Ace Hotel Sydney

Ace Hotel Sydney stands on Wentworth Avenue in the shell of Tyne House, a brick factory completed in 1916 that later served as the factory and distribution centre of the chemists Washington H. Soul Pattinson. Archaeologists working on the site found one of Australia's oldest kilns, where the convict potter Jonathan Leak worked in the 1820s. Bates Smart kept the façade, rebuilt the interior and added a tower, 18 storeys in all, and the hotel opened in May 2022 as the first Ace south of the equator.

Flack Studio of Melbourne designed the interiors as a homage to Australia, in the ochres and warm neutrals of the desert: an ochre red marble staircase, orange carpet and terracotta bathroom tiles in the 257 rooms. The suites add a turntable and an acoustic guitar, while the other rooms have a Tivoli radio. The lobby works as Ace lobbies do, with laptops in the afternoon and cocktails, wine and DJs later. LOAM on the lobby level serves breakfast until half past two, Good Chemistry on Foy Lane takes its name from the Soul Pattinson years, and Kiln, 18 floors up, is the rooftop restaurant and bar.

Dogs are welcome for a flat fee per stay that covers a bed and food and water bowls, with up to two per room, and the staff keep tips on nearby parks, groomers and cafés that let them in. Central Station is an eight minute walk, Hyde Park and the restaurants of Crown and Bourke Streets are close by, and the hotel has bicycles for guests.