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Are You Brave Enough to Stay at Sydney's Harbour Rocks Hotel?

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 34 Harrington Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 2000
October 18, 2012 at 10:20 AM | by | Comments (0)

New hotels abound in Australia's largest city. Sydney has seen an influx of new hotels, spruced-up stand-bys and complete rebrandings. M Gallery has officially thrown their Akubra hat in the ring with their newest property, the Harbour Rocks Hotel.

Sitting on the grounds of the city's very first hospital, the complete renovation has kept a good portion of the past while still creating a comfortable modern living space. Melding old and new by using the original sandstone facade and the adjacent workers cottages to keep with the look and feel of the neighborhood that's dripping with historical relevance. With plenty of vintage buildings housing boutiques, restaurants and cafes, the new hotel is a perfect fit.

All 59 guestrooms offer a contemporary and comfortable style, yet still incorporate the history of the building with exposed brick and vintage-style windows. Because the hotel is in one of the hottest tourist spots in Sydney, it's just a hop, skip or jump away to the Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and Circular Quay. Location is key for this place.

Aside from the renovated rooms and modern amenities, Harbour Rocks provides a little spooky fun. Since the building is quite old, naturally, you would imagine it might be haunted. Your imagination is right. The hotel has a ghost named Eric who was a former patron of the hotel in the late 19th century. The spirit is such a fixture of the building, the lobby bar takes his namesake and the restaurant is named after his lover, Scarlet. Even the non-acoholic welcome drink is an homage, called Scarlet Surprise.

We think it would be hard, but if you luck out finding something to eat in the neighborhood, Scarlet offers a little piece of the past on the menu. The Harbour Rocks Pie and the damper rolls are modern takes on the dishes that early settlers ate when it was a penal colony. If you're looking for a bit more gastronomy, perhaps the pork belly with chili caramel is more to your liking.

Great neighborhood, historical building, great food and ghost stories. What more can you ask for?! Oh yeah, in true M Gallery fashion, the hotel does have a Memorable Moments package that involves a private dining experience overlooking the iconic Sydney Harbour. Although it's not yet available, it still makes the draw card for us!

Prices start at $489 AUS ($509) per night, but the ghost sightings are free.

[Photos: Harbour Rocks Hotel]

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