Capella Sydney Opens in Australia!

After a seven-year restoration and renovation process, Capella Sydney is now open. Occupying an entire city block just moments from Circular Quay, the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, the hotel welcomes its guests to a benchmark destination of luxury accommodation, exceptional cuisine, and unrivalled cultural immersion.

The Artling was appointed as the art consultant for this new establishment and worked with Capella Sydney to curate an Australian-focused art collection. Featuring a vast array of pieces ranging from ceramics, paintings, site-specific murals, textile works, photography, and more.

Capella Sydney is housed within the Department of Education building, originally designed in the 1900s by NSW government architect George McRae. Forming part of the city's prestigious Sandstone Precinct, the building has been meticulously restored and reimagined by Pontiac Land.

The hotel brings to the city 192 beautifully appointed guestrooms and suites, arranged across nine levels. Representing the epitome of luxury, the guestrooms and suites are replete with deluxe textiles, standalone tubs and Italian Frette linen, carrying a custom pantone and a bespoke collection of vegan, sustainable in-room amenities designed in partnership with Haeckels.

"Australia is full to the brim with talented artists and this project is an amazing opportunity to showcase many of these creatives throughout the various spaces of these sprawling heritage properties. It is so great to be working with the visionary team at Pontiac Land Group again - we all have a clear vision of integrating the important history of the building with the new life it will take on, with art playing an extremely vital role in its identity." - Talenia Phua Gajardo, CEO and Founder of The Artling.

Guests enter the hotel via the Farrer Place lobby where the arrival experience is heightened by the integration of acquired and commissioned art. The ground-floor collection includes works by Australian artists Judy Watson, Otis Hope Carey, Elise Cakebread, and Georgia Bisley, culminating with a large robotic lighting installation by Dutch art duo DRIFT.

Staying in-house at Capella Sydney opens the doors to an exclusive world of luxury and cultural connection. On level six, guests are invited to indulge in rejuvenating treatments at Auriga Spa or swim in the 20-metre heated indoor pool, designed to provide the ultimate wellness experience in the heart of the city.

Titled Meadow, the installation by DRIFT is suspended in the hotel’s central gathering space. This voluminous lounge area, now known as Aperture, occupies the original courtyard of the old building – the fulcrum from which all the hotel's amenities are accessed. This includes two other drink-and-dine venues: the landmark restaurant Brasserie 1930 and McRae Bar, both of which feature cuisine in collaboration with The Bentley Group. 

The Living Room, a signature space of all Capella properties, is the private ground-floor retreat for in-house guests. It’s also the place where the hotel’s culture and experience programs are conceptualised and facilitated by Culturists who are on-hand to shape the guest experience from pre-arrival to departure. One such experience involves a spectacular two-hour storytelling tour of a bygone era. Guests who join the walking tour, which travels from the hotel to the laneways of The Rocks, will hear fascinating stories about the history of the Department of Education building, now Capella Sydney, the Sandstone Precinct in which it resides and the culture, crime and convicts that shaped the city.

About Capella Hotels
The Capella Hotels and Resorts collection consists of properties located in Singapore, Ubud, Bangkok, Hanoi, Shanghai and Hainan. Capella Sydney will be the first one in the Australian market. Future openings include exciting destinations such as Japan, Maldives and South Korea. The exceptional hospitality brand, taking its name from the brightest star of the Auriga constellation, shines a spotlight on local heritage, culture and community whilst crafting authentic guests' experiences with the highest level of personalised service and combining a legacy of thoughtful design.  Capella Hotels and Resorts was named 2nd Best Hotel Brand in the world in the Travel + Leisure 'World's Best Awards' in both 2021 and 2020.

About Pontiac Land Group
Pontiac Land is a privately-held property developer, owner, and operator based in Singapore. The Group’s collection of properties includes mixed-use developments with hospitality, commercial and residential components. Leveraging sixty years of experience in luxury property development, Pontiac Land seeks to better the built environment through thoughtful architecture and design. Each development is curated with art and spaces are maintained by the Group’s in-house property management team to deliver hospitality to our guests and tenants. The collection spans Singapore, New York, Sydney and the Maldives. In 2006, Pontiac Land co-founded Capella Hotel Group in Asia. The Group subsequently acquired Capella Hotel Group as a wholly-owned subsidiary in 2017, extending Pontiac Land’s presence to over 20 destinations globally.

Click here to view more of The Artling's art consultancy projects!