The Old Clare Hotel is becoming one of the hottest design destinations in Sydney. Here’s why.
The folks of Unlisted Collection are behind it
Hotelier Loh Lik Peng of Unlisted Collection has a knack for transforming old buildings into temples of cool. And with The Old Clare Hotel, the Singaporean has come up with another hit. Working with Australian architects Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, the team retained historical elements of the former Old Clare Hotel Pub and adjacent Carlton & United Breweries administration building while updating the structure into a stunning design-driven stomping ground. From swanky furniture and fixtures to an industrial-chic decor, the Old Clare panders to a certain class of hotel guests that appreciate comfort and quirk in equal measure.
Industrial-style aficionados will have a field day here
Exposed bricks and walls, concrete flooring, original timber panelling – the unpretentious industrial space certainly is a star in its own right, featuring historical aspects of the site’s original buildings. The former brewery and pub was restored to a contemporary hotel using a sensitive approach to the building’s rich heritage. For instance, the architects retained the triple-height ceilings in the rooms. What’s unique though, was how modernity blends in oh-so-perfectly with the airy and vintage interiors.
It’s an Instagram gold mine
This is place will make you want to snap multiple photos for your social media feed all thanks to a style that would make you want to work towards your #interiorgoals. From muted grey soft furnishings to warm wood tones, the design-driven lifestyle concept is not only incredibly functional, it is aesthetically pleasing too.
You’ll get to see (and touch) one-of-a-kind design pieces
The rooms are decked out in unique vintage and handcrafted features that you wouldn’t find in any other hotel. These include steampunk style Rag and Bone Man lamps, built-in marble tubs and heritage timber panelling. In addition, the two Showroom Suites include an original bar each, salvaged and restored from the erstwhile The Clare Hotel pub and the Carlton & United Breweries administration building by the architectural team.
Be in the heart of a cool, up-and-coming neighbourhood
Located in the heart of the artsy district of Chippendale, The Old Clare Hotel is a stone throw away from the Brewery Yard Markets. Here, you can snag affordably priced street art, handmade jewellery and vintage finds on the first and third Sunday of the month. Fans of contemporary Chinese art can swing by the White Rabbit Gallery for special exhibitions.
Hang out at a hip rooftop bar
The bar is located in the premise of the old pub. With high chairs decked out in brown and yellow-hued panels matched with an obsessively arranged row of bottles in autumn colours, the place exudes the vibe of early seventies-style watering holes. Here you can rub shoulders with indie rock fans, artists, university students and intellectuals as you take in views of the surroundings neighbourhood and picturesque (heated) rooftop pool.
Get your fill of top eats
Helming the three eateries are world-class chefs: Jason Atherton of Michelin starred Pollen Street Social, Sam Miller the ex-sous-chef at Noma and Aussie stalwart Clayton Wells, the former sous-chef of Momofuku Sefiobo. Here’s a tip: go to Silvereye for extravagant feasts (12 or 20 courses), Automata for weekend lunches and long dinners, and Kensington Street Social for a casual setting for mouthwatering desserts.
This was adapted from an article originally written by Sharon Salim that appeared in the May 2016 issue of SquareRooms
