Porter House Hotel, Sydney: Review
This freshly opened property has heritage values, a fascinating backstory and a great CBD location but what’s it like inside?
It’s been a wet and wild cab ride to the doorstep of Sydney’s newly launched Porter House Hotel. My husband exits left, into the traffic, and races around to my side. At that precise moment, a brolly-wielding figure races across the pavement, grabs the door handle and ducks his head inside. “My wife’s in there! Let her get out first before you take the cab!” Oh heck, brollies at dawn?
The cab-nabber is doorman Eden, who’s trying to assist me over the running gutter. He’s confused, the husband is embarrassed, but I am dry and laughing hugely. “Any porter in a storm!” I cry. It’s an amusing entree to a hotel that trades on highly personal service amid a backdrop of carefully integrated original features and contemporary style.
The property’s full name, The Porter House Hotel Sydney MGallery, clearly attests to the embrace of Accor Hotels. The French-headquartered international group’s M Gallery brand is positioned in the boutique universe with an emphasis on artwork, design, neighbourhood cred and a certain savoir-faire that’s not as formal as big sister Sofitel. In other words, there’s an appealing fun factor and locations are usually in happening (or about-to-happen) precincts. In this case, it’s the southern reaches of Castlereagh St, almost on the corner of Bathurst. Within cooee are malls, arcades, retail giants such as Myer and DJs, and the cooling green swath of Hyde Park.
The backstory
The Porter House’s early origins were as a tobacco factory and warehouse, commissioned in 1876 by Hugh Dixson, leading manufacturer of the era, after whom the first-floor restaurant is named. By 1891, makers WW Campbell & Co (furniture) and George Johnson & Sons (leather) leased the building from Dixson, and a section of preserved painted exterior signage from the latter announces Leather & Grindery Merchants: Wholesale & Retail. The Porter leather and grindery company acquired the building in 1958 and several tenants moved in; the construction of the 36-storey Castle Residences, now integrated into the accommodation tower, commenced in 2018. It makes sense that a hotel would follow.
The heritage-listed property houses reception and food and beverage outlets, while linked accommodation of 122 guestrooms is on the lower 10 floors of Castle Residences with a heated outdoor lap pool, fitness centre and relaxation deck on the 11th level. Viewed from the eastern side of Castlereagh St, the 19th-century building is improbably, but appealingly, small, almost at ankle-height to the shiny vertical streetscape.
Guestrooms
Design firm Candalepas Associates has created an inventive and decorative hybrid, with tactile surfaces, such as ribbed leather bedheads, that pay direct homage to the crafts of the Johnson and Porter eras. Guestrooms have pale hardwood floors and curved and circular features, including round bedside tables, that add a restrained touch of art deco, and the dusty pinks of the decor evoke a glam boudoir effect, whether intentional or not.
The shape of windows in the accommodation block harks to the arches of the Victorian-era neighbour and brushed metal fixtures have a softening visual effect. Even the bathroom oval mirror and round basin atop a marble vanity bench play into this theme. They may not be ultimately memorable rooms, but they are very pretty, whisper-quiet, snug and super comfy, with big TVs, cocooning king (or twin) beds and intuitive technology courtesy of an iPad concierge. I like the mismatched old and new styles of drop lighting either side of the bed and playful decor touches. The design is not achingly hip but it’s certainly angled towards a younger demographic and, unless travelling alone, I would recommend booking the Superior category for more space. (Light-filled corner rooms, especially high-up 1002, have multiple curved windows with deep exterior hoods and canyon-like glimpses of Hyde Park.)
Dining options
Henry’s Bread and Wine
Back on the ground floor, pause in the laneway and look at mounted displays of various artefacts from the convict era and the site’s industrial past, including a small stoneware jar, fragments of dinnerware, and leather offcuts and scraps from the soles of shoes. It provides a continuum and timeline before pitching up at Henry’s Bread and Wine, just off the reception area. This is the spot to be for breakfast on the hop (bagels and wicked pastries), cafe orders, and drinks served at the sit-up cocktail bar or in diner-style booths. If on a perch at that marble bar, watch the mixologists in action. It feels a little bit NYC, with garnishes galore, lots of shaking going on, and concoctions as creative as Orchard Blossom, made with watercress-infused gin, peach liqueur, vodka and vermouth. Many of the mixes are similarly botanical, echoing the fresh and dried native flowers beyond, lined up on a florist-style counter, and as guestroom displays in bowls and vases. On my Saturday night visit, flannel flowers and paper daisies are in abundance, flutes of Taittinger are doing the rounds and the most popular bar snacks are bowls of shiny olives and Marcona almonds tossed with Korean chilli powder, smoked paprika and salt.
Dixson & Sons
The main event is up one level at Dixson & Sons, which is a big, proper restaurant with seating for 90, including at a central bar, in semi-private spaces or in the main area overlooking Castlereagh St. Our position for two almost next to the kitchen provides us with loud neighbours and semi-darkness but also much to observe as we clock what dishes are flying off the pass. (Breakfast next morning bathed in natural light in the principal room gives more space, airiness and appreciation of the architectural details and fit-out.)
Executive chef Emrys Jones’s shortish but assured evening menu is designed to share and relies heavily, and appropriately, on NSW-sourced and seasonal ingredients, with an Asian accent in herbs and a clear French technique to the cooking. Grilled zucchini with broad beans, parsley and pistachio pesto, and parmesan tilts to Italy; while from the “larger plates” line-up, expect a meaty focus, at least one fish dish (pray it’s the barbecued john dory with blackened, puckered skin and bursts of dessert lime) and a veg offering that’s much more than an afterthought. Do not, under any circumstances, pass up the sensational sourdough loaf with Pepe Saya butter, and sides of triple-cooked chips sprinkled with native oregano salt, or carrots with blood orange and anise myrtle.
It’s good, filling tucker, as they would have said back in the Dixson and Johnson days, and the young staff are friendly, if a little forgetful (training wheels are still spinning at Henry’s, too). And if you’re staying in-house, a walkway with glass balustrades on the first floor between the old and new buildings provides direct passage to Dixson & Sons and an interesting viewpoint of the meld and mix of architecture. Look down, up, sideways. Give a shout-out to Eden and his colleagues as they man the brollies amid Sydney’s damp and gusty spring weather.
Susan Kurosawa was a guest of Accor.