It’s Art Deco glamour meets a relaxed city stay at Kimpton Margot Sydney, part of IHG, where even four-legged guests are welcome. Karryon Luxury checks in.
The storied past of this heritage-listed gem is enough to entice me along to the 172-key hotel in the southern end of the Sydney CBD. It was formerly the headquarters of the Sydney Water Board from 1939 to 2009 and today retains many of its heritage-listed features.
Check-in and beyond
Automatic doors open on our arrival via Bathurst Street. There are two entrances to the hotel – via Pitt Street and also through a walkway through Bathurst street.
The lobby has my heart with its incredible six towering red Scagliola pillars and a glass-tiled ceiling.
There are lots of lounge chairs, furnished in pastel-coloured velvets. Shelving hosts various objets d’art and fashion and lifestyle coffee table books. Music plays softly throughout the lobby.
Check-in takes place at the reception counters and is swift and seamless.
The rooms
I’m staying in room 527, a one-bedroom suite with a lounge zone, bedroom and bathroom. It’s spacious with a lot of natural light – though we don’t have a street view. There are two huge LED TVs: one is opposite the bed and the other in the lounge area. Google Chromecast is available on the TV allowing you to stream Netflix in your room.
The bedroom and lounge room is separated by a large bookcase which also houses a small mini bar where we find T-bar teas, an espresso machine, and several other in-room essentials.
The Kimpton Margot Sydney rooms are clean and simple, staying true to the Art Deco heritage of the building.
The bathroom is stocked with Mr Smith amenities; it has a separate bath and I admire the glossy white subway tiles on the walls.
I love the full-sized walk-in-robe where there’s a large, inbuilt luggage rack; and where cotton gowns by illustrator ‘Georgia Draws a House’ are available for guest use – they feature illustrated motifs that reference the past history of the property as the former Water Board headquarters.
The tributes to the building’s history can be seen throughout Kimpton Margot Sydney on each of the hotel floors. On our level five, there’s a large sign including an historic floorplan sketch and information that tells us that level five was home to the Survey Branch of the Sydney Water Head office.
Food and drink
Luke’s Kitchen is an absolute highlight. Located on the lobby level, it carries the name of celebrated chef, Luke Mangan who oversees the culinary direction here. The open kitchen provides a source of theatre where we can see the busy action of the chefs and waiters at work.
The garlic bread with onion jam, curry butter and gruyere cheese was absolutely decadent. For drinks, guests can order from the Cellar By Luke list which features more than 150 wines, many from local NSW wineries.
For breakfast, we find ourselves back at the Luke’s Kitchen space where we can choose from the ‘Margot’s Kitchen Table’ where guests can choose from the buffet – serving yoghurt, fruit, muffins, cereal, croissants, muesli – and then you select one main and two drinks each per person from an a la carte menu. I choose a cheesy truffle toastie with zucchini pickle, mixed leaf salad and fried egg.
The Wilmot Bar is a great area for pre-dinner drinks and cocktails. Meanwhile every Saturday, from 11:30-2:30pm, there’s a Bottomless Brunch hosted at Luke’s Kitchen where guests can enjoy five-courses of dishes curated by Luke Mangan with 90 minutes of free-flowing rosé and sparkling (or make it free-flowing cocktails for $145; or $205 for the Champagne Taittinger package).
The extras
The hotel hosts a daily ‘Social Hour’ between 5-6pm with complimentary wines. On Saturday’s, it’s held in the Mezzanine. We visit and find families playing board games and Jenga; and couples relaxing after a day of sightseeing.
We loved that the hotel is pet friendly! We see people walking their dogs through the lobby. I’ve heard the hotel has even had pet llamas check-in too.
Facilities and wellness
It’s raining heavily on the weekend that I visit so I didn’t check out the open-air rooftop pool on level seven, exclusive for hotel guest use. I hear it’s a popular feature of the hotel.
The hotel has a fitness centre open 24 hours. Yogis can join in the yoga program created in conjunction with yoga specialist Egg of the Universe. You can join in rooftop yoga classes or have a yoga lesson in the privacy of your own room.
To explore nearby sites, including Hyde Park, guests can loan custom-designed Lekker bikes with accompanying picnic basket, adjustable handlebars, premium LED lights and other safety features. The hotel provides complimentary helmets, bike locks and maps.
The verdict
If your city activities involve this end of the Sydney CBD, then Kimpton Margot Sydney offers a premium and refined option. I travelled by light rail the day after my stay to a festival at Randwick Racecourse, with the light rail stop just moments’ walk from the hotel (they were happy to hold my luggage until my return).
At this end of town, you’re also close to Chinatown, Hyde Park, Pitt Street Mall, theatres and the walkway to Darling Harbour and Tumbalong Park.
The details
Address: 339 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Room #: 527
Check in: 3pm / Check-out: 11am
Rooms start from AUD$260 per night
The writer stayed as a guest of the hotel.
