Revamp creates the Sydney apartment you’ve always wanted, in a hotel

For many travellers, there’s no place like a home away from home – and the surge of interest in the apartment hotels market is proof of that.

City smarts: Adina Town Hall Sydney CBD.Credit:

Those choosing this kind of accommodation now have the benefit of growing competitiveness, and in turn, fresh and creative points of difference among properties on offer.

The unexciting block of bland serviced flats still exists (and has a strong place for the budget-conscious and for their no-frills proximity to industry), but fun players in the scene such as Ovolo, Fraser Suites and Meriton mean you can choose an apartment stay with personality.

One of Australia’s extended stay stalwarts, Adina (it began as Medina last century), is changing its offerings to meet this interest.

The latest to exhibit the group’s new direction is Adina Town Hall in the Sydney CBD, which has just reopened after an extensive renovation.

Bathroom: Out with the bland.Credit:

With an enviable position on Kent Street, just behind Sydney Town Hall, the property presents as a stylish pied-a-terre.

Architect Bates Smart has worked on significant civic projects and high-end hospitality across the globe. It was assigned the job of making Adina Town Hall feel like a home away from home – if home was an upmarket apartment.

A kitchen can help turn an apartment hotel into a home.Credit:

The result is a space that exudes elegance and makes guests feel at home, says Bates Smart interior design director Brenton Smith.

“In the layouts, we opted for simple solutions that are attractive,” he says, “like removing walls and joinery and adding portals to create height and visual focal points. Less is definitely more with these designs.”

Adina Town Hall’s lounge-style lobby design follows this approach, creating a welcoming arrival experience.

Other elevated Adina properties include Adina Pentridge Melbourne, which was a new property rather than a refurb that opened in February 2023, and Adina Geneva in Switzerland, which opened in March that year.

Other recent redos under the new direction include Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne on Flinders, and Adina Apartment Hotel Chippendale in Sydney. Adina Darling Harbour is among several due to be refurbished in coming months.

See adinahotels.com