Review / How Capella Sydney hotel encapsulates Australia’s rich heritage with colonial architecture, restaurants focusing on local produce, and a location near the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House

Aug 21 , 2024

Capella Sydney is housed in a heritage building dating back to the early 20th century. Photos: Handout

A stone’s throw from some of Sydney’s most popular attractions – and the quaint district of The Rocks – this captivating hotel is housed in a colonial building that was once the Department of Education

The rooms are beautifully appointed and feature local art, while the restaurants celebrate the best Australian produce, and the spa delivers restorative treatments with local beauty products

If you’re familiar with Capella Hotels and Resorts, the Singapore-based luxury hospitality group with hotels across Asia, you know that each property is unique and true to its surroundings – whether it’s the lush tropical jungle of the Bill Bensley-designed Capella Ubud in Bali or the colonial architecture and sleek resort vibes of Capella Singapore, the company’s first hotel.

Last year, the brand debuted in Australia with Capella Sydney, located in the Central Business District and a stone’s throw from Sydney Harbour and the city’s most famous landmarks: the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

Housed in a heritage building from the early 20th century that used to be the Department of Education, Capella Sydney opened after a seven-year-long restoration project that preserved the structure’s sandstone facade while transforming the interior into a five-star luxury hotel that has quickly become Sydney’s most buzzed-about destination for locals and savvy travellers alike.

At the Capella Sydney, Aperture is where you can admire a lighting installation by Dutch art duo Drift while enjoying lunch or afternoon tea

The first thing you’ll notice upon entering the elegant lobby is a “robotic lighting installation” by Dutch art duo Drift, which is suspended from the skylight ceiling of Aperture, the all-day lounge that is the hotel’s most happening gathering space and a popular spot for business lunches and afternoon tea.

The other dining option is Brasserie 1930, named after the year the building was completed. It offers hearty dishes that celebrate the best of Australian produce in a beautiful setting that comes alive at dinner and is also busy for brunch, Australia’s unofficial favourite meal. If you like inventive cocktails, you must check out McRae Bar, where mixologists concoct drinks that are modern twists on “the first golden age of the cocktail”.

As you would expect from a Capella property, the rooms and suites are beautifully appointed and equipped with all the amenities and comforts of a hotel of this calibre. Decorated with works by Australian artists, they come with stand-alone tubs, linen from Frette and custom toiletries made in partnership with British skincare company Haeckels.

A suite with a view of Sydney Harbour at Capella Sydney

Located on the sixth floor, next to the 20-metre heated swimming pool and the fitness centre, Auriga Spa aims to offer a journey of “wellness transformation” for your mind and body. Signature treatments include the New Moon and Full Moon massages, which work wonders on jet-lagged bodies in need of some tender loving care. Facials are performed with products from Australian label Synthetics Organics, based in Byron Bay and known for the bestselling Notox Ageless Glow Serum (make sure to ask your therapist to apply a few drops at the end of your facial for a major glow boost).

Auriga Spa at Capella Sydney offers treatments including massages and facials