When China-based Niccolo Hotels group bought over the property, they tasked Foster + Partners to transform the space from an office to a chic 25-storey hotel. The designers took pains to preserve the original facade of the building, even inviting the then 90-year-old Phillips as a project consultant. On the inside, however, any indication that this was once a sterile office is thrown out the window(s) (pun intended), when you see the gilded gold lobby and sleek mid-century furnishings and finishings.
In the Grand Deluxe room I stayed in, plush carpets adorned the shiny hardwood floors, and a floor-to-ceiling headboard framed a King-sized bed dressed in 400 thread-count linens and an array of pillows (yes, you can choose from a range of 16 different types of pillows). My 50sqm room had an unobstructed view of the nearby St John's Cathedral, as well as beautiful views of the city.
But hands down my favourite part of the room? The bathroom, which had been outfitted in marble and gold, was elegant with the right amount of opulence. It also had "magic" glass for its walls, which would turn transparent or opaque at the touch of a switch. Plus, the amenities from organic Australian brand, Grown Alchemist, didn't hurt either.
