Sydney’s Oxford Street has welcomed a new lifestyle hotel that takes inspiration from Palm Springs’ understated style.
Oxford House, or OH! as it is also known, offers 56 rooms and suites, all-day street-level dining and a poolside bar on the first floor.
The on-site restaurant is helmed by Head Chef Tyler Preston, formerly of Chin Chin and Bang Bang, and serves up an evolving menu of modern Australian cuisine.
The Pool Bar offers relaxed lounge seating to create a ambient space for guests to unwind. Visitors can also enjoy poolside DJ sets and a curated digital art show at weekends.
It’s the latest reimagined venue by lifestyle group Public Hospitality which is behind a number of recent restoration projects in the city including the transformation of The Strand Hotel.
“This was a unique opportunity to create an accommodation first for Paddington, provide a new hospitality experience for locals, and help energise an important part of town,” said Public Hospitality Principal Designer, Tom de Plater.
“Given the hotel’s enviable location – famed shopping, nightlife and Allianz stadium, all within walking distance and the beach and city, a short drive away – we wanted to create a space that really felt like an unexpected escape; a hotel that was as relaxed as Oxford Street is lively.”
The hotel design incorporates warm hues and rich textures that give it its Palm Springs feel, but local Australian touches can be seen throughout such as custom Double Rainbouu bathrobes, Marc Newson crockery and Grown Alchemist haircare.
“Whilst we took design notes from the sleek lines and muted colors of Palm Springs, it was important that Oxford House effortlessly threaded into the cultural fabric of Paddington, so art and design was key,” he said.
Public Hospitality also collaborated with George Gorrow to showcase a collection of art, paintings, photography, collage, printmaking and sculpture throughout the property.
The lifestyle group will showcase its restorations of Alexandria’s Camelia Grove, Erskinville’s The Kurrajong and Balmain’s’ The Town Hall in the coming months.