of Substance. Meanwhile, Sydney-based interior designers Acme & Co will work on the hotel’s rooftop bar, restaurant and café offerings.
EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: Opening Date: 2023 • Owner: Boston Global • Developer: Central Element • Operator: Accor • Architecture: Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects • Interior Design: ACME, A Work of Substance
Pencil Tower Hotel
Set to become a standout landmark amongst the Sydney skyline, the 6.4m-wide Pencil Tower Hotel will comprise 178 compact guestrooms, a three-storey lobby, meeting rooms, a roof terrace and a “hammam” with plunge pool, spa and sauna, sundecks and flying balcony on the rooftop. Conceived by Durbach Block Jaggers, the “improbably narrow” tower is considered too thin to be considered a skyscraper.
EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: Opening Date: 2023 • Developer: Tricon • Architecture: Durbach Block Jaggers Architect
W Sydney
W Hotels is set to make its grand re-entry into the iconic harbour city later this year. The new-build W Sydney will form part of ‘The Ribbon’, a development designed by architect HASSEL, that will transform Sydney’s skyline on Darling Harbour. With 593 guestrooms on the way, the hotel is the largest project on the boards for Sydney.
EXPRESS CHECK-OUT: Opening Date: Q4 2022 • Owner: Grocon - The Ribbon, Greaton Group • Developer: Grocon - The Ribbon • Operator: Marriott International • Architecture: Hassell, Sydney • Interior Design: Joseph Pang Design Consultants
