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I check into the new 64-room Veriu Broadway warehouse conversion hotel in Sydney’s revitalised Ultimo and enter the hash-tagged world of #livelikealocal. The property’s name is purpose-driven towards the new breed of hipster (that “u” at the end of Veriu, derived from the Latin verus, to live) who want it to be all about them.
So there “u” have it, from accommodation in artful studios and split-level lofts with an industrial edge to swish bicycles to borrow and a Living Local list that suggests a slew of eateries and neighbourhood attractions such as the Tramsheds “urban playground”, markets, cocktail bars and craft breweries. Forget a formal reception desk, porters and butlers — check in beside the cafe counter, grab an espresso and pastry, and head to your groovy grey-and-white digs, equipped with laundry and kitchen, just like home.
The biggest hospitality trends du jour are not rooftop infinity-edge pools, pillow menus, 24/7 valets, bedtime turndown services, leisure concierges or technology butlers but something much more fundamental and embracing. It is all about hotels in distinct city and satellite neighbourhoods that celebrate a sense of connection with their communities and encourage collaborations that benefit guests and local businesses alike.
It could be a detail as simple as featuring parish produce on menus and in mini-bars or a more cohesive approach of working with designers and artists to ensure accommodation and public areas come with a clear message of context. Such smallish hotels typically appeal to independent travellers wishing to explore newly cool precincts filled with organic food stores, family-run bistros, galleries, ateliers and stores, with an emphasis on handmade and fair trade. Many properties feature local artwork in public areas and guestrooms, with key pieces for sale, further fostering a sense of being part of the neighbourhood.
But a meaningful involvement is also paramount. City-fringe and regional properties operated by Atura Hotels in locations such as Albury on the NSW-Victoria border and Bankstown in Sydney’s southwest have established a reputation for hosting events that benefit residents and businesses. Atura Dandenong, in Melbourne’s southeast “population growth corridor”, has forged strong civic connections in the Greater Dandenong area, home to people from more than 150 nations; the hotel, city council and many local businesses have clearly stated policies to support the community, from sponsoring exhibitions by, say, refugee artists to encouraging patronage of amateur theatre productions.
It’s smallish boutique hotels leading this charge, partly to do with their manageable size and often slightly off-mainstream locations. In Australia, some are bucking the international expectation of an on-site restaurant and turning to the grab-and-go breakfast concept; for other meals guests would be directed to eateries within a short stroll. The just-opened Spicers Retreat Potts Point in Sydney’s inner east, for example, has a petite breakfast area, a cocktail bar that adjoins the casual reception desk, and a library lounge. If you want dinner, consult your 20-page “passport” to the precinct and patronise recommended restaurants, all within walking distance, many of which offer deals to the hotel’s guests. At Sage Hotel James Street in Brisbane, central to the “lifestyle precinct” in newly hip Fortitude Valley, a light breakfast or heart-starter coffee option is available at James Street Cafe and Cellar off the lobby, or you can buy drinks at bottle-shop prices to take to your guestroom.
According to Dave Baswal, chief operating officer in Australia of the privately owned, Hong Kong-based Ovolo Hotels group, which specialises in “intuitively designed” properties, Australians are keen supporters of “lifestyle-based accommodation”. He says there’s a “growing desire for genuine and personal places that provide an effortless experience rich in culture from (the) surroundings”. He adds that “approximately eight out of the top 20 hotels in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on TripAdvisor are lifestyle-based properties”. The group has two Sydney hotels, Ovolo Woolloomooloo and Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour, and one in Melbourne, Ovolo Laneways.
Baswal says that according to commercial real-estate giant CBRE, an average increase of 28.75 per cent in new hotel supply is slated to arrive in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth by 2022. “Ovolo is really only just at the beginning of our future growth in Australia.” he says. “Our current focus will be bringing our newly acquired Brisbane property, currently the New Inchcolm Hotel & Suites, online by the end of 2017.”
Other lifestyle-focused and neighbourhood-connected boutique hotels in Australia include QT Melbourne, and Tribe and Aloft in Perth. Veriu Hotels, with a remit for properties from 20 to 120 guestrooms, has Camperdown and Randwick locations in Sydney as well as its Broadway flagship and more planned for locations such as Surry Hills and Elizabeth Bay. But it’s not just about capital cities. The Australian-headquartered Crystalbrook Collection has committed to an investment of $370 million to develop three “distinctive lifestyle-savvy hotels” in Cairns, with the first slated for next year. Expect troppo revival chic and pineapple martinis.
THE LIFESTYLE CHECKLIST
●Typically, the hotel will be small, with about 100 guestrooms; it may have apartment-style inventory, too, for families and longer stays.
●Many properties will be in converted warehouses or small heritage buildings; Tribe Perth has a prefabricated core and the Old Clare in Sydney’s Chippendale incorporates a corner pub.
●Expect compact accommodation, sometimes studio style, with the focus on good beds, cable TV, quirky design details, organic toiletries, USB ports and free Wi-Fi.
●It is imperative to be Instagrammable for the social media-addicted audience; when Hotel Ovolo opened in 2013 (now Ovolo 1888 Darling Harbour), it promoted itself as the world’s first Instagram-focused property. It offered free nights to those who posted the best Insta pictures and incorporated a selfie wall in the lobby.
●Facilities may not be as comprehensive as bigger hotels but rates have been “edited” accordingly and often aligned with upper-end Airbnb accommodation.
●Business centres are old hat. The Johnson Brisbane, a member of the neighbourhood-focused Art Series Hotel Group and showcase for the work of painter Michael Johnson, has a communal table in its lobby; it’s a great place to mingle with a takeout coffee from its street-front Tumbling Stone Restaurant & Bar, work with zippy Wi-Fi or browse piles of books and magazines. Veriu Broadway’s lobby cafe has a similar chatty feel.
●Rather than an onsite spa, there’ll be a hook-up with a local salon in the precinct that guarantees priority appointments for guests, in-room treatments by visiting therapists, and complimentary passes to nearby pools and gyms. Often there’ll be a yoga mat in the wardrobe and information on nearby classes, plus complimentary bicycles.
●Thanks to a strong retail location at Fortitude Valley in Brisbane, Sage Hotel James Street’s female front-office staff wear a rotating array of Dinosaur Designs jewellery from the nearby boutique and there are display pieces in guestrooms. Neighbourhood collaborator Kit & Ace designed the uniforms; the vibrant floral cushions are from the Mokum line by James Dunlop Textiles, a local favourite. For design and lifestyle industry contacts that don’t need a formal conference space, the hotel’s studio-like Sage Style Room with a wall-sized fashion runway mural can be booked for showcases and VIP events.
●Expect mini-bars to be almost exclusively composed of local, regional or state produce from small suppliers; there will be craft beers, wines of the state, pressed juices and healthy snacks. If there’s in-room dining, the menu will be short, based on a handful of simple dishes with an emphasis on the provenance of ingredients.
●Works from artists and photographers with community connections are featured in public areas and guestrooms; many such items are for sale and guests are encouraged to visit neighbourhood galleries.
●Frontline staff are properly trained in “the knowledge”; although not boutique in scale, at Voyages Ayers Rock Resort you may be served, assisted or tour-guided by trainees and graduates of the National Indigenous Training Academy.
Sоurсе: theaustralian.com.au
