A new Australian property immediately finds its voice: Sydney's Capella Hotel does a high-profile opening right.
Paul Oswell
I was lucky enough to be in Australia for a family wedding when the long-awaited Capella Hotel opened in Sydney in March 2023. It’s not every day that there’s an opportunity to stay in a brand new building, just arrived from the dealership with the plastic wrap on and that new hotel smell in the air. You’re the first person to wear the bathrobe, to sit in that tub, to nab those small bottles of body wash. The hotel will never be as pristine as it is right now. I booked myself in.
I’ve been to hotel openings before and let me tell you, it’s been a real mixed bag. These things almost never seem to be on schedule or on budget, and so in a rush to get bodies in beds, compromises are made. Spas aren’t open yet, the rooftop is still out of bounds, entire floors still require a hard hat if you want to see them. I completely understand that there are commercial pressures, but it’s never that great a look.
I can’t tell you what a relief it was to be so panoramically impressed by a property’s first days of operation. This wasn’t a ‘soft open’, either - this was full service, all comers, right away. Checking in, there was a distinct lack of anyone running around, and a lobby noticeably lacking any signs informing guests that parts of the hotel wouldn’t be open. Staff were relaxed, charming and seemed to know where everything was. This is an important basic facet of a high-profile hotel opening, and one that, say, the much-vaunted TWA Hotel in New York did not seem to have thought about when I stayed there. Also: seats at reception as you register? Always a win.
It honestly felt as though I was staying at a hotel that had been confidently welcoming people for months. Years, even. Front of house were impeccably coordinated; everyone knew exactly what to do, and how to do it, without being either overbearing nor inaccessible. Green hospitality flags just kept appearing from every corner, and I’m going to go out on a limb and say it was one of the best hotel stays I have ever had (let alone at hotels that have just opened their doors), and given that I see or stay in around 50 hotels a year, I have a lot of points of comparison.
You can read my full review, but here are three of the things that The Capella does right and which, in my opinion, make it a great property right out of the gate:
The staff
I learned that the staff had been allowed access to the property for some weeks before opening day. This investment of time (I understand that this is quite rare) definitely paid off. It was obvious that staff were aware of the logistics of their jobs, and of the hotel in general. Nobody had to check with anyone when I asked a question, a testament to an impressive training programme. I know it was only the first few days, but everyone I interacted with also seemed genuinely enthused to be working there. I was acknowledged politely - sometimes by name - for my entire stay, without anyone being ingratiating or sounding scripted. It makes a big difference. From management to servers in the F&B outlets, pool staff and lobby attendants, the staff were uniformly professional in a very welcoming way.
The rooms
The accommodations are great, but I’ve stayed in aesthetically lovely rooms that don’t feel welcoming. Again, it’s the small details that combine to deliver a complete package. These things came together to make it memorable (some of which I have experienced individually in other rooms, but rarely so many amenities at once): Complimentary soft drinks and water, as well as cookies, and refillable metal water bottles. A variety of pillow densities already in the room, incredibly high quality (and strikingly coloured) plush bathrobes (two different sizes), two different sizes of high quality slippers (which you can keep and which I now wear at home). Sprung shoe trees to keep formal shoes in shape, a shoe horn, polishing shoe bag, and clothes brush. Steamer, with ironing board on demand, a walk-in closet with felted wooden hangers and up to five clothing items pressed free of charge. A rechargeable heated shaving mirror, under bed lighting for nighttime bathroom trips, a dedicated bag for jewelry in the safe, a bluetooth Bose speaker, a bath pillow and bath salts. Nespresso coffee machine, full range of glassware (flutes, rock glasses, tumblers, and wine glasses), a separate wine cooler as well as refrigerated drawers for the minibar. This is all in addition to regular bathroom amenities, a tablet to control the room and order room service, remote-controlled electric curtains and shades, etc. I suspect that most of these items could easily be included in a hotel of any budget level (how much do plastic shoehorns cost?), but it’s the level of sensitivity - the thoughtful preempting of a guest’s needs - that makes these rooms so impressive, as good as they otherwise look.
The Living Room
Here’s the thing about staying at hotels. You don’t usually know anybody. Socialising can be strained and not everyone wants to strike up a conversation at the bar. Each evening, the Capella hosted an informal get together in a space called The Living Room. There are staff to host everyone, called ‘culturists’. Drinks and canapes are served, and there’s a presentation, tied into the local culture. For my stay, the culturists mixed up an ‘Eternity’ cocktail as they shared the story of Arthur Stace, known locally as Mr. Eternity, an anonymous graffiti artist who daubed the word 'eternity' around Sydney for 30 years. I learned something about the city, and I met and chatted to a delightful elderly couple from Hong Kong that I probably would not have met otherwise. There’s no pressure to attend, no hard sell, it’s just something complimentary that you can swing by and see.
It’s hard to get everything right at a hotel. It takes an unimaginable amount of thought. A lot of properties just think about what sounds impressive, without trying to put themselves in the role of a guest. What will the guests’ experience of this service or amenity be like? What are their likely needs? What would make them comfortable, physically and socially? I feel like the Capella really thought hard about this, and the results, in my humble opinion, are hard to argue with.
We're a new website - the kindest thing you could do would be to share this article on your socials. Many thanks.
Link: https://www.shandypockets.com/the-opening-of-the-capella-hotel.html
READ A FULL REVIEW OF THE CAPELLA SYDNEY HERE
LATEST HOTEL REVIEWS
Paul Oswell
I was lucky enough to be in Australia for a family wedding when the long-awaited Capella Hotel opened in Sydney in March 2023. It’s not every day that there’s an opportunity to stay in a brand new building, just arrived from the dealership with the plastic wrap on and that new hotel smell in the air. You’re the first person to wear the bathrobe, to sit in that tub, to nab those small bottles of body wash. The hotel will never be as pristine as it is right now. I booked myself in.
I’ve been to hotel openings before and let me tell you, it’s been a real mixed bag. These things almost never seem to be on schedule or on budget, and so in a rush to get bodies in beds, compromises are made. Spas aren’t open yet, the rooftop is still out of bounds, entire floors still require a hard hat if you want to see them. I completely understand that there are commercial pressures, but it’s never that great a look.
I can’t tell you what a relief it was to be so panoramically impressed by a property’s first days of operation. This wasn’t a ‘soft open’, either - this was full service, all comers, right away. Checking in, there was a distinct lack of anyone running around, and a lobby noticeably lacking any signs informing guests that parts of the hotel wouldn’t be open. Staff were relaxed, charming and seemed to know where everything was. This is an important basic facet of a high-profile hotel opening, and one that, say, the much-vaunted TWA Hotel in New York did not seem to have thought about when I stayed there. Also: seats at reception as you register? Always a win.
It honestly felt as though I was staying at a hotel that had been confidently welcoming people for months. Years, even. Front of house were impeccably coordinated; everyone knew exactly what to do, and how to do it, without being either overbearing nor inaccessible. Green hospitality flags just kept appearing from every corner, and I’m going to go out on a limb and say it was one of the best hotel stays I have ever had (let alone at hotels that have just opened their doors), and given that I see or stay in around 50 hotels a year, I have a lot of points of comparison.
You can read my full review, but here are three of the things that The Capella does right and which, in my opinion, make it a great property right out of the gate:
The staff
I learned that the staff had been allowed access to the property for some weeks before opening day. This investment of time (I understand that this is quite rare) definitely paid off. It was obvious that staff were aware of the logistics of their jobs, and of the hotel in general. Nobody had to check with anyone when I asked a question, a testament to an impressive training programme. I know it was only the first few days, but everyone I interacted with also seemed genuinely enthused to be working there. I was acknowledged politely - sometimes by name - for my entire stay, without anyone being ingratiating or sounding scripted. It makes a big difference. From management to servers in the F&B outlets, pool staff and lobby attendants, the staff were uniformly professional in a very welcoming way.
The rooms
The accommodations are great, but I’ve stayed in aesthetically lovely rooms that don’t feel welcoming. Again, it’s the small details that combine to deliver a complete package. These things came together to make it memorable (some of which I have experienced individually in other rooms, but rarely so many amenities at once): Complimentary soft drinks and water, as well as cookies, and refillable metal water bottles. A variety of pillow densities already in the room, incredibly high quality (and strikingly coloured) plush bathrobes (two different sizes), two different sizes of high quality slippers (which you can keep and which I now wear at home). Sprung shoe trees to keep formal shoes in shape, a shoe horn, polishing shoe bag, and clothes brush. Steamer, with ironing board on demand, a walk-in closet with felted wooden hangers and up to five clothing items pressed free of charge. A rechargeable heated shaving mirror, under bed lighting for nighttime bathroom trips, a dedicated bag for jewelry in the safe, a bluetooth Bose speaker, a bath pillow and bath salts. Nespresso coffee machine, full range of glassware (flutes, rock glasses, tumblers, and wine glasses), a separate wine cooler as well as refrigerated drawers for the minibar. This is all in addition to regular bathroom amenities, a tablet to control the room and order room service, remote-controlled electric curtains and shades, etc. I suspect that most of these items could easily be included in a hotel of any budget level (how much do plastic shoehorns cost?), but it’s the level of sensitivity - the thoughtful preempting of a guest’s needs - that makes these rooms so impressive, as good as they otherwise look.
The Living Room
Here’s the thing about staying at hotels. You don’t usually know anybody. Socialising can be strained and not everyone wants to strike up a conversation at the bar. Each evening, the Capella hosted an informal get together in a space called The Living Room. There are staff to host everyone, called ‘culturists’. Drinks and canapes are served, and there’s a presentation, tied into the local culture. For my stay, the culturists mixed up an ‘Eternity’ cocktail as they shared the story of Arthur Stace, known locally as Mr. Eternity, an anonymous graffiti artist who daubed the word 'eternity' around Sydney for 30 years. I learned something about the city, and I met and chatted to a delightful elderly couple from Hong Kong that I probably would not have met otherwise. There’s no pressure to attend, no hard sell, it’s just something complimentary that you can swing by and see.
It’s hard to get everything right at a hotel. It takes an unimaginable amount of thought. A lot of properties just think about what sounds impressive, without trying to put themselves in the role of a guest. What will the guests’ experience of this service or amenity be like? What are their likely needs? What would make them comfortable, physically and socially? I feel like the Capella really thought hard about this, and the results, in my humble opinion, are hard to argue with.
We're a new website - the kindest thing you could do would be to share this article on your socials. Many thanks.
Link: https://www.shandypockets.com/the-opening-of-the-capella-hotel.html
READ A FULL REVIEW OF THE CAPELLA SYDNEY HERE
LATEST HOTEL REVIEWS