In October of 2025, Sydney welcomed its newest boutique hotel in the form of The Olympia, the first Australian opening for 25hour Hotels in the building that was once the West Olympia Theatre and the Grand Pacific Blue Room — now it's a modern hotel that brings four standout eateries and 109 guest rooms to the Oxford Street address. The Olympia pays tribute to the site's early days with a commitment to a cinematic theme in its guest rooms, with design choices and room identities harkening to cinematic archetypes of 'Dreamers' and 'Renegades' alongside artwork from local creatives, including artist Kubi Vasak. [caption id="attachment_1069491" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Justin Nicholas[/caption] At the hotel's heart are the four food and drink venues, organised by Culinary Director Mitch Orr, alongside Food and Beverage Director Raj Vanniasinkam, Venue Manager Lillia McCabe, Head Sommelier Eleonore Wulf and Head of Beverage Roean Patawaran. Each of the venues was designed by London's Studio Paskin, while The Monica was created by food and beverage studio Carte Blanche. The headliner of the onsite offering is The Palomar, a London-native restaurant that brings a menu of flavours from Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Levant made with Australian ingredients; The Mulwray, a wine bar dealing in biodynamic and classic wines; rooftop bar The Monica that pairs share plates and cocktails with a skyline view and a 1960s Hollywood theme — and finally Jacob the Angel, a London-style cafe that serves specialty coffee and pastries by Lune on the ground floor. [caption id="attachment_1069492" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] Describing the vision for the on-site hospitality offering, Mitch Orr said, "For me, it's always about the people: putting together a team who are passionate, collaborative, and driven enough to make every service feel electric. That's what makes hospitality exciting. The talent of the team here is really second to none. Working with Chloe [Sharp] again—she's an incredible chef who really sets the tone in the kitchen — and Luke [Davenport], who brings the depth of his head chef experience and time at The Palomar in London, I'm proud of the team we've pulled together and what we're about to share with Sydney." The rooms range in size from solo traveller-friendly queen bed rooms with courtyard views, scaling up to king-size beds with views of Oxford Street, private terraces and suites that range between 29, 44 and 69 square metres of floor space, with amenities to match. [caption id="attachment_1069490" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Justin Nicholas[/caption] "Bringing 25hours to Sydney is a very special moment for us. From the beginning, our vision has been to create hotels that are tied to their settings and are rich in character," said Christoph Hoffmann, Founder of 25hours Hotels. "The Olympia is a perfect match for that philosophy: a historic theatre with a colourful past, at the intersection of some of Sydney's most vibrant neighbourhoods". The Olympia can be found at 1 Oxford Street, Paddington. For more information or to make a booking, visit the 25hours Hotels website.
