Best New HoteBusinessBusinessHotel
The Australian business hotel scene has posted solid results in the past 12 months. New capital-city fifive-stars have opened their doors and have loads of appeal for deal-makers. Each of these fifinalists makes a convincing play for the corporate audience with superior service and facilities, prime locations and advanced technology.
InterContinental Perth City Centre
rooThisThisrevamped240-room tower (hotel.qantas.com.au/ intercontinentalperth) has a firstrate location on Perth’s commercial strip and a range of amenities with executive appeal. On Level 1, four meeting suites are served by The Pantry, a novel lounge area with refreshment stations and an outdoor terrace with a bar and barbecue for post-meeting socials. Guestrooms have all the essentials, including work desks, smart TVs and 24/7 room service. In-house dining extends to two street-level restaurants and bars, while a penthouse executive lounge gives Club InterContinental guests the VIP treatment.
West Hotel Sydney, Curio Collection by Hilton
This new Hilton offshoot (hotel. qantas.com.au/westhotelcurio) puts visiting internationals in pole position between the corporate and cultural hubs of Barangaroo and Darling Harbour. While the hotel only has one meeting space, the Telopea Room (seats up to 30), guest services are well suited to long-haul lodgers, with a 24-hour gym and room service for any-time fitness and fuel. The 182 rooms and suites feature the latest technology, including Bluetooth speakers and Google Chromecast. Thankfully, in-room coffee machines also come as standard.
The Westin Perth
The star tenant of brand-new East End development Hibernian Place, this 368-room hotel (westin. com) brings serious clout to Perth’s accommodation scene. Room specs show typical Westin style, from its signature Heavenly Beds to coffee machines. There are 24 suites to suit high-flyers, too. The hotel’s ballroom, a glass cube filled with natural light, is the city’s most exciting new venue for events and is one of nine meeting spaces set over two floors. There’s also a dedicated health level (with a day spa, 24-hour fitness centre and 20-metre infinity pool), an executive lounge and Melbourne restaurateur Guy Grossi’s latest offering, Garum.
Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour
With an unbeatable site adjacent to the new international convention centre, ICC Sydney, this 590-room five-star (hotel.qantas.com.au/ sofiteldarlingharbour) combines big-hotel amenities with French elegance. The guestrooms are luminous and contemporary and have billboard views of the Harbour City – a characteristic shared by some of the nine event spaces, including the boardroom facing Darling Harbour. Guests staying on Level 28 and above gain automatic entry to the Club Millésime lounge on Level 35 and enjoy private check-in, complimentary catering and boardroom use. The hotel also boasts an extensive champagne collection (20 types) at its suitably named Champagne Bar – perfect for toasting business triumphs.
Paramount House Hotel, Sydney
It’s not your average business accommodation but Paramount House Hotel (paramounthouse hotel.com) makes a persuasive pitch to the new breed of global negotiators. This 29-room hotel with industrial-luxe interiors brims with home comforts: beds to doze in; baths (in some rooms) to soak in; balconies or alcoves to negotiate on. It also has a buzzing coffee stop and onsite wine bar Poly by the minds behind Sydney restaurant darling Ester. Other tenants in the building include co-working hub The Office Space and Golden Age Cinema and Bar for presentations and seminars. The Surry Hills address puts guests in the hottest neighbourhood in inner Sydney.