Inside the glamorous reinvention of Sofitel Sydney Wentworth

Arguably Sydney’s most legendary hotel, the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth has a sparkling new look thanks to a recent AU$70-million makeover. The vibe, however, remains classically – and timelessly – French, true to the ever-opulent brand

There’s a moment, walking into the lobby of the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, when time appears to slow. Perhaps it’s the distraction of the lengthy drop-lit ‘chandelier’ overhead, a nod to the days when guests of the hotel would be escorted to their rooms by candlelight. Maybe it’s the plush velvet sofas in floral shades – a tonal riff on the iconic green-iron porte-cochere and leafy Royal Botanic Garden, just metres away.

It’s undoubtably due to the dapper staff, who glide around the high-ceilinged, marbled space that at once pays homage to its 1966 heritage, and yet is confidently refreshed and gleaming. “Reinventing an icon is about honouring its past while reshaping it for the future,” the hotel’s general manager Sam Panetta tells me.

Sydney style-setter

When Qantas Airways opened this grand horseshoe-shaped dame some 60 years ago – to provide contemporary international-standard accommodation for its overseas jet-set era passengers – it became the talk of the town. It was the first international five-star hotel in Australia, and attracted everyone from Neil Armstrong and Sophia Loren to Sir Elton John and the late Queen Elizabeth II. Famously when they visited in 1983, the then Prince Charles and Princess Diana took a spin around the dancefloor of the pillarless Wentworth Ballroom.

When Sofitel took over the heritage-listed, post-war modernist building – once the largest single-brick structure in the Southern Hemisphere – in 2004, it brought with it the brand’s classy French origins in design. Two decades down the track, the fresh makeover at the hands of FK design firm – also behind projects like Sydney’s The Darling hotel and Hobart’s dramatic MONA gallery – still captures this timely elegance, but with clear modern thought. “It was a delicate balance between restoration and reinvention; maintaining the soul of the building while integrating cutting-edge innovative hospitality features,” says Panetta.

FK played up the voluptuous curves of the exterior through features like birdcage lounge chairs and a new-moon-shaped dining hub on level five, where indoor-outdoor spaces arch gloriously around tropical greens and a tree that was craned into the hotel.

Dining delights

It’s here – alfresco on the terrace – where I ease into Wentworth Bar, one of four dining concepts in the hotel imagined by Sydney’s House Made Hospitality group. The Concrete Jungle Bird cocktail at Wentworth is a head-swirling, fruity muddle of Planteray white rum, Aperol, mango, passionfruit and fresh lime. Meanwhile, the Chamomile High Club unites Casamigos Blanco tequila with chamomile, cucumber, vanilla and grapefruit soda.

The accompanying snack menu is globetrotting, but I’m saving myself for adjoining Delta Rue, with its sexy champagne bar at the entrance, easing into a space of reclaimed teak and jaw-dropping wallpaper of lush foliage and exotic birds by artist Kerrie Brown. It’s a hark on the yesteryear elegance of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, both in design and menu – think banh xeo (crispy coconut crepes with bean sprouts and fragrant herbs), drunken chicken noodles, and banana blossom salad served with a pungent chilli jam.

Step back down into the lobby to continue the culinary journey at Tilda, a space that feels like a pearl in design and with a menu that heroes local Australian produce – ruby snapper fillets, mud crabs, saddleback pork tomahawks – prepared with finesse over charcoal. It’s hard to look past signature dishes like the Mafaldine lobster served in a moreish shellfish butter, or the chilled scallops doused with a delicate drizzle of lemon myrtle, tamarind and coconut. The other signature here is the bread-and-butter service, prepared tableside and starring saltbush focaccia, whipped Pepe Saya butter and wildflower honey.

From here it’s a few metres to Bar Tilda, where the attentive service continues in the form of a roaming martini trolley – my suave Italian mixologist suggests the house Tilda Martini, shaking lemon-scented gin with Ferrand orange curacao, pomelo dry vermouth, eucalyptus, frosted lemon sherbet and aromatic pepper.

Timeless grace

While hanging out in your hotel’s restaurants and bars is de rigueur in many other corners of the globe, the concept hasn’t widely caught on in Australia. Until now. Sofitel Sydney Wentworth’s partnership with House Made Hospitality turns heads and gives me plenty of reasons to linger. Although not for too long… my dreamy Junior Suite awaits.

The hotel’s 436 rooms are fresh and light in design via earthy hues and textures: caramel leather armchairs, a sandy sofa with plump throw pillows, custom ceramic lighting, and beautiful black-and-white photographs that showcase the hotel’s heritage throughout the decades. When I peek out the window, I can see the Sydney Harbour Bridge – this view never gets tired.

In-room niceties range from French Balmain amenities (this is a Sofitel, after all) to an Aus-focused minibar of Koko Black chocolate, Archie Rose gin, and Stone and Wood ale. And that marbled tub in the bathroom is a stunner, with soaking salts and a loofah to add to the indulgence.

Location, location

As a non-driver, I have always been an advocate for living – and staying – in places that put you front-and-centre of the action. And Sofitel Sydney Wentworth doesn’t disappoint – wander a few steps and you’re at Circular Quay, the Opera House or The Rocks. The setting has inspired many of the hotel’s partnerships, which means that depending on the season you can nab exclusive tickets to a show, or enjoy a themed musical high-tea in the lobby.

But despite the location allures, I’m hard pressed to drag myself away from the sofa in my suite. This grande dame has many more stories I need to hear.

sofitelsydney.com.au