What a name! Woolloomooloo. It is one of those place names that puts a smile on your face (along with names like Sandy Balls, Willey, and my favorite, Happy Bottom). But be assured there are also plenty of reasons to be extremely happy when visiting the Ovolo Woolloomooloo.
Location
The setting for this new and funky design hotel is a 100-year-old building on Sydney’s Woolloomooloo Wharf. The hotel is one of the newest openings from the Hong Kong hotel chain Ovolo and the third Ovolo hotel in Australia, following the opening of Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour and Ovolo Laneways in Melbourne. The hotel is located in Finger Wharf, surrounded by good restaurants and many pubs. It’s also just a 10-15 minute walk away from the business district, the Botanic Garden, the Art Gallery, Potts Point, Kings Cross, and the Opera House.
Style & Character
We love Ovolo hotels very much. Each is unique, and within many of their hotels, each room is also completely different. They often focus on refurbishing buildings with stunning architecture and restoring the building sympathetically and stylishly – which is very much the case for Ovolo Woolloomooloo. Best of all, they offer loads of freebies! Free laundry facilities, free Wi-Fi, free breakfast (complete with pots of Bircher muesli, salmon, and yummy cheese), free goody bags of chocolates and nibbles, free minibar, and usually a free lounge with free drinks and nibbles throughout the day and free beer, wine and spirits in their happy hour.
Rooms
Rooms here offer an iPad and unique historic fittings. The head-boards on the beds are a work of art, with a range of scenes in different rooms, from fish to swinging ladies, hunting scenes (with ceramic ducks on the wall flying away from the men with guns on the head-board) to a lady’s day out at the races.
Many rooms are split-level affairs with a large living area downstairs and sleeping upstairs. These loft-style rooms are very airy and spacious, and all rooms have an appealing watery view over the surrounding dock.
Service & Facilities
Put together by design practice HASSELL, the starkness of the 100-year-old Finger Wharf is softened with loads of stylish sections for relaxing, playing pool, playing space invaders (try out their retro game machines), eating, drinking, or simply sitting under the potted sparkly trees that fill the atrium. The huge space is also filled with cool artwork and statement pieces.
Food & Drink
The hotel’s rate includes a delicious breakfast in the room or downstairs (in fact, if you are hungry, you can eat both!) The main hub is Lo Lounge, open to the public and guests alike. Here you can enjoy snacks, teas, and coffees throughout the day, free food as well as alcoholic drinks 5:00 — 7:00 pm.
Conclusion
The Ovolo Woolloomooloo is a special hotel set in an iconic industrial building. The brand, founded by Girish Jhunjhnuwala in 2002, sticks two fingers up at mean hoteliers charging £10 GBP for a tiny bottle of miserable-tasting plonk from the mini-bar. This brilliant concept will keep us returning and make this unique hotel all the better. An absolute must-visit next time you are in Sydney!
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