Sydney, Australia

Capella Sydney

Heritage-listed icon

Luxurious city escape

With its beautiful golden sandstone façade Sydney’s heritage-listed Department of Education building has reawakened as the luxurious Capella Sydney. The hotel boasts 192 rooms and suites spanning eight levels, and balances storied architectural features with modern design, celebrating Australia in both its aesthetic and ethos. In the rooms and public areas you’ll find carefully curated artworks, elegant furnishings and intriguing objet d’art.

When it comes to dining, take a table at Brasserie 1930 where the menu highlights small-batch growers and farmers and age-old cooking methods like curing, smoking and fermenting take centre stage. Named for the building’s original architect George McRae, McRae Bar invites you to enjoy the glamour of days gone by as you sip on refined cocktails looking out on Loftus Street.

Highlights

192 rooms and suites

Two restaurants and a bar

Swimming and vitality pools

Fitness centre

Yoga platform

Spa

Plan your trip to Australia

Places to combine Capella Sydney with

Uluru and the Outback

Longitude 131°
The scale and beauty of the Australian outback is truly awe inspiring. Longitude 131° allows you to really experience the magic of the country’s spiritual heart and discover the rich history and indigenous culture. Always in sight, Uluru dominates the sparse landscape of the Red Centre, and guests are rewarded with ever-changing views as the light dances across the rock face. 15 luxury tents are nestled among the rust-red dunes, their canopied roofs dotted across swathes of sand. Each tent is beautifully furnished and features floor-to-ceiling windows that open out onto a private deck with day bed, armchairs and a fireplace. Here you can gaze out across the ochre landscape, and really appreciate the beauty of this vast undisturbed wilderness. Each tent is named after an explorer or pioneer and framed artifacts are displayed on the walls, complimented by colourful works of indigenous art. Longitude 131° showcases the very best of contemporary Australian cuisine, complimented by an excellent selection of fine wines. Choose to dine in the Dune House or under the stars at Table 131, the ultimate dining experience. Sunset drinks are served each evening and after dinner, the resident astronomer will regale guests with tales of the southern constellations. Acquire some respite from the warm weather at Red Ochre Spa, located at the nearby Ayers Rock Resort. Return transfers to the spa are included and guests can relax with treatments inspired by nature. There is so much to explore in this beautiful and spiritual land, and all your tours and excursions are included. Learn about the history of the sacred Uluru, explore gorges and visit the Field of Light solar installation, an international-acclaimed work of art. Blooming and glowing in the deepening darkness of the evening, small stems sway in the breeze to create a remarkable and enchanting scene.
Exterior view of Saffire Freycinet, Tasmania, Australia at sunrise

Tasmania

Saffire Freycinet
Designed to embrace its stunning surroundings, Saffire is a natural treasure tucked away on Tasmania’s undisturbed shores. Located on what was once a caravan park site, a great deal of time has been spent revegetating the site with 30,000 native plants to encourage a return to its natural form. This boutique lodge has been showered in praise since opening in 2010. Its unique stingray-shaped design was carefully crafted to blend into the surrounding environment while creating a modern and ultra-luxe getaway. Its 20 luxury suites boast unadulterated views across Great Oyster Bay to the Hazards Mountain Range, all from the comfort of absolute luxury. The décor throughout is warm and earthy and the premium suites have spacious living areas, a private kitchen and dining room where the chef can come and cook for you. They also have private courtyard plunge pools. Saffire has an emphasis on supporting the local environment and uses local, seasonal and organic produce in the restaurant that is grown in the chef’s garden. The lodge also works with the Save the Tasmanian Devil program, set up in response to the decline of more than 80 percent of the native marsupials due to an infectious cancer. In a one-hectare, free-range devil enclosure, Saffire provides mature devils with a safe environment and also gives guests the rare opportunity to see the devils in a natural habitat. As well as learning about conservation efforts in the region, Saffire guests can indulge in a multitude of complimentary experiences, from visiting a working oyster farm to sample Pacific oysters and regional wines to guided vineyard tours, canoeing, bird watching or nature walks. If that all sounds a bit much, then you can always just head to the state-of-the-art spa for the ultimate pampering.