Chinatown just scored a colourful new boutique hotel

• Caption by Hyatt is a new 174-room hotel opening in the heart of Chinatown.
• The hotel will put great emphasise on the local community with regular events, pop-ups and collaborations.
• Everything from the minibar and art to the food menu are focused on championing local businesses.

When it comes to Sydney, big hotel openings are usually clustered around the CBD and tourist magnets like Darling Harbour and Circular Quay. This trend has changed in recent years, with strong examples being The Eve Hotel, tugging at the seams of Redfern and Surry Hills, and the forthcoming 25Hours Hotel the Olympia, due to open early October at the junction of Darlinghurst and Paddington.

Now, Chinatown is about to get some fringe benefits with the imminent arrival of Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney, on track to open on October 13. 

Standing tall on Haymarket’s Parker Street, the hotel marks the first Australian property for the brand, which is conceived as a youthful, design-forward part of Hyatt’s wider portfolio with a solid focus on “people and place.” This translates to a hyperlocal approach, from the design to the minibar and room amenities.

Guests will find work from local artist Chris Yee throughout the 174-room property. The minibar will hero local producers, and even the bathroom amenities have been sourced locally. Talk Shop, the hotel’s morning-to-night community hub, cafe and bar will serve a menu dedicated to local producers and there’ll be a constant thrum of activity designed to corral the local community—think a never-ending schedule of events, pop-ups and collaborations with local businesses.

Modern hotel brands put local community front and centre

These types of community-minded lifestyle hotels are becoming much more common around the world. You’ve got many big-ticket brands attempting to express the approach in their own unique way. Indigo, Tempo, 1Hotels, Moxy are great examples, and it’s looking like Hyatt’s Caption will be another strong entry, giving Haymarket a hotel that wants to be deeply involved rather than just give people somewhere to stay.

“It’s all about… creating genuine connections between travellers, locals, and the Haymarket neighbourhood we share,” said the hotel’s GM Tamara Exton.

“We’re created places for the community to connect… with a focus on cultural immersion.”

The hotel’s arrival is another solid vote of confidence for Sydney’s tremendous growth, choosing the city to as Caption’s very first property in the Southern Hemisphere after finding success in countries like the USA and Japan.

“Caption by Hyatt reflects the evolving needs of modern travellers, combining tech-enabled convenience with meaningful connections and locally inspired experiences.”

The hotel will feature all the tech standards that have been slowly priming the hotel industry for modern tastes. Guests can use their phones as keys, check in via a mobile app, and take advantage of other conveniences that help minimise effort and maximise comfort.

Caption by Hyatt

Address: 13 Parker St, Haymarket
Rates: From $231 per night

hyatt.com