From the sweeping grandeur of its spectacular harbour to intimate, laneway cocktail bars, Sydney has everything to satisfy a stylish getaway. But to top things off, you also need the perfect place to stay.
There’s something about a staycation that Christina and I always relish. Perhaps it’s the change of scenery or the ostentatious promise of room service. Maybe it’s the luxury of a big, modern bathroom (ours is impressively small and outdated).
Or perhaps it’s just the opportunity to play tourist in our own city.
Sydney’s certainly suited to a staycation. And our hotel is in the perfect spot for it too.
The Porter House, which is in Accor’s rare tranche of MGallery Collection hotels, is on Castlereagh Street between Park and Bathurst Streets. This means you’re not only a stone’s throw from Hyde Park (we can see the obelisk from our room window), but you’ve also got the city right at your feet.
Close to Town Hall and Gadigal stations, down the road from Chinatown — and even closer to Thai Town — you’ve got transport, food and drink already sorted. You’ve even got Darling Harbour and George Street entertainment quarters just a short walk alway.
But that’s if you can drag yourself away from the hotel.
Sydney Hotels — The Porter House
Stepping through the front door of this heritage building, which started out as a tobacco factory in the 1870s and then a famed leather merchants, you can feel the artisanal history of the place.
But this is only half of the Porter House, home to the hotel’s drinking and dining options (five floors of them!).
Next door, in a modern 36-floor tower, the Porter House occupies the first 10 floors with a range of room types and suites.
After checking in at reception, which is interestingly right at the back of the old building past the enticing bar and booths of the hotel’s ground-floor bar (click here to skip to the bar experience), we head up to our room, which has been very generously upgraded to a Junior Suite.
And although this may not be the biggest hotel suite in the world, it’s packed with beautiful design, clever features and exciting surprises.
Our Room
Split into four living areas, the suite begins in the lounge room, appointed with luxurious leather furniture and a coffee table in white marble and warm copper. It also has the biggest TV we’ve seen in a hotel room.
Next is the dining room and minibar. A table and chairs are set up in front of one of the building’s signature curved windows, which architect Angelo Candalepas of Candalepas Associates designed to reference the brick arched windows of the heritage building next door.
Also in this room are the beautifully leather-finished wardrobes that hide a multitude of surprises.
Behind one door is a state-of-the-art Nespresso machine with designer espresso cups and a drawer of elegant stemware. Behind another is the bar fridge, though this is sadly empty apart from milk.
Another wardrobe provides plenty of hanging space, another has more drawers that contain the room’s safe, and impressively, rather than the usual hairdryer and iron, a clothes steamer and hair straighteners. Nice touch.
The bedroom, which is separated by twin pocket doors that slide dramatically across the doorway, is dominated by a wonderfully comfortable king bed, hugged by a sleek leather bedhead.
This bedhead houses touch panels that control the lights and also the curtains, which is quite cool. There are more of these panels on walls around the suite.
We also note that the bedside power points take not only regular plugs but USB and USB-C jacks too.
There’s also a tablet by the bed that controls everything from the TV, lights and thermostat to ordering room service and setting the do not disturb.
Finally, the bathroom opens off the bedroom to a twin vanity and lovely Appelles toiletries. To the left is the toilet door, but to the right is the spacious shower with rainfall and regular heads in gleaming copper finishes.
But it’s through the next door that really surprises.
In its own dedicated space is a bath tub so deep and sumptuous you half expect Venus to rise from the bubbles and claim it as her own.
And the piece de resistance: the mirror in front of the bath hides a TV screen that is only visible when you turn it on. Very slick.
Porter House Hotel – MGallery’s Cellar Door
Rather than have your run-of-the-mill hotel lobby bar, the Porter House has done something brilliant.
This is Bread And Wine, the cellar door for Handpicked, a winery that crafts wine from the best growing regions in Australia and around the world.
You can sit and have a wine tasting or enjoy a whole bottle, just like a regular cellar door. And having a space in this beautiful 19th Century building, with its vaulted ceilings and exposed beams, makes the experience even more evocative.
The cellar door has a range of wine flights you can choose from like ‘Chardonyay!’, which gives you four different Chardonnays to try, and ‘Rarely Single’, which is a showcase of Handpicked’s most sought-after wines.
You can also add a cheese pairing to go with each wine, and there are charcuterie boards you can order if you feel like a bit more to eat.
Seasonal Events
The Porter House runs regular seasonal events and specials that are fun. For our winter getaway, we enjoy the Red Affair package.
Along with our lovely room, we get a ‘Quick and the Red’ wine flight and cheese pairing, which includes generous pours of four Handpicked reds — the perfect salve to winter’s chill.
This offer is for one person; an additional wine flight and cheese pairing will be at extra cost.
Health and Fitness
Upstairs on the roof, you’ll find the well-equipped gym. One whole wall is a folding glass door, which means you can work out in the open air.
Round the corner is a narrow lap pool if you feel like a dunk.
The Cafe
As well as breakfast options in Dixson & Son on level 1, the ground floor also has the Porter House Grounds cafe if you just want a quick coffee and croissant to get your morning going.
The Porter House Hotel – MGallery is an ideal place to stay in Sydney whether you’re visiting or on a staycation.
