Capella Sydney balances storied architectural features with a contemporary design aesthetic

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 guests to a benchmark destination of luxury accommodation, exceptional cuisine and unrivalled cultural immersion. 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.

Capella Sydney 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.

Cristiano Rinaldi, President of Capella Hotel Group, is pleased to introduce the Capella brand to Australia for the very first time. “The opening of Capella Sydney is a milestone moment in the company’s global expansion,” Rinaldi says. He adds: “This launch represents a significant opportunity for Capella to showcase its refined and curated offerings to Sydney and its visitors, and we look forward to amplifying the stories, culture and experiences of the city through a uniquely Capella lens.”

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 the likes of Australian artists Judy Watson, Otis Hope Carey, Elise Cakebread and Georgia Bisley, culminating with a large robotic lighting installation by Dutch art duo DRIFT. 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.

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. 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, 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.

For further information, visit capellahotels.com