Tourists have been in short supply in Sydney for the past couple of years, for obvious reasons, but before the era of RATs and jabs and QR codes, the Harbour City was already in the throes of a five-star hotel boom. The Darling Harbour Sofitel and Crown Resort at Barangaroo led this charge, with the nearly complete W Hotel, and recently opened Ace Hotel and Kimpton Margot also ready to heap luxury upon incoming guests. But if there was any concern that this five-star fad was on the wane, news that one of the world’s most revered luxury hotel brands is set to open its first Aussie location in Sydney is here to set you straight.
Managed by the Hilton Group, the Waldorf Astoria, best known for its legendary Park Avenue branch in New York City, is synonymous with a level of luxe extravagance that few other high-end hotels can match. Expected to open in early 2025, the Sydney outpost will rise from the current location of Gold Fields House – an outwardly unremarkable CBD office block that nonetheless has the distinction of being one of the city’s first modern high-rises. The new hotel will feature 179 rooms and 41 suites across 28 storeys, designed by Japanese agency Kengo Kuma and Associates, the creative team behind the striking nest of wooden ribbons that encases the Exchange Building in Darling Square. Once complete, the Waldorf Astoria Sydney will be Circular Quay’s premier marquee accommodation, which given the fact that the Shangri-La, Four Seasons and Park Hyatt all call this corner of Sydney home, is really saying something.