It’s fitting the ongoing and remarkable gentrification of Sydney’s Kings Cross should include a transformative style of visitor accommodation.
Spicers Potts Point blends seamlessly into its now chic neighbourhood – it is three remodelled terraces after all – but once you enter the Victoria Street premises you’re in for a surprise.
And that surprise is almost as much about what you won’t find.
You don’t feel like you’re in a hotel but more of a modern, elegant private club.
The decor and colour palette is subtle and sophisticated, warm and inviting and the high staff-to-guest ratio means you feel a bit special the whole time. Just like the line from the celebrated 80s sitcom Cheers, here, “everybody knows your name”.
The Spicers Retreats portfolio already boasts an impressive range of properties in NSW and Queensland at the “luxury and relaxed” boutique end of the market but its latest venture in Sydney, has one distinct difference.
“Spicers Retreats are well known for world class dining as well as the high quality of the properties themselves but when you’re surrounded by so many ‘hatted’ restaurants like we are here, we thought we wouldn’t compete but value-add,” said Spicers Potts Point general manager, Wendy Morris.
“So we encourage visitors to stay with us and sample as much of the great dining Potts Point now offers and we help our guests plan where to go based on their individual dining preferences. It’s part of the service that sets us apart.”
Other little extra touches like the ‘Spicers Potts Point Passport’ with its curated tips and offers also add to the immersive experience of a stay here.
Breakfast is included in the tariff and served on the premises made to order from a tempting menu of seasonal selections. In the evenings, you can also enjoy complimentary cocktails and canapes at the reception bar.
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The 20-room boutique establishment is striving to be known as “Sydney’s most personal hotel”.
“And that means more than than just great customer service,” added Wendy. “Within the hotel itself, you’ll find little touches like the kinds of books we have in the rooms and shared spaces for example that showcase the rich history of this area and wider Sydney. Taking time out for a quick read about the local area is a nice thing to do, a personal thing.”
The huge task to combine three Victorian terraces into one connected space, accommodating strict rules around preserving Heritage values while at the same time creating the fit-out of a luxury urban oasis, meant 18 months was spent painstakingly crafting the final product.
Guests now have the choice of four room types – split between the impeccably restored front of the building and the newer rear extension. They range in size from the whopping Victoria Terrace Suite at 43 square metres to the opulently appointed Queen rooms at 28 square metres.
The property will appeal to a discerning clientele and corporate travellers looking for a level of familiarity and relaxation more akin to the comforts of home than the more sterile environments of the large hotel chains.
“Overwhelmingly, the feedback we get from guests is that it is indeed like staying at someone’s amazing home,” said Wendy.
