As edge-of-the-city launching pads go, Penrith is one of the greats. The gateway between Sydney and the Blue Mountains, the area has been steadily growing for years now to stand apart from its larger neighbours with an offering of its own. Part of that new offering is luxury, in the form of one of the fanciest hotels either side of the Nepean. Pullman Sydney Penrith, sitting in the heart of the action and a literal stone's throw from the Penrith Panthers RSL, is Penrith's first five-star hotel and a stay that's both aesthetically pleasing and very comfortable. The former is thanks to architecture and design studio Turner and landscape architecture firm Oculus. The building exterior and its grounds are designed to pay homage to the local environment, with the swirls and curves of the building and its reflective panels meant to invoke the Nepean River itself. Meanwhile, more than 75 trees and over 8000 plants in the garden and landscaped spaces are primarily native, and all maintained with sustainable watering practices. Interiors follow suit — a sandstone wall in the lobby acts as a backdrop for commissioned artworks, while each floor features Australian landscape works by Archibald Prize-winning artist John Olsen AO OBE. The hotel is home to over 150 keys, ranging from 28-square-metre rooms to 38-square-metre suites. In all of them, expect Hunter Lab skincare amenities, a Nespresso coffee machine, locally sourced minibar treats, a library of over 1000 free and on-demand movies, and a hotel specialty: a sleep therapy menu. Via the in-room tablet, you can order everything from face and eye masks to aromatherapy pillow sprays and teas to help you ease into a blissful night's sleep. There's also an extensive pillow menu, as well as pre-programmed selections of background sounds, colours and room lighting settings to help you drift off in peace or wake up right. Rooms are also stocked with glass water bottles, and they're yours to keep throughout your stay — keep an eye out for the water refill stations throughout the property, since the hotel's sustainability commitment means you'll find no single-use plastics on site. One of the hotel's main attractions is the food and drink offering. Lobby bar Tori is ideal for a quick coffee or cocktail to start or finish your day, with regular live music in the evening against the view of the mountains. Upstairs, Marcel is a modern European restaurant that offers a refined (but relaxing) atmosphere with a menu that celebrates and showcases the area's produce. The adjacent open wine cellar, where you can browse for a bottle and chat with sommeliers, is worthy of a pitstop. The hotel also boasts a state-of-the-art wellness centre developed in partnership with the Penrith Panthers' high performance team and designed to suit the needs of both professional athletes and casual gym-goers, and the adjoining Western Sydney Conference Centre can host large-scale events with its 1000-seat capacity. You're also steps from anything within the Panthers Entertainment Precinct and a mere 30-minute drive into the stunning Blue Mountains.
