This husband-wife hospitality duo are embarking on their most ambitious venture yet
This dynamic husband-wife hospitality duo are known as the perfectionist chefs behind the relocated Saint Peter in Paddington, and now they’re adding a bold new career move.
Josh Niland is a whole other kettle of fish you might have heard. Since establishing Saint Peter restaurant eight years ago, the razor-sharp Sydney chef has elevated pescatarian fare to stellar heights, penned three best-selling books on whole fish cooking, and reeled in a tonne of international acclaim – the kind any aspiring culinary innovator would kill for. In August, Niland, together with his spouse and business partner, Julie, transposed their acclaimed Paddington eatery to the reborn Grand National Hotel, and it instantly became one of the most coveted reservations in the country. And they’re not done flexing their mussels.
In November, the intrepid pair will unveil the accommodations that sit atop their humming eatery. Far from being an afterthought, the 14 rooms are svelte spaces with a felicitous blend of rich materials, warm colours and custom-made furnishings, including organically shaped velvet headboards framing the beds.
Enlivening floors are maximalist carpets by Catherine Martin for Designer Rugs, while adorning walls are fine art prints by John Olsen, Gary Heery and Ken Done. Also commanding attention are bronze sconces, plush pillows and elaborate wallpapers, such as one from Cole & Son inspired by Flemish tapestry.
“Obviously Julie and I are not hoteliers,” conceded Josh on a recent day, touring a visitor around the eastern-suburbs bolthole. “But having someone else in there bothered me more than not doing it.” Travel + Luxury was granted the first look at the boutique hotel, which intends to whet the appetite of local and global gourmands. Added Julie: “Every choice we’ve made for the hotel we have applied through the lens of Saint Peter, and only buying the best of the best.” Even the cosiest rooms brim with details befitting a lavish apartment. “I love this Fornasetti wallpaper,” said Julie, pointing to a witty depiction of metallic clouds tracing a ceiling.
The silver lining of the project wasn’t always as apparent. It was George Penklis, the Grand National’s owner, who enjoined the couple to scale up. Penklis, who helms Odyssey Private Equity, approached Niland with the idea in 2018. At first the chef was circumspect. “I realised it was a chance to express ourselves fully,” he said. Slowed by the pandemic and council delays, the revamp advanced at a glacial pace. In the meantime, the Nilands consolidated Fish Butchery, a retail fishmonger, and debuted a bistro, Petermen, in St Leonards. They also refined dishes such as coral trout soup, King George whiting in olive brine, and delicate ribbons of calamari paired with ’nduja-spiced tuna – a deep-sea rendition of spaghetti Bolognese.
Last year, Niland expanded beyond local shores with the 146-seat Fysh restaurant at the Edition hotel in Singapore. That experience has forever altered his perspective. “I’m learning to be a better coach than captain,” he said. “I have to work with a broad team at the Edition and it’s given me insights into what modern luxury looks like.” A connoisseur of swish hotels, Penklis also shared his viewpoint on crafting world-class digs. The hotel proprietor enlisted Sydney-based Studio Aquilo to compose the interiors, the same design firm he employs on his private residences.
Designers Belinda Chippindale and Dimity Chitty said no expense was spared in decking out the guest rooms. Instead of applying one pervasive look, there are multiple options, encouraging repeat visits for gastronomic getaways. “George and his wife, Christine, wanted something really quite bold,” said Chippindale. “The restaurant areas are pared back, and upstairs is a lot moodier with pattern on pattern.” The Nilands were integral to the design process, too. “They were very involved in selecting fixtures,” said Chitty. “And while the hotel is an extension of the restaurant it’s also a heritage surprise. Most people are blown away.”
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The designers restored what they could of the original structure, which dates to around 1890. “But it had been run down, so there wasn’t much goodness left,” added Chitty. They repaired marble fireplaces, reanimated vintage tiles, and enhanced ceiling roses and architraves. The inviting, sun-filled guest rooms gaze out onto rows of fastidious terrace houses and flowering jacaranda trees. The largest suite has a balcony with Harbour Bridge vistas. Marble-splashed bathrooms are sleekly modern and serene; six of the rooms have freestanding tubs with silver claw feet. Niland-approved accessories include candles, soaps and even ceramics derived from fish byproducts.
As food-obsessed travellers scour the world in search of zesty flavours, exceptional artistry and World’s 50 Best-listed eateries, it makes sense that restaurant-led hotels are having a moment, too. They are destinations where you can relish a memorable meal, enjoy the wine pairing and then roll into bed – sated, elated, perhaps a little intoxicated. Among the most revered epicurean havens are Alain Ducasse’s La Bastide de Moustiers in Provence, Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, a Belmond Hotel, in Oxfordshire, and Joachim Koerper’s Herdade da Malhadinha Nova in Portugal’s Alentejo region. Hungry hordes adore them.
In 2019, Italian star chef Massimo Bottura and restaurateur Lara Gilmore spruced up a farmhouse near Modena for their Casa Maria Luigia. The illustrious Roca family has its 15-room Casa Cacao in the Spanish city of Girona. The hotel sibling of three-Michelin-starred restaurant El Celler de Can Roca, the lodging has a chocolate atelier and is renowned for its four-course breakfast. “It felt generous and thoughtful,” said Niland, who stayed in 2022. Julie fondly recalled Michel Bras’s Le Suquet in the Midi-Pyrénées in southern France. “Josh and I went there on our honeymoon 12 years ago, but we couldn’t afford to stay so we stayed at the Best Western at the bottom of the hill,” she said, smiling ruefully.
In Australia, the Grand National is analogous to Brae and Lake House in regional Victoria, revered restaurants with rooms secured well in advance for milestone occasions. Julie continued: “Alla Wolf-Tasker [co-owner of Lake House] said it’s an opportunity for us to extend the hospitality of the restaurant, and I love that.” While the hotel will not offer room service – foolishly, I neglected to share my idea about a fish club sandwich – a hearty breakfast is included. “Savoury items like smoked-fish quiche and swordfish bacon,” said Julie. Looking wistful, Josh said: “We’ll drop some freshly baked goods and handmade chocolates in the rooms – it’s all quite romantic and beautiful.”
The Nilands are emphatic about ensuring Saint Peter is a first-rate dining experience. “If we get it right downstairs, then you attract the right audience that wants to go upstairs,” said Josh. “I hope people arriving at Sydney airport say ‘I want to go there’.” Connecting the two concepts will require continuous effort. On the drawing board, for instance, are fish-skin leathers that could embellish in-room accessories, but they’re still being tweaked by the aesthetic-minded duo. So sea bass slippers? “Great idea but not yet,” said Josh. “We will have teddy bears made from bottle caps.” Fish-based beauty treatments are all the rage. Maybe the couple could expand their offering with a spin-off spa. “We’ll give you a lathering,” bantered Josh. “But, seriously, don’t give George any ideas.”
Rooms at the Grand National Hotel start from $650. saintpeter.com.au
This story is from the October issue of Travel + Luxury Magazine, exclusively in The Australian on Friday October 11.
