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A new boutique hotel at Sydney’s Darling Harbour

Sydney has an exciting new boutique hotel built for travellers by travellers and inspired by the people, produce and past of its local neighbourhood, with the opening of Aiden Darling Harbour. This inaugural opening marks the debut of the Aiden by Best Western brand in Australasia within the BWH Hotel Group (BWH) portfolio representing a lifestyle boutique offering for the upscale traveller. The 88 compact room hotel has been thoughtfully created to deliver a local experience through its design, art, food & beverage and room features within a beautifully remodelled 1930s Art Deco building in Sydney’s harbourside village of Pyrmont. Interiors of the eight-storey hotel draw on textures and hues from the area, such as the Sydney Harbour blue of its plush velvet bedheads, fluted glass inspired by shapes of Pyrmont Bridge situated opposite and a 200-piece sculptural light in the lobby emulating dappled sunlight through eucalyptus leaves. Aiden Darling Harbour’s guest rooms feature locally-made furnishings such as super comfy Sleepmaker beds set against vibrant murals of native flora hand-painted by artist in residence, Jessica Le Clerc. Select rooms have exclusive views of an otherwise hidden 25-metre-high “evergreen” mural of lush subtropical rainforest. In the ground floor lobby and Wayfarer’s Bar & Café, guests can discover the hotel’s signature botanical fragrance from candles handmade by Pyrmont local Em Cook, while enjoying croissants from Pyrmont’s PiOiK Bakery, Staves Beer brewed nextdoor in Glebe, wine from an all-Australian list and bottled Aiden by Best Western signature cocktails mixed with local spirits. Also on offer are guest experiences and special offers forged with Pyrmont and Darling Harbour neighbours, from an exclusive local walking tour with Local Sauce to a private luxury sailing expedition with Sydney By Sail. Aiden Darling Harbour has been formulated in partnership with BWH Hotel Group by well-travelled Sydneysider Nicolas Chen and Pyrmont local Michael Sharp as General Manager. Rooms have been envisioned to focus on essentials for a smart, enriching and great value stay, such as complimentary Wi-Fi and chromecasting, ready-to-fill fridges replacing minibars, digital room keys and luxury in-room items like Dyson hairdryers. The property is uniquely constructed for the future of travel and hotels, with state-of-the-art design and technologies to ensure a safe and secure stay, including MERV-13 (or F7) air-conditioning filtration in each room and continuous 24/7 hydroxyl supply and dispersion throughout the building’s ventilation system. The hotel has opened with 42 guest rooms, with an additional 46 being finalised with soft furnishings for stays from April 2022 including several with private open air balconies. To celebrate its opening, Aiden Darling Harbour is offering a special Opening Rate from AU$249 per night.

Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Telegraph.

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3 Comments

  1. A walking tour is a great way to get a feel for the locality, you have to slow down to see and hear the detail.

  2. One of the things I “judge” a hotel with is the bathroom. I’m not sure if I’m the only one who does that. Aiden doesn’t have overly large bathrooms but its well designed. and well stocked with bath amenities.

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