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How to spend the night inside a 150-year-old Sydney icon

By Kate Bettes
Spend the night inside Sydney’s gorgeous heritage-listed former General Post Office.

An impressive 150 years ago, Sydney’s General Post Office (GPO) had its grand opening at No.1 Martin Place. Crafted from Sydney sandstone, the heritage-listed building no longer has the main function of sending letters; instead, its Victorian Italian grandeur is carefully preserved by The Fullerton Hotel Sydney.

The Fullerton Hotel Exterior

Step into history at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney.

The GPO’s history

On 1 September 1874, the GPO opened to much fanfare as Sydney’s answer to communicating with the rest of the world, both by mail and telegraph. The GPO was the beating heart of the city’s communication network and helped Sydney connect with the nation – and the rest of the globe – at a time when correspondence by ink still ruled.

Designed by the Colonial Architect for NSW, James Barnett, the architectural undertaking to build the GPO was an ambitious one. It was designed to include many intricate sculptures – one featuring Queen Victoria – with an overall look that blended heritage and Victorian Italian Renaissance style in an ode to the new post office’s international practicality and unique aesthetics. In the 1990s the building was refurbished and refreshed, and it’s now home to The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, which preserves its Victorian grandeur.

The Lobby inside the Fullerton Hotel.

Capture stunning moments surrounded by Victorian Italian Renaissance style.

What to expect during a stay

Luxurious high-rise or a classical offering in the post office building itself? Either way, guests can enjoy a part of Australia’s history while experiencing the hotel’s modern luxury.

The high-rise rooms and suites showcase gorgeous views over the clock tower and lively city below. Right next to the buzzing Martin Place, guests will be energised and excited by vistas of the modern city.

For a step back to the city that once was, there’s nothing better than The Fullerton Hotel Sydney’s heritage options. Based in the former GPO itself, some of suites and rooms are still home to original fittings, like marble fireplaces and the postmaster’s writing desk from the 1870s. These have been preserved as a memory of the classical elegance of the Australian Victorian era.

the fullerton hotel sydney heritage bathroom

Some heritage rooms still feature original fittings.

Each suite or room has sophisticated touches like a deluxe bed and pillow menu, Harman Kardon Bluetooth speakers, a digital concierge, a Vittoria coffee machine and amenities from the Balmain bathroom collection.

Outside of the guest rooms, the Heritage Ballroom is a marvel. It’s found in what was once the Sydney Telegraphic Centre, with its 11-metre-high domed ceiling soaring over the sunlit room.

With all this, it’s understandable that guests might be tempted to relax inside all day. But just a few minutes away, The Fullerton Hotel Sydney’s resident guide is at hand to run a tour of the GPO, explaining its history as a post office, its curious myths and its outstanding architecture. These run from Tuesday to Saturday, with various sessions throughout the day.

Long Suite at the Fullerton Hotel Sydney

Enjoy a restful stay in beautifully curated rooms.

Fantastic dining

Modern Australian meets contemporary Southeast Asian at onsite restaurant The Place. In an atrium overlooking the former GPO, dishes here include the best of Australia’s fresh and homegrown seafood, vegetables and meats. These can be tried as their own dishes or as one of their signature tasting platters.

The Place is where you can dine

Feast on the best of Australia’s homegrown seafood, vegetables, and meats in a breathtaking atrium.

Over at The Bar, the signature afternoon tea remains the jewel in the hotel’s crown. Served each day from 12–4pm, sweet delights are complemented with savoury mouthfuls, changing with the seasons and championing local produce. Celebratory cocktails, sparkling wines and hot drinks are also on standby to add the perfect touch to a few hours spent with good friends.

Afternoon Tea

Sip, savour, and unwind with a delightful afternoon tea.

Five-star service

The team at this five-star hotel provides excellence and a quality experience for all their guests. As well as this dedication to visitors, importance is placed on the hotel’s responsibility to preserve the heritage of this extraordinary building. In the year of the hotel’s opening in 2019, the team engaged in a restoration project to protect the beloved GPO for Sydneysiders and incoming guests.

glass ceiling of the fullerton hotel sydney

Preserving the heritage and outstanding service are key here.

Hit the stores and see the sights

The Fullerton Hotel Sydney is in a prime location as it overlooks Martin Place, the civic and financial centre of the city, which is crowded with throngs of Sydneysiders rushing between important meetings, long lunches and everything in between. A few minutes north and guests will find themselves next to the Sydney Opera House; in the other direction they’ll come across the Queen Victoria Building, a historic marketplace turned shopping centre.

Inside the GPO itself, guests will find plenty of luxury brands to get acquainted with. Suit makers M.J. Bale, diamond jewellery specialists Calleija and Billich Gallery are all in residence – not to mention Australian-made endota spa for your pampering needs.

And if guests pick up a postcard, they can even post it in the GPO – at the modern, post shop that remains inside this authentic slice of Sydney history.

The Fullerton Hotel Sydney exterior shot

Join in the celebration of 150 years with a variety of exciting activities.

Celebrating 150 years

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the former GPO, The Fullerton Hotel Sydney has arranged a series of activities to celebrate this milestone with the community. Head to the hotel’s website for details and dates.

Kate Bettes is a freelance travel writer. Whether having a picnic in Vietnamese jungle with new friends, or partying in the back of a limousine in Hollywood, Kate’s experiences have left her with the sneaking suspicion that the best travel memories happen when you least expect. It’s this feeling - and how to get it - that she loves to write about.
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I’ve stayed in 21 hotels in Sydney and this is my favourite

    By Rachael Thompson
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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.

    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!