Stylish US Chain Ace Hotel Is Opening Its First Australian Outpost in Sydney

The 18-storey development will feature 264 rooms, a ground-floor lobby bar, and rooftop bar and restaurant.
Samantha Teague
October 12, 2019

Come 2021, you'll have one very convincing reason to book a trip to Sydney (or a Sydney staycation) — the city will be home to the first very Australian outpost of trendy US chain Ace Hotel.

Founded in 1999, the boutique chain currently has its signature luxe-vintage hotels in Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Pittsburgh, Portland and Seattle. Its first international location opened in London in 2013, and its next is slated to open in Kyoto in spring next year.

Known for their great bars, pools, cool branding and merch, and quirky locations — such as a converted Denny's and a historic YMCA building — each Ace Hotel is individually designed to reflect its surroundings. The Ace Hotel in Downtown LA is in a 13-storey 1920s former movie theatre, and has art deco furnishings, a rooftop pool and three bars, while the Palm Springs outpost is swathed in white, and has swim club and an attached diner.

For the local outpost, Ace's in-house design team — Atelier Ace — will be working alongside an Australian firm to design the hyper-local hotel. While exactly what that will look like both inside and out is still under wraps, it'll take inspiration from the food, art, architecture, design and culture of Surry Hills when it opens in an 18-storey building (formerly Tyne House) on Wentworth Avenue.

Render of Ace Hotel's proposed Surry Hills facade.

The Ace Hotel site was purchased two years ago by Australian property development group, Golden Age Group, who will also have a hand in the hotel. As well as 264 rooms, guests can look forward to a ground-floor lobby bar, a gym, restaurant, cafe, and rooftop bar and eatery. We'll keep our fingers crossed for a potential rooftop pool, too.

It's just the latest boutique hotel to open in Surry Hills, which has seen the hyper-local Paramount House Hotel — complete with rooftop wellness centre — launch in March last year, and the 35-room Little Albion House (which you can book through Airbnb) follow in July. Real estate developer Cienna Group also has plans in the works to open a 12-storey laneway hotel on the corner of Riley and Campbell Streets.

The Ace Hotel Sydney is slated to open at 49–53 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney in 2021. We'll update you with a specific launch date when one is announced.

Top images: Ace Hotel London / Ace Hotel Downtown LA.

Published on October 12, 2019 by Samantha Teague
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