Ascott opens stylish, new 252-key Citadines in North Sydney
Boasting the highest room count in the area, Citadines Walker North Sydney spans 19 levels of the building.
“Citadines Walker North Sydney will connect guests with comfortable and flexible accommodation in a blue-ribbon location, and a friendly team of ‘Citazens’ to connect guests with the very best experiences North Sydney has to offer,” said Ascott Australia Managing Director, David Mansfield.
“Citadines offers guests an attractive location to mix business and leisure. You can get work done, enjoy dinner and a drink, and immerse yourself in the surrounding cityscape. The mixed-use nature of 88 Walker St means it is a hub of activity compared to neighbouring mono use buildings.”
Citadines Walker is the second Citadines Hotel to be opened in NSW, and the fourth in the Australian market. A resurgence in business travel has seen the brand become the fastest growing in Ascott’s global portfolio, with 21 new Citadines hotels opening this year.
In Australia, the lodgings business plans to grow to 30 properties under the Citadines, lyf and Oakwood brands by 2030.
“Through brands like Citadines and lyf, Ascott Australia is investing in the infrastructure to grow the lucrative bleisure travel market in Australia, which is primed for growth across the APAC region,” Mansfield said.
“Ascott continues to build market share at speed through our hub and spoke approach, weaving our brands like Citadines and lyf together into a network that meets the needs of all travellers. With Citadines Walker North Sydney, and the upcoming lyf Sussex Sydney, Ascott Australia is supporting Sydney’s economic growth and the wider visitor economy.”
Citadines – French for ‘City dwellers’ – aims to bring the best of city living to guests in a comfortable, modern setting catering to both business and leisure guests with studio rooms and spacious suites featuring separate living and kitchenette.
Citadines Walker features a two-story mezzanine with double storey windows, a level five reception and guest lounge, a fitness centre on level six with floor to ceiling windows, and a business centre with a boardroom and workstations.
A restaurant lounge and bar offering is expected to open on level five next year.
88 Walker St Architect and Partner at Fitzpatrick and Partners, Paul Reidy, said the brief was “all about comfort”.
“You feel connected to the beating heart of the city. We kept the bedrooms warm to dark, creating a cosy aesthetic that cocoons guests. The darker tones in the public spaces enable the strength of the concrete walls to feature prominently,” he said.
“The Citadines brand signature connects you with cities, and with Citadines Walker the ground floor lobby serves as a public space. The mezzanine design across levels five and six uses impressive double-storey windows to bring the surrounding cityscape inside the hotel. Within these public levels there are spaces for a shower if you arrive early, and spaces to work.”
“Blending the hotel amenities and reception together with the restaurant into a single vibrant space creates a unique atmosphere at Citadines Walker. The elaborately lit petal soffit to the tower above the eye-catching cantilever work to command attention and breathe life into the hotel exterior, providing a ceiling to Walker Street, and a new North Sydney landmark.”
Strategically located adjacent to the upcoming Victoria Cross metro station, Citadines Walker is part of a revitalisation of the North Sydney CBD.