Heritage icon, InterContinental Sydney refurbishment unveiled
Built recently completed a significant refurbishment of the InterContinental Sydney, creating a new sense of luxury in one of Sydney’s premier heritage hotels for developer Mulpha.
“To sum up the project in one sentence, I’d have to say it’s one of the most complex and ambitious refurbishments undertaken in a live hotel in the last decade,” said Built Construction Manager, Adam Arnold.
Starting in 2019, the refurbishment consisted of five stages, beginning with a full upgrade of the building’s services, the complete refurbishment of all guest rooms, public area works on levels five and six, upgrading the wellness amenities on the rooftop level and creating a new bar, as well as a full restoration of the building’s heritage components.
Leading global architecture firm, Woods Bagot, drew inspiration from the surrounding harbour and parklands to breathe new life into the interiors.
Innovative solutions:
Complex refurbishment in a live environment
“Our brief was to provide a hotel that both respected the historical significance of the building but also provide a really contemporary and relaxed Australian welcome,” said Tracey Wiles, Principal and Regional Interior Design Lead, Woods Bagot.
“The inspiration for the fitout is largely based on its prominent position in the city, its neighbouring location is the Sydney Botanic Gardens, gave us a large reference to bring the flora and fauna into the heart of the building.”
Grace O’Connor, Executive Assistant Manager at Intercontinental Sydney is excited to welcome guests into the newly refurbished hotel.
“This hotel has a special connection to guests, I encounter countless interactions with guests who are coming back and returning to us, reliving a special occasion or experience here at the hotel, which may have been when their parents got engaged or their sister may have had a wedding or they may be returning to celebrate their nephew’s christening, it’s often for really special experiences that they return to us”, said Ms O’Connor.
