Oxford Street icon reborn with 25hours Hotel
An iconic Sydney venue has been given a new lease on life, with the 25hours Hotel The Olympia opening behind the restored Art Deco façade of the former Olympia Theatre at 1 Oxford Street—once home to the Grand Pacific Blue Room. The 105-key property revives a long-vacant 1911 landmark and brings fresh energy to the city’s small-bar heartland after construction that began in 2018.
Designed by Woods Bagot, the scheme leans into the site’s cinematic heritage, right down to a lobby stash of VHS tapes for in-room viewing. Guestrooms come in two moods: “Renegade” for drama and “Dreamer” for softer tones, aimed at both youthful travellers and the young at heart.
Christoph Hoffman, founder of 25hours Hotels, said the brand’s approach suits Oxford Street’s character. Europe-born 25hours is a boutique but fast-growing hotel brand, working in partnership with Ennismore, Accor’s lifestyle hospitality arm.
“We love places with stories, with quirks, with layers of culture – and Oxford Street has all that in abundance,” Hoffman told the Sydney Morning Herald. “Our hope is that this hotel will feel as natural and open to Sydneysiders as it does to international travellers: a lively home for curious minds, creative spirits and anyone who enjoys the joy of being a little different.”
Food and beverage is a centrepiece: three street-level venues by London’s Studio Paskin—The Palomar (Spanish and North African), The Mulwray wine bar, and Jacob the Angel—join the hotel-run rooftop, Monica.
“We wanted it to be a translation, with certain elements [from the originals] that we thought would work very well,” said Layo Paskin, who founded Studio Paskin with his sister Zoe.
“Sydney hospitality culture is very strong… the service is fantastic, it’s warm, it’s friendly, it’s knowledgeable.”
Jonathan Jackson, 9th October 2025
