The first Ace Hotel in the southern hemisphere has opened its doors. Located in Surry Hills, the Ace Hotel Sydney reimagines the historic Tyne House, adding eight new floors to the heritage building. Nestled within one of Australia’s most culturally significant neighbourhoods, the hotel pays homage to the creative spirit of the location. Spanning 18 stories, the 157-room hotel also comprises a lobby bar, two restaurants, a bar, and a laneway cafe.
While its sheer size would typically discount it from being a boutique hotel, the Ace Hotel Group takes a distinctly boutique approach to its offering. Initially launched in 1999 as a lifestyle hotel for the creative class, Ace Hotel Group has expanded to over ten locations in cities like Kyoto, New York, Seattle, London, and New Orleans. Each hotel works to “reimagine urban spaces for people who make cities interesting,” with a particular focus on giving new life to buildings deemed ‘challenging’.
The hotel was designed in collaboration with Flack Studio, with the Melbourne-based multidisciplinary design and architecture practice finding their conceptual starting point from a landscape painting by Indigenous Australian artist Albert Namatjira. The warm, natural tones of the painting are reflected throughout the space, with a colour palette of terracotta, greens, tan, burnt orange, and yellows featured alongside exposed brick, interspersed with vibrant pops of colour.
Likewise, architect Robin Boyd’s The Australian Ugliness served as inspiration to embrace the utilitarian history of the former brick factory in which the hotel is located. Terracotta tiles, sandstone feature walls, and an ochre-red marble staircase speak to the native Australian landscape and abundant natural resources, while classic materials of oak, leather, brick, raw concrete, steel, and marble speak to the unity between old and new within the historic building.
Almost all of the furniture and lighting in Ace Hotel Sydney is custom-designed by Flack Studio and its collaborators, with raw yet refined materials like oak, green velvet, black leather, marble, and linen prioritised. Part and parcel of the offering is an art program, with Flack Studio curating an eclectic selection of Australian artists’ works to display throughout the building, starting at the front desk with a glazed-brick piece by artist James Lemon. A ceramic library with works by the likes of Nabilah Nordin and Scott Duncan is a highlight, while work by First Nations artist Tony Albert can be found in the ground floor passageway connecting the lobby and laneway cafe.
The guest rooms follow the same warm natural colour palette as the rest of the hotel, providing a comforting respite from the urban environment outside. Designed to envelop visitors, walls feature textured straw panelling which complements raw concrete, tangerine carpets, marble counters, and green bathroom tiles. Custom wall sconces and lamps create a cosy atmosphere, with most rooms featuring a seating area — think a vintage chair, built-in couch, or daybed — which induces guests to sink into the space. In line with the creative origins of the Ace Hotel Group is an in-room vinyl collection curated by Michael Kucyl of Melbourne-based record label Efficient Space, ready to play on turntables by Rega. Select rooms also feature D’Angelico guitars and Tivoli radios.
Ace Hotel Sydney is now open to the public.
Words by T. Angel
