Hilton Sydney ready for 15 July 2005 re-opening

The Hilton Sydney is set to re-open for business on July 15 2005, with a spectacular and ambitious new design, contemporary dining and exclusive bars, and state-of-the-art conference and events facilities. The new hotel follows in the footsteps of the sleek new Hilton Kuala Lumpur which opened in September last year and which raised the benchmark for Hilton in Asia Pacific.

Revitalising the iconic 1970’s building and 1980’s interior into a contemporary, modern space has been a 30 month and A$200 million dollar undertaking. Combined with the initial purchase cost, the hotel is the largest single site investment made by Hilton International in the group’s history.

Oded Lifschitz, Vice President Hilton Australasia said, “The re-opening of Hilton Sydney is not a typical refurbishment for the hotel industry. Our vision has been to completely rethink every single aspect of the hotel from design, to people and services, food and beverage, wine, uniforms, communication and events and conferencing. In doing this, we also 'borrowed' some of the best practices from other Hilton hotels around the world, including Hilton Kuala Lumpur where senior team members spend considerable time studying what went right. 

Continued Oded, “We have worked with a great team of thought leaders to undertake this dramatic rooftop to basement reconstruction to create an abundance of space, natural light and capacity. The result is Australia’s largest hotel conference space with over four dedicated levels of space totaling 4000 square metres. We have selected the best people from across Australia as well as targeted specialists from all over the globe who do not necessarily come from a traditional hospitality background. At the new-look Hilton Sydney our culture is about having the right personality and enthusiasm to get the job done.”

Designed by Johnson Pilton Walker, the architects behind landmark projects such as the Sydney Opera House makeover, the Art Gallery of NSW, and Governor Phillip and Governor Macquarie Towers, Hilton Sydney has been redefined to become a contemporary hotel of this time. The result is a stylish and inspiring hotel that honours the original structure while at the same time complements the texture, scale and materials of the Town Hall and Queen Victoria Building heritage precinct.

Features of the new Hilton Sydney include the removal of the original blank box five-storey podium to create a dramatic, sun-filled 20 metre lobby in the heart of the site that proudly displays Australian sculptor Bronwyn Oliver’s aluminium masterpiece. Oliver’s coiling spiral design is suspended from the lobby ceiling and twists down four levels into the spacious atrium. The sculpture, featuring thousands of tiny aluminium pieces, took Oliver, an engineer, and a meticulous team of welders almost nine months to assemble.

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