Why Sydney’s Paramount House Hotel is a must stay for film buffs
- The 29-room property in Surry Hills is the former Australian HQ and warehouse for movie studio
- Sleek basement bar and cinema celebrate Hollywood’s Golden Age
Paramount House Hotel? Sounds as if I’m going to the movies. You’re not far off. Set in a handsome 1940s art deco pile, the former Australian headquarters and warehouse of Paramount Pictures, the American film studio responsible for such period classics as The Lost Weekend (1945) and Sunset Boulevard (1950), has been converted into a slick, 29-room boutique hotel.
So, what can I expect on check-in? A beer, believe it or not, as well as fizzy water; the reception desk features beer on tap by local brewery Wildflower. And the airy, conservatorium-like lobby adjoins Paramount Coffee Project, an all-day diner serving walloping stacks of pancakes, freshly brewed Joe, noodles and salads.
I hear a buzz … That would be the constant stream of locals who hang out at the Paramount Coffee Project and the co-working space on the mezzanine level. And at weekends, there’s an organic farmers’ market on the rooftop – all of which makes the hotel a lively community space.
Do the rooms live up to such an encouraging first act? Yes, and then some. The well-proportioned, naturally lit rooms are dressed with soft French bedlinen and come with spacious bathrooms. The bigger rooms feature Japanese-style tubs and two-storey loft spaces.
I’ll be a bit jet-lagged … Work it off in the Paramount Recreation Club – a rooftop retreat that spills out onto an alfresco terrace lined with succulents and comes with a kitchen that serves smoothies, cooked breakfasts and power bowls. All-day complimentary exercise classes, including yoga, are offered in the gym to in-house guests. A masseur can be called in for a rub-down.
