Blue in Woolloomooloo :: Sydney's Hot New Neighborhood

The gay scene is without rival; the harbour is stunning; the beaches are beautiful; the bodies on the beaches even more so- let's face it, Sydney is a destination that really does have it all. Recently, while in Sydney to cover the one and only gay Mardi Gras, I had the pleasure to stay in one of the city's hippest hotels and hottest neighborhoods.

Hip, fresh and right on the water, Blue Hotel is the perfect metaphor for the Harbour City of Sydney. Be your goal an urban escape for some rest and relaxation or a marathon party session- Blue Hotel in Woolloomooloo is the place to be seen in Sydney. And I'm not the only one who thinks so either, according to at least one Sydney taxi driver, it's Russell Crowe's base in Sydney.

Blue Hotel

There are good hotels and there are great hotels, and then there are hotels so fabulous you may very well take a holiday and never leave the premises. Blue Hotel is one such hotel and a destination in and of itself.

The chic hotel resides in an old warehouse with rooms ringing an open-floor plan where sits one of the best cocktail bars I've ever been to (more on that in a minute!) Converting a warehouse into a stylish hotel is no easy feat. Warehouses are, after all, by nature designed to be void of personality, not tourist attractions. However, Blue Hotel, a member of the Taj Hotel group, nailed the conversion process in fine style by embracing the industrial and the minimalist and allowing open spaces to define the hotel, while lighting and sly interior design create intimate lounge spaces. Blue in both name and color the vibe throughout is effortlessly cool and chilled out.

From the openness of the lobby, hallways and entry, guests retreat into luxury suites or bi-level lofts (if you can afford the splurge, the more expensive lofts are well worth it) all with king-size beds, 250 thread-count sheets and a million-dollar skyline view, though the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge are not in the picture. As is to be expected of a top Sydney luxury hotel, the amenities and 24/7 service hit almost all the right notes, and after three glorious Mardi Gras days and nights, my only complaint was the lack of free wireless Internet. Yet, for those wanting to escape their inboxes during the holiday, perhaps this is the excuse you need.

Instead of Internet-induced work stress, the hotel offers Serendipity bath products, which you will become addicted to, no matter what you packed in your own toiletries bag. Another option for relaxing is to book into the Spa Chakra, which uses traditional Indian relaxation treatments. For those who prefer to take a dip without the sand or the sunscreen, the hotel has indoor pool (those who prefer the ocean waves should catch a cab to Bondi, packed with hot bodies, or the ferry to Manly, for a slightly less crowded strip).

Blue Hotel is also in an ideal location for urban exploration. Gayer than your last one-night stand Oxford Street as well as the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge are only a short cab-ride or 15-minute walk away.

Waterfront Dining

While Darlinghurst and the Harbour are worth seeing, the wharf at Woolloomooloo also warrants some time during your stay. Top-tier, white-tablecloth restaurants line the water, and the city provides a classic romantic backdrop for a meal to remember.

The dining strip, which is rapidly emerging as one of Sydney's gastronomic hotspots, has something for every taste- tapas, Indian, Chinese, Italian, steakhouse, seafood. During my stay, I opted to have lunch at Manta (the seafood option), where the emphasis was on fresh seafood prepared with equally fresh ingredients. Australian winemaker Farr has been commissioned to create some table wines for the restaurant. If the chardonnay was anything to go by, these wines are not only spectacular, they are one of the best bargains to be found on the wharf.

For dinner, my partner and I dined at Otto, for some trademark Italian romance in a dish (the dish in my case being pumpkin and walnut risotto) and a few glasses of the house's finest red wine. Like Manta, Otto's cuisine and ambience were flawless, and the only weakness I found with the strip was a seeming staff shortage, something that is chronic in Australia�s hospitality industry. While the waitstaff was noticeably stretched thin and not able to linger at tables or dote on diners, they certainly got the meal onto the table, and from there the city, the cuisine and the company took care of the rest.

Water Bar

As much as my partner and I enjoyed the waterfront dining, the undoubted highlight of Woolloomooloo is Blue Hotel's Water Bar. Our first night in Sydney, we sat down, planning on a cocktail or two before hitting the town. Before we knew it, we had spent the whole night chatting intimately in one of the bar's booths.

The Water Bar resides (and deservedly so) at the center of the Blue Hotel warehouse. The vibe is hipster urban without a hint of pretension, and the four-part menu is everything you could ever want in a glass, from a sake cucumber martini to the best dark 'n stormy ever created. The menu divides into Something Old (classic cocktails), Something New (new cocktails), Something Borrowed (signature cocktails from other world-class bars), Something Blue (cocktails invented by the barstaff, though ironically not blue). The servers here, besides being as sexy as the drinks are delicious, know their stuff. Through each of our successive rounds (of which, admittedly, I completely lost count), they asked questions and gave spot-on recommendations.

To plan your trip to the Blue Hotel, Wharf Restaurants or Water Bar, visit the Blue Hotel website.