The word that I have chosen to best describe one of Sydney’s newest boutique hotels, is ‘liveable’.
Veriu Broadway is the latest addition to a growing collection of hotels from a team that loves blending heritage architecture with modern design. That team is Alex Thorpe and Rhys Williams who, having found success previously in long stay accommodation, have now turned their attention to hotels.
The dynamic duo essentially “saw no reason why a hotel brand can't provide that authentic local experience, backed up by traditional hotel services, excellent customer service and attention to detail in rooms”. And they must be doing something right, as the barely-a-month-old, 64-room hotel is already a popular accommodation option in the Ultimo area, a quick Uber away from so much of what central Sydney has to offer (or a ride on one of the uber-cool Veriu Lekker bicycles, available to guests).
It’s not all traditional hotel service here, per se, lacking fluffy robes (but there are fluffy slippers), room service and an onsite bar or restaurant. But what it lacks in these areas, it more than makes up for in others with features that trump a room-delivered club sandwich.
For a start, the super stylish rooms are massive - The Hideway Suite, which I stayed in, is 48sqm. This came with a fully self-contained kitchen, a bench table and chairs with ample room for four adults (also makes for an excellent desk…), two large TV’s (one in the lounge, one in the separate bedroom), good bathroom lighting for makeup, floor to ceiling windows with loads of natural light, excellent storage for stowing away your suitcase and hanging your crease-ables, an amazingly comfortable oversized bed, Bluetooth speakers, an in-room smart phone, and – very importantly – excellent coffee from the Hide Café in the lobby (or an espresso machine in your room if you don’t feel like wearing pants).
These are just a few things that help make a stay at Veriu Broadway so darn liveable.
The Hide Cafe & Hotel Lobby
On the lack of room service, don’t be perturbed just yet; there are some exciting discussions being had with local affiliates to start offering tasty morsels straight to your slippers. You can already make use of some of these partnerships like a discount at the nearby cult Sydney wine store, Wine Society. Ask your 24-hour concierge for more.
If you're after Sydney accommodation that has the creature comforts of home with the personality of a boutique hotel, this is one for you – particularly if you’re planning a longer stay, prefer a bit more space where you can actually have friends over, and you enjoy a home away from home.
The name itself, Veriu, is a combination of the Latin word ‘versus’ (true and genuine), and ‘u’, as a form of individuality; the places u go, the people u meet, the experiences u have and the stories u create. This is pretty much what I live for, so it seems this place is liveable in more ways than one.
Oh, and Melbourne – this is definitely a name to keep our eye on…
Veriu Broadway Hotel Sydney
35 Mountain Street, Sydney
(02) 8379 7880
straight up: I stayed at Veriu Broadway complimentary to help bring this review to you.