International hotel group, Accor has announced one of Sydney’s finest heritage hotels, Hotel Woolstore 1888, is joining its portfolio of Handwritten Collection hotels this month.
The agreement is with the hotel’s new owners Shakespeare Property Group.
The iconic Darling Harbour property was originally built in 1888 and is the fourth oldest of 21 surviving wool stores in Sydney, however, with its contemporary design and industrial-chic interiors with modern and pop art, nothing is considered old-fashioned about the hotel.
First opening as an hotel in 2013, the four-level sandstone and brick building consists of 90 guestrooms, a multi-award-winning neighbourhood restaurant and wine bar, a private dining room and meeting space.
Shakespeare Property Group Vice President Hospitality Assets and Investments, Richard Saab, said: “Partnering with Accor to operate Hotel Woolstore 1888 under its Handwritten Collection brand was an ideal choice for us as we really want the original character of the hotel to shine.
“Handwritten Collection offers flexible brand standards, which is perfect for boutique hotel owners. It enhances the guest experience with a few light brand attributes, while still allowing us to benefit from Accor’s high standards of hospitality and globally renowned sales, distribution and loyalty platforms.
“The centralised operations and support team operated by Accor provides strong efficiencies for our hotels managed by the Group.”
Hotel Woolstore 1888 is the fifth hotel that Shakespeare Property Group has partnered with Accor on in Australia, following the success of Pullman Cairns International, Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort, Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort and Peppers Marysville.
Accor Pacific Chief Operating Officer PM&E, Adrian Williams, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Shakespeare Property Group again to open this incredible new addition to our growing portfolio of Handwritten Collection hotels.
“We’re seeing rapidly increasing popularity and demand in the boutique accommodation market, and Hotel Woolstore 1888 is well placed to capture this growth as a Handwritten Collection hotel.
“Through our Handwritten Collection brand, we’re broadening our portfolio of boutique hotels and bringing together small to mid-size hotels that authentically reflect the character and warmth of the people who love and look after them.”
The hotel is located in a prominent inner-city location on the corner of Pyrmont and Murray Streets in Darling Harbour, just behind the Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour and the soon-to-be redeveloped Harbourside Shopping Centre.
Handwritten Collection is a global portfolio of one-of-a-kind hotels enriching Accor’s offering in the collection brands segment. Since launching just last year, Accor has successfully opened two Handwritten Collection hotels in Australia – Hotel Morris Sydney and Wonil Hotel Perth.
From luxury to economy, Accor has 19 international brands across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and French Polynesia, such as Sofitel, MGallery, Art Series, Pullman, Swissôtel, Mövenpick, Grand Mercure, Peppers, The Sebel, Mantra, Handwritten Collection, Novotel, TRIBE, Mercure, BreakFree, ibis, ibis Styles and ibis budget, as well as Ennismore’s SO/.
