Rivera Residences to open Haberfield hotel

A three-storey hotel will be built at Haberfield after the developer and Inner West Council settled their differences over the plans.

A receptionist at a hotel. Picture: Thinkstock

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A three-storey hotel will be built at Haberfield after the developer and Inner West Council settled their differences over the plans.

The 78-room hotel will be at 215-217 Parramatta Rd, a site which had been used by a business called Bootcamps Australia.

The hotel will be three storeys on its Parramatta Rd side, but two storeys where it neighbours homes.

One of the chief concerns about the hotel was its height.

The building’s parapet and lift were to reach a height of 11.955m, which breached the 10m rule for the site.

Land and Environment Court Commissioner Joanne Gray oversaw a conciliation conference between the council and developer Rivera Residences late last year to discuss changes to the plans.

She ruled the height breach could be justified as it helped provide a high quality sculptural form.

The hotel must not be adapted to be used as residential units, a hostel, serviced apartments or as a boarding house. These were among the conditions imposed by the commissioner.

A maximum 156 people are allowed at the venue at one time.

A worker prepares a bed in a hotel room. Picture: Thinkstock

Rivera Residences appealed to the court after its development application to the council expired.

This usually means the application has been refused.

The court in December upheld the appeal, although the developer had to pay about $8,000 in council costs.

Attempts to contact the developer, Rivera Residences, were unsuccessful.