PRESS RELEASE
The highly anticipated Capella Sydney to welcome guests from March 2023

Image credit: Timothy Kaye

For generations, the Department of Education building in Sydney’s Sandstone Precinct has stood quietly, its golden facade forming
an unassuming backdrop to the rhythm of the city. Reawakening as Capella Sydney in March 2023, the heritage-listed icon will
welcome guests inside its walls for the very first time, setting a global benchmark for luxury accommodation, cuisine and culturalimmersion. Embedding visitors in the beating heart of the city’s commercial, cultural and hospitality precinct, Capella Sydney also
marks the first property under the Capella Hotels and Resorts constellation to open in Australia.
Balancing storied architectural features with a contemporary design aesthetic, Capella Sydney celebrates the Australianpanorama through its interiors, location and experiences. Spanning eight levels, the 192 guestrooms and suites are anchored bythree ground-level food and beverage outlets, with spaces throughout the hotel unfurling to reveal commissioned and collectedartworks, sophisticated furnishings and intriguing objet d’art – all within footsteps of the glistening harbour foreshore, the famed
Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
Occupying an entire city block, encircled by Loftus, Bridge and Young Streets, the building was originally designed by architect
George McRae in the Edwardian Baroque style. It first opened for government use in 1915. More than 100 years later, the meticulous
restoration and transformation of the site by Pontiac Land, reimagined by Make Architects, sees the building ready to write a newchapter in its history. The original characteristics are celebrated throughout the hotel, from the majestic marble-clad foyer to thebespoke function rooms and upper-level wellness spaces.
“Capella Sydney is not just an ode to the city and Sydneysiders, it’s an open invitation for discerning travellers from all aroundthe world to visit Australia and experience the magic of this place we call home,” said Marc von Arnim, Capella Sydney’s GeneralManager. “The Capella brand is synonymous with luxury, excellence in the craft of hospitality and cultural immersion. Capella
Sydney takes this to the next level through unparalleled heritage work, architecture and interior design, state-of-the-art
wellness facilities and transformative guest experiences that go above and beyond the expected, underscored by world-classaccommodation and dining.”
The first space to emerge from the reimagined Farrer Place foyer, Aperture is memorable for its confluence of international art,
inimitable hospitality and abundance of nature – its seven-metre-tall green wall featuring nearly 70 local species of flora. Sitting
beneath the bespoke kinetic sculpture ‘Meadow’ by Amsterdam-based Studio Drift, an expansive glass ceiling and the verdant
canopy offered by two weeping figs, guests are invited to experience the signature food and beverage for which Capella isrenowned. Aperture also marks the core of the hotel and occupies the open-air void of the original building – a light-filled space
where the magnitude of the storied site and its transformation is on display.

Anchored to the Young Street shoulder of the hotel, Brasserie 1930 delivers an elevated dining experience. Exuding grandeurand sophistication, underscored by its landmark architecture, the ground-floor restaurant features a menu of modern brasserie
classics and an extensive wine list, served in a casual yet dynamic inner-city atmosphere. Highlighting small-batch farmers andgrowers, the menu celebrates the best in Australian produce, with cooking methods drawing upon age-old techniques such ascuring, smoking, fermenting, preserving and pickling.
Named in honour of George McRae, the building’s original architect, McRae Bar, overlooking Loftus Street, redefines the classic
hotel lounge by immersing visitors in the glamour of times gone by. A modern rendition of a Victorian-era drinking den, theintimate ground-floor bar offers an elegant cocktail experience with late 1800’s touches, celebrating the first golden age of finedrinking through a contemporary Australian lens.
The ground floor also plays host to six meeting and event spaces catering for groups of 10 to 80 persons. The bespoke rooms
highlight the heritage embellishments and a contemporary interior design ethos, each space features high ceilings, an abundanceof natural light and the latest in high-tech conferencing equipment. All meeting and event spaces are serviced by the inimitable
Capella Sydney team providing exceptional, personalised service. Intimate celebrations can be arranged upon request, including
private dining and late evening drinks.
The unsurpassed accommodation at Capella Sydney is as unique as the property itself. Dovetailed with the intricate craftsmanshipof the original building, the beautifully appointed guestrooms and suites cushion guests from the bustle of the city. Light-filled
and spacious averaging over 55-square-metres, guestrooms and suites exude luxury, showcasing delectable walnuts, naturalstones and deluxe textiles alongside standalone tubs, custom Italian Frette linen and Haeckels amenities. At 235-square-metres,
the largest offering within the portfolio is the signature Capella Suite. Located on the ninth floor, its layered interiors celebrate alandmark building steeped in history, where exquisite design allows guests to relax while embracing every indulgent detail.
In-house guests of Capella Sydney unlock the opportunity to experience the Living Room – a signature space in all Capellaproperties that places guests on the pulse of local cultural connection. Surrounded by art, intriguing artefacts uncovered during
the restoration and a curated collection of tantalising tomes, the Living Room is the place of daily Capella Rituals. It’s also whereguests are introduced to Capella Culturists. Part neighbourhood expert, part intuitive mind-reader, Capella Culturists are on-handto shape the travel story of all guests, whether it be through foraging for endemic foods with First Australians, organising tickets
to sporting and theatre events or on-boarding guests to a luxury liner for an unforgettable harbour cruise.
Perhaps the most grandiose transformation of all the unrivalled spaces within Capella Sydney, is the world-class wellness offering onlevel six. A remnant of the building’s former life, including as the Department of Education’s informal art gallery, a series of overhead
copper-lined heritage lanterns illuminate the wellness space with natural light. These lanterns are particularly magnificent in
the pool area, where their glass-pane inserts frame snippets of the surrounding cityscape amid lavish natural stone and early
19th-century appointments. Centred around the 20-metre heated indoor swimming pool, facilities exclusive to in-house guests
include a high-tech fitness centre featuring Technogym equipment, yoga platform, well-appointed changerooms complete withsteam, sauna and experiential showers and Auriga Spa showcasing immersive treatment rooms for couples and individuals within
luxurious surrounds.
Capella Sydney will open for online reservations from mid-December 2022.
For more information, visit capellahotels.com/sydney
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACTS
Elysée Collective
Alice Moore, Director
alice@elyseecollective.com.au
Capella Sydney
Kate Dalton, Director of Marketing and Communications
kate.dalton@capellahotels.com

ABOUT CAPELLA HOTELS AND RESORTS
The Capella Hotels and Resorts constellation consists of properties located in Singapore, Ubud, Bangkok, Hanoi, Shanghai andHainan. 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 ofpersonalised service and combining a legacy of thoughtful design. Capella Hotels and Resorts was named 2nd Best Hotel Brandin the world in the Travel + Leisure ‘World’s Best Awards’ in both 2021 and 2020.
Capella Hotels and Resorts is a member partner of DISCOVERY, a multi-brand loyalty programme representing a collection of40 independent hotel brands over 100 countries worldwide.
For more information, visit capellahotels.com
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 on sixty years ofexperience in luxury property development, Pontiac Land seeks to better the built environment through thoughtful architectureand 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.
For more Information, visit pontiacland.com