Capella Sydney Hotel Review

With interiors filled with art, books and history, Capella Sydney feels more like a luxury home than a hotel. And with one of the best restaurants in the city, Brasserie 1930, there are few reasons to venture beyond its walls.

Where is Capella Sydney?

The hotel is built inside an amalgamation of the former Department of Agriculture and Department of Education buildings on Loftus Street near the centre of Sydney’s financial district. Sydney airport is a 20-minute drive away.

What’s Capella Sydney near?

The property is within walking distance of The Botanical Gardens, the Art Gallery of NSW, the Opera House and Circular Quay; the latter a central transport hub for trains and ferries. It’s also an easy bus or taxi ride to Bondi Beach and moments away from the central business district around Martin Place. Nearby notable restaurants include Quay, Bennelong, Aria and Lana.

Room Types

Capella has 192 room and suite types including Deluxe, Premier and Skyline rooms which each feature king size beds fitted with Frette linens, Bose speakers , deep tubs and touch-screen lighting and heating. Several are adjoining, making them ideal for families. The Suites, including the four Prestige Suites, each have high ceilings, separate dining spaces, bars and skyline views. The ninth-floor Capella Suite also has a butler’s pantry and harbour glimpses towards Woolloomooloo. Amenities are supplied by British seaweed-based brand Haeckels.

Restaurants and Bars

Brasserie 1930 calls itself an “Australian Brasserie” but with its high ceilings and chequerboard flooring the space feels luxe-French. The whole duck, served sliced with a glaze of roasted plum, is the showstopper dish to order, as is anything from wine maestro Nick Hildebrandt’s extraordinary wine list. Breakfast is served in the same room and aperitifs next door at the McRae Bar, both of which are open to non-guests.

Sustainability

The hotel works on a close-to-zero plastic ethos, so you’ll notice that no toiletries or other small items have any plastic wrapping. As a group, Capella runs several community outreach programs globally, such as their Capella Youth Initiatives concept, which donated solar lighting to children facing energy poverty in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand in 2021.

Travel for work

The hotel sits in the centre of Sydney’s business and financial district. Additionally, there are several meeting spaces in the building equipped with state-of-the-art tech and catering can be provided for groups between 10 and 80.

Spa, gym and pool

The Auriga Spa includes three single treatment rooms and one double, hung with lanterns and bathed in natural light, and fitted with showers edged with moss walls. There’s a high-tech gym and a 20-metre lap pool which sits underneath the domed rooftop architecture, the space where the former Department of Education workers stored artwork because of its excellent lighting.

What you need to know

Every evening between 5pm and 7pm, guests are invited to a “Capella Ritual” in the lobby Living Room space, where cocktails and canapes are served and a cultural insight into Sydney is offered, featuring storytelling to soundscapes.

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