A quirky and cool cinema-themed hotel in Sydney’s Paddington
place
25hours Hotel The Olympia, Paddington, Sydney
Entrance
Located at the landmark address of 1 Oxford Street, 25hours is housed in a former cinema building dating back to 1911. It later became a glamorous restaurant/bar called the Grand Pacific Blue Room, but the building sat vacant for a decade before reopening as a 109-room hotel late last year. It has a perfect corner location on Oxford Street, but it’s not very close to any train stations – it’s at least a 15-minute walk to Kings Cross or Surry Hills (but the bus network will get you here with plenty of drama). This is the first 25Hours hotel in Australia; is a growing brand comprised of individual properties “inspired by its location and surroundings,” according to marketing.
Appearance
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There’s more than just a nod to the history of cinema at the reception desk, with shelves of old VHS tapes behind it. These can be rented (along with a video player) if you want to watch an old movie in lower resolution. Elsewhere, a giant projection opposite the elevators plays into the applause of the crowd as you wait; It makes me feel a little better before I go up to the room. The decor is undeniably cool and different, egg chairs, bright colors and striking pop art; as if mad man Love collides with Summer. The soundtrack is more modern, but not much more. In the elevator going up to my room, 1990s Here’s Where the Story Ends Until Sunday. On my way back, there is Leonard Cohen in front of me.
room
The rooms are divided into two as “Dreamers” and “Renegades”; The former are rooms filled with light in soft tones, while the latter are rooms in darker tones that give a more moody feel. I’m in room 305 on the third floor of the Renegade, which, like most rooms, has a unique layout. My bedroom and bathroom windows are round portholes located just above the hotel entrance. They look great, but they don’t let in as much light as I’d like (I’m having a hard time finding something I dropped on the dark carpet without turning on the lights). The room is generously sized and includes a decent-sized bed, cushioned corner sofa and armchair. It has a decent sized table and chair, what else is there? – a director’s chair from a movie set. Collage art adorns the headboard and expands towards the ceiling, matching the colorful red, black, white and green checkered rug. The bathroom is tiled with stylish dark gray tiles, but another annoying feature of these round windows is that the one in the bathroom is located in the middle of the mirror, and if you want to close the window curtain, you have to close the mirror as well.
Food
Aside from its cooler-than-ever aesthetic, the food and drink options are 25Hours’ biggest selling point. There are four venues across the property managed by The Palomar, a spin-off of UK-based Studio Paskin’s London establishment. Serving Mediterranean cuisine in its open kitchen, the restaurant impressed Good Food reviewers enough to receive a hat in last year’s Good Food Guide. On the other side is rooftop Monica with terrace views and a short menu of small bites and shared dishes, while Studio Paskin is also behind Jacob the Angel café for breakfast and lunch, along with The Mulwray wine bar. There is also a Lune bakery in the building, and its famous pastries can be ordered for breakfast at Palomar.
Go out
If you’re in town for a big event at the SCG, Allianz Stadium or Hordern Pavilion, you’re close enough to walk without having to struggle to find a taxi or take public transport. Just down Oxford Street on Saturday you’ll find Paddington Markets, a long-running arts and crafts market with over 150 stalls plus a food court serving international cuisine, open from 10am. To see paddingtonmarkets.com.au
Decision
Its brutally quirky vibe won’t appeal to everyone, but it’s a great new addition to Sydney’s boutique hotel scene.
Our rating out of five
★★★½
Details
The hotel’s room rates start from $399. To see 25hours-hotels.com
highlight
As a film buff, I love the many references to cinema culture throughout the hotel.
low light
Ironically, because the focus was on the movie, the broadcast system on the television in my room was not working and the staff were unable to fix it during my stay. Maybe I should have chosen VHS.
The author was a guest of 25Hours The Olympia Sydney.
Craig Platt is Traveler’s digital editor and has been responsible for travel content for the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times and WAtoday digital products since 2007. He has been a journalist for more than 25 years. As well as aviation and airlines, Craig also has a strong interest in wildlife tourism and (increasingly) family travel. He visited every continent, once visiting six of the seven continents in a single year (he missed Africa).
