Where 120-124 Victoria St, Potts Point, (02) 9357 3200, spicersretreats.com
Cost From $429, with breakfast.
At a glance 20 rooms and suites; bar, paid self-parking.
In room Free WiFi, smart TV, some baths and balconies, Leif toiletries.
Best rooms The three Victorian Terrace suites combine the heritage charm of marble fireplaces and polished timber floors with king beds, baths and dress-circle seats on lace-trimmed balconies facing Victoria Street.
Tucked behind the bump and grind of Kings Cross, leafy Victoria Street is home to backpacker inns, a boarding school and, now, an elegant small hotel spanning a trio of 19th-century terraces. Spicers Potts Point is an inner-city sanctuary of 20 rooms ranging from studio-style queen rooms to the urban glamour of Victoria terrace suites. The décor is cool and calming – bleached oaks, greys and creams enlivened by Martine Emdur’s paintings of submerged Sydney swimmers. The welcome is gracious; luggage is spirited away, guests are given a “passport” loaded with local tips and treated to cocktails and canapés each evening at the reception bar. A home away from home.
We love
The Victoria Street location places guests in the urban jungle of Potts Point and Kings Cross, full of good eateries and bars, and a stroll from the harbour and city centre.
Artwork by Martine Emdur is displayed throughout the hotel
Thoughtful extras
The hotel’s passport is a little black book of its “favourite neighbours”: cool eateries, cafés, bars, spas and shops. It’s like having a concierge in your pocket.
Dining options
Breakfast is served in the Garden Room, a sky-lit space of hanging creepers, potted succulents and sofas printed like botanical canvases. A highlight of the healthy buffet is tarts filled with coconut-cream granola and studded with fruit and flowers. Eggs are cooked to order, as is the French toast with lime mascarpone.
Drink up
The reception bar treats houseguests to an apéritif – perhaps a Chardonnay Spritz – and canapés at 6pm-7pm and stays open for them until 3am. Thoughtfully stocked minibars feature Nick O’Leary shiraz, Clyde Park chardonnay, Hawke’s lager and Mumm.
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Hotel Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
