Hidden behind Sydney’s most famous sign (the Coca-Cola sign which dominates the gateway to Kings Cross), draped in deep red curtains and adorned with black and white portraits of some of Australia’s most boundary-pushing creatives, you’ll find Hotel Indigo Potts Point: a delightfully creative hotel whose bold, proudly vibrant approach to hospitality is an ode to the suburb it calls home.
The first Hotel Indigo to open in Australia – Hotel Indigo Potts Point opened its doors in early 2024, with 105 creatively designed rooms, a red and gold lobby, a trendy on-site café and very easy access to some of the city’s best restaurants.
Designed as an homage to the area, the interior aesthetic here is playfully luxe. A heavy red curtain cuts through the lobby, where guests can choose a record from the vintage vinyl collection to soundtrack their night. Upstairs, rooms are kitted out with designer furniture in unapologetically bold colours, floor-to-ceiling windows opening onto balconies with far-reaching views across Sydney’s urban streetscapes, and floral bathrobes from Aussie label Bambury hang in wardrobes as your staycation uniform.
“Every Hotel Indigo is different, and each one is designed to reflect its neighbourhood. The Potts Point/ Kings Cross area is fun and creative, and we reflect that. You can be whoever you want to be in the Cross, and that’s something we really believe in,” Hotel Indigo Rooms Division Manager Denise Tarozzo tells me when I arrive.
From my room on the twelfth floor, I can see the Harbour Bridge cutting its distinctive arch into the sky, the rooftops of Potts Point folding down to the waterfront. The view is dominated by the urban jungle below – the hotel’s location in Sydney’s civic heartland is undeniable, and rather than promising a tranquil oasis, Hotel Indigo embraces the busy. On the ground floor, you’ll find Luke Mangan’s excellent French-Japanese restaurant and bar Luc San – worth a visit for a perfectly cold Martini and a delicately-presented, delightfully seasoned dinner. If you’d rather not leave your bed, room service is available 24-hours a day, with locally made drinks and snacks delivered to your door whenever the craving strikes.
Through the speakers wired throughout the lobby at breakfast, ‘Breakfast at Sweethearts’ rings out, a rock ‘n’ roll love letter to what is arguably the most famous café to ever call Kings Cross home. As I tuck into a plate of perfectly feta-loaded avocado toast, I can’t help but be struck by the song’s poignancy – the Cross has changed a lot since Cold Chisel released their anthemic ode to the suburb, but its position as Sydney’s anything-goes epicentre remains. On the wall above my table, frames display stills from the local Griffin Theatre, and Tarozzo explains that the hotel has a partnership with the theate to help guest experience the best of the Cross's cultural offerings.
"We're really keen to celebrate the local creative community, so Griffin Theatre members get special rates here, and we're working on other ways to support eachother."
With a room service menu featuring treat from Luc San, Gourmet Life and Adri's Gingerbread, a café serving a hearty daytime menu, and an Anytime Fitness gym within the building (you can grab a gym key from reception if the Cross calls you to channel your inner athlete), there are few reasons to leave the hotel. That being said, the celebration of Potts Point seen throughout the hotel will inspire you to harness the rambunctious energy of the suburb – and go get amongst it.
You can learn more and book your stay over here.
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