Hotel Review: Pullman Sydney Penrith

Penrith’s first five-star hotel has opened. We check in to the Penrith Sydney Pullman to see if it lives up to its rating.

The Pullman Sydney Penrith opened its doors to the public in August 2023, making its debut as the first five-star hotel in the Western Sydney suburb.

Part of the multinational hospitality group Accor, the hotel has been a talking point for locals since its conception in 2017 but reached an all-time high when construction recommenced post-Covid in 2022.

The Pullman Sydney Penrith officially opened in August.

Penrith itself has been on the rise in recent years, and it’s not hard to see why. Wander around the area now and you’ll notice premium experiences, fine-dining restaurants and community-minded spaces all adding to the area’s appeal.

The hotel is the first in Penrith to be rated five stars.

So, it’s no surprise that a new five-star hotel has been the talk of the town. It has received a considerable amount of attention and no fewer high expectations, among not only the industry but guests too. We check in to see if it lives up to the hype.

Location

I type ‘The Pullman Sydney Penrith’ into my GPS and a 40-minute route is mapped out for me from my home. As the small pin drops, I feel a flare of excitement. I’m on my way to the newly opened Pullman Sydney Penrith in western Sydney.

The Pullman Sydney Penrith in Penrith, NSW

The Pullman Sydney Penrith is located in the Panthers Leisure & Entertainment Precinct.

Hotel locations don’t get much better than this: the new hotel is in the heart of the Panthers Leisure & Entertainment Precinct, which is packed with things to do.

I ponder going for a swing at aqua golf or playing games at Timezone, while others would surely find fun at iFly Indoor Skydiving or Cables Wake Park.

iFly Indoor Skydiving is right next door to the new hotel. (Image: Destination NSW)

I’m also tempted by the Squires Terrace Bar at the nearby Panthers Club, which pours nothing but beer from James Squire Brewhouse. But I’m not heading to Penrith to play.

First impressions

There’s a grand allure lingering as I pull into the Pullman Sydney Penrith, the anticipation of something new and being among the first to discover it – the hotel has only been open for six days when I walk through its doors.

The air-conditioning ever-so kindly welcomes me into a very open and bright lobby, with art on the walls, floors and tables in the form of paintings, rugs and a simple yet stylish décor.

The lobby is stylish and bright.

From the Tom Ford by Tom Ford hardback on a marble coffee table to leather armchairs and graphic rugs, the colour scheme and textures of fabrics and furniture match perfectly.

It’s quiet on a Thursday afternoon and the reception staff match that energy. I’m greeted with warm politeness and a willingness to help, but it’s not overbearing, and I’m allowed to take my bags to my room unattended.

Use the spacious lifts to get to your floor.

The rooms

I’m staying in a stylish Junior Suite on the second floor. Across its four levels, The Pullman Sydney Penrith has 24 Junior Suites, 96 Superior Rooms and 25 Deluxe Rooms. There are also eight Accessible Superior Rooms.

The Superior Room has a king bed, making it perfect for couples.

After putting my bag down, I head straight for the bathroom to freshen up. I wash my face and apply some moisturiser from Melbourne-based company Hunter Lab, which makes up part of a small but curated selection of toiletry products for me to use during my stay.

The small kitchenette is equipped with everything you need for a hotel stay, minus a kettle (sorry, tea drinkers). I usually opt for an English Breakfast, but instead, I try out the De’Longhi Nespresso Vertuo Next coffee machine (the latest from Nespresso), which produces a delicious, albeit lukewarm beverage.

The kitchenette is decked out with (almost) everything guests need.

In my quest for a hotter coffee, I find a microwave, which matches the fridge and freezer, all from Fisher & Paykel. An extensive minibar menu also offers up chocolate, chips and wine. And there’s no need to pick up the phone to order. Use the in-room tablet to order from the minibar menu.

Room furnishings are sleek and chic.

The in-room tablet is by far my favourite feature of the room, apart from the rain shower I spend way too long enjoying later that night. The sleep therapy menu can be found with a few taps of the screen.

I scroll past face and eye masks, a selection of pillows, a night light, a sleep sound machine that produces soothing background noise and an essential oil diffuser for aromatherapy before I earmark the herbal tea platter for later.

Food and beverage

Dinner that night is held at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Marcel, which is named after designer and architect Marcel Breuer, who designed the former Torin factory building in Penrith.

Marcel is named after designer and architect Marcel Breuer.

As I’m pouring over the extensive cocktail list at the bar, the bartender gets my attention and asks me what I’m looking for. I throw him a few key words: sweet, fresh and fruity.

A moment later I’m sipping a pina colada with a twist. The Jean-Claude Pandan is going down a treat, with the Plantation Pineapple and Flor De Cana Blanco rums mingling sweetly with pandan and coconut flavours.

The design of both the restaurant and bar is light and neutral, all curves and textures. Deep and light browns meet olive greens, creams and whites which come in the form of soft leathers and wooden textures.

Deep and light browns meet olive greens.

Akshay Arora, Director of Food and Beverage at Pullman Sydney Penrith, describes Marcel as “food for the people, wine for the heart." The philosophy is apparent as I dig into dinner, a nine-course shared menu featuring Kiewa Valley lamb, Ranger Valley rib eye and a biscotti crème brûlée to top it all off.

Dinner was a nine-course shared menu, starting with a mushroom risotto. (Image: Taylah Darnell)

As I sip my wine after dinner, I notice the excitement I felt when I first walked into the building earlier that day lingering. Maybe it’s the wine. Or the anticipation of heading back to my room to enjoy the selection of teas that promise a good night’s sleep. But there’s something there, and I can’t seem to shake it.

Thoughtful golden accents are sprinkled throughout the space.

Downstairs on the ground floor, the hotel’s cafe, Tori, is waiting for the sun to rise. Coffee, tea, juices and pastries all waiting to be made and served. Where Marcel is elegant and elevated, Tori – so named after the Torin Building – is focused on connecting the community in a relaxed and welcoming space.

Tori is a welcoming space with a community feel. (Image: Taylah Darnell)

In the morning, I enjoy a continental breakfast bar at Marcel. After snacking on pain au chocolat, fresh fruit and flavoured yoghurts, I devour a big breakfast from the menu.

Waking up to a fresh continental breakfast. (Image: Taylah Darnell)

Yet surprisingly, the highlight of my meal is the freshly squeezed orange juice delivered up from Tori. It’s just what I need; sweet, zesty and cold – it prepares me well for the day ahead.

Amenities

Although not much of a gym junkie, I head down to the fitness centre before I check out to see what it’s all about. The area is spacious and filled with natural light, with brand-new equipment partially selected by the official Panthers team from the stadium across the road.

The fitness centre was co-designed by the official Panthers NRL team.

From a leisurely run on the treadmill, circuit training or weightlifting (up to 30 kilograms), you’ll find everything required for a good workout. Personally, I’d opt to sweat it out in the sauna instead.

Prices

For a five-star hotel, a stay at the Pullman Sydney Penrith is reasonably priced. Room rates start around $261 a night for a Superior Room and range up to $356 for a Junior Suite (prices are accurate at the time of writing).

Verdict

Checking out on Friday morning, the usual weight I feel at the end of the week is noticeably missing. On the other hand, it feels more like a Sunday. I’m relaxed and full – body and heart.

The feeling of excitement that has lived with me since arriving yesterday doesn’t disappear as I exit through the front doors. It remains; a reminder to come back and live in it again. The Pullman Sydney Penrith certainly lives up to the hype.

It will undoubtedly be a popular option for travellers looking for an elevated hotel offering come the opening of the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport in Badgerys Creek – only a 20-minute drive from the airport once it opens in 2026.

Score out of five: 4/5

We rated: The rain shower and in-room tablet.

We’d change: Maybe add an in-room kettle for those who don’t like coffee. A pool would also go a long way for those hot Western Sydney summer days.

Notes: The Pullman Sydney Penrith are taking notable steps to being accessible to all, including eight Accessible Superior Rooms. Other sections of the hotel are also accessible, from the underground car park to the restaurant, cafe and rooms.

Address: 83 Mulgoa Road, Penrith, Australia, 2750.

Welcome to the first instalment of Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels, exploring not just the rooms, but the stories, service and settings that make each stay unforgettable and worth adding to your wishlist.

Hotel stays have quietly become my thing. Long before I became a travel journalist, I was booking staycations just for a change of scenery. Some had charm, some had character, some had neither. Once, I even stayed in a hotel directly opposite my own apartment – partly for the novelty, partly because I wanted to see my life from a different angle.

For me, hotels represent a kind of mystery – I find myself wanting to know what these buildings contain. Many of them are designed with intention: lighting, materials, scent and sounds that often reflect the city they sit in. Time seems to gently pause in these spaces, which have increasingly become the destination itself for modern travellers.

It only felt fitting for the first hotel in this series to be in my home city and at the hotel that’s been at the top of my list: Capella Sydney.

A sandstone heritage building and palm trees

Capella sits within an Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building.

An email with a hotel program from the “Culturist Team” lets me know this will be a luxurious stay. There’s a guided walk around the Botanic Gardens, a weaving workshop and a Sydney contemporary art tour – the kind of addition that signals a hotel that’s tuned into the finer details, and one that’s not surprising given that Capella’s ethos centres on delivering personalised, immersive experiences.

Capella opened in 2023 within a transformed Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building in Sydney’s CBD that was originally designed by renowned Scottish-Australian architect George McRae. I often walk past this building and once attended an event inside – I distinctly remember being surprised by how beautiful it was. Bar Studio, Make Architects, and stylist Simone Haag were engaged to sensitively adapt the building for contemporary luxury while honouring its past, in collaboration with Heritage NSW and the City of Sydney.

When I arrive, I’m greeted by three different staff members along the way to reception. There’s a lovely subtle scent, which I later learn combines notes of bergamot, green tea leaves, peony, freesia, vetiver and cedarwood. This hotel strikes such a beautiful balance between grandness and intimacy, with large floral bouquets, contemporary artworks, impressively high ceilings that give it an international feel and quieter nooks to unwind in. Each space is unique, but they’re all unified by a warm, textural and layered design.

Sydney has been deserving of a hotel of this calibre for quite some time, with many of the accommodations in the city looking and feeling dated.

A modern hotel reception with high ceilings

The design strikes the perfect balance between grandness and intimacy.

I have a treatment booked at the hotel’s Auriga Spa prior to check-in. The space is ultra-luxe, moodily lit and intimate, featuring timber joinery, green walls and a sleek design that’s so perfect it almost transports me to Japan. I opt for the Replenish Beauty and LED Facial – a strategic choice with a TV segment on the horizon, and a hopeful bid to look extra fresh for the camera.

The treatment begins with me sitting in the softest robe of my life, wearing slippers and sipping chamomile tea. I’m then whisked away to my private treatment room, which has its own bathroom, a large skylight and a small Japanese-style garden. The treatment is extremely relaxing and moves through cleansing, exfoliating, massaging (arm, head, neck and face) and LED Light Therapy. There’s so much attention to detail – even at the end, the facialist puts my slippers back on me, while I’m still lying down.

Spa treatment room with a massage bed, featuring timber walls and a serene Japanese-style garden visible through a window.

A treatment at Auriga Spa might be the best way I’ve ever started a hotel stay. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

While this treatment certainly hasn’t had a Benjamin Button effect, my sister seems to think I’m glowing, so I walk away happy, or at the very least, zen.

Auriga Spa has a sauna, steam room, ice fountain and a beautiful indoor heated swimming pool. There’s also “experiential showers” – new to me, but essentially it combines water flowing from different places, changing temperatures, mood lighting, gentle sounds, and a subtle lemongrass scent.

You could easily spend the better part of a day at the spa and pool, even if you’re not a guest.

The indoor heated swimming pool with glass ceiling at Capella Sydney.

Guests outside the hotel can use the spa and swimming pool. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

I’m escorted to my room, drunk on relaxation, but I make sure to take note of how noisy the hallways are – answer: dead quiet. My room is 50 square metres, which is huge by hotel standards, but particularly for one in the CBD. It feels like a high-end apartment with floorboards, a freestanding bath and a seating/dining area. My eyes are immediately drawn to the line-up of macarons waiting for me on the dining table.

I’m thrilled to see the mini bar armoire includes a small wine fridge stocked with Minuty Prestige Côtes de Provence, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Handpicked Wines Pinot Noir, and Moët Grand Vintage. Not that I plan on using it (I simply could not justify the prices) – but it’s a nice extra that makes the room feel that much more luxurious. The drinks lineup reads like a who’s-who of local favourites – Young Henrys, Maybe Sammy cocktails, Four Pillars gin and Archie Rose gin. Snacks include Tyrell’s chips, Pringles, Natural Confectionery lollies, and a Carman’s oat bar.

Some small touches I appreciate that some hotels don’t offer: the option to choose your housekeeping time, an iron that actually works well, a Bluetooth speaker, the beloved wine fridge, aluminium water bottles and a bathroom without a glass door or screen that awkwardly exposes you. The one downside is that some of these rooms don’t offer much in the way of a view.

A modern hotel room with a monochrome paletter.

I stayed in a Premier Room which was elegant and relaxing. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

4:30pm is Swill Hour – a daily tradition that nods to the historical “six o’clock swill” in Australia. This one-hour event takes place in the Living Room and invites guests to gather and enjoy each other’s company with a signature cocktail in hand. This afternoon’s tipple is a Eucalyptus Gimlet, a clever, herbaceous little cocktail, by the multi-award-winning Maybe Sammy Team, served on coasters depicting drawings of the historic building. The canapé of the day is a tomato and stracciatella tart. I noticed several staff members chatting with guests like old friends, asking how their adventures earlier in the day went – clearly remembering previous conversations from earlier visits.

Dinner is booked for 6:30pm in Aperture – arguably the most beautiful area of the accommodation. It’s decorated with Australian flora and features a kinetic sculpture hanging from the roof that opens like flowers, with softly changing lights. Tyler, who is serving us, clearly admires the Capella brand, speaking enthusiastically about the other international properties he’s been to and sharing how he sometimes brings his five-year-old daughter here to use the pool.

Interior of Aperture at Capella Sydney, featuring lush greenery and a striking ceiling-mounted sculpture.

The scale of Aperture gives it an international feel.

I kick things off with a basil melon margarita – a winning recommendation – before tucking into the best prawn toast I’ve ever had. For mains it’s crispy Ōra King salmon and spaghetti with mud crab.

When I arrive back at my room, there’s a vegan leather journal on my bed with a note that says: “The ritual of journaling allows us to pause, reflect and focus.” This is part of the turndown service, and my slippers are neatly lined up next to my bed. Will I journal? No. Do I think it’s a nice touch? Yes.

Brasserie 1930 at Capella Sydney, where Art Deco elegance meets contemporary Australian cuisine.

Brasserie 1930 boasts Art Deco elegance.

The next morning, I make the predictable choice of smashed avo for breakfast at the on-site restaurant, Brasserie 1930. There’s also a buffet brimming with all the usual suspects.

Afterwards, I head to the pool to relax for a few hours before the 11am checkout. Despite my earlier resolve not to journal, I find myself reflecting nonetheless – an irony not lost on me – on my 21st hotel stay in Sydney. I write this with growing assurance that great hotels don’t just provide a place to stay; they create memorable moments, thanks in large part to fantastic staff. Kudos to the hiring manager.

Next stop: The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart!

Does the new Pullman Sydney Penrith live up to the hype? We find out

Penrith’s first five-star hotel has opened. We check in to the Penrith Sydney Pullman to see if it lives up to its rating.

Location

First impressions

The rooms

Food and beverage

Amenities

Prices

Verdict

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Welcome to the first instalment of Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels, exploring not just the rooms, but the stories, service and settings that make each stay unforgettable and worth adding to your wishlist.