
Recently crowned Best City Hotel in Australia at the Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2025, Capella Sydney warmly welcomes families this winter for a season of refined relaxation, immersive cultural discovery and meaningful connection, all delivered with the hotel's signature bespoke hospitality.
Housed within one of Sydney's most iconic heritage-listed buildings and located just moments from Circular Quay, Capella Sydney presents a thoughtfully curated winter programme that brings together elevated dining, artistic immersion, and enriching family experiences. From exclusive art tours and live jazz evenings to truffle-forward dining and unforgettable encounters with nature, Capella Sydney invites guests to experience the city at its seasonal best — redefined through the Capella lens.
Whale Watching at Capella - Family Package
For families seeking wonder, connection, and a sense of adventure, Capella Sydney welcomes the return of its Whale Watching at Capella family package — a winter highlight inspired by one of nature's most awe-inspiring spectacles.
This immersive experience includes a two-hour whale watching cruise aboard Ocean Extreme's high-speed, open-air vessel, offering an intimate and exhilarating view of the annual humpback whale migration. With up to 45,000 whales expected to pass Sydney's coastline on their journey from Antarctica to the Great Barrier Reef, guests have a rare opportunity to witness one of nature's great migrations up close.
Following the thrill of the ocean, families return to the calm of Capella Sydney, where tailored cultural programming, luxurious accommodations, and family-friendly amenities await.
Package Inclusions:
- Luxurious overnight accommodation at Capella Sydney
- Full daily breakfast at Brasserie 1930
- Two-hour whale watching cruise departing from Circular Quay
- An exclusive Capella Sydney 'Cappy the Whale' soft toy for each child
- A late check out of 1.00pm (if booked by 1st August)
- Exclusive guest access to The Living Room
- Little Stars children's activity programme
Rates from AUD $800 per night.
Book by Friday, 1 August 2025, to enjoy a complimentary 1.00pm late check-out. Offer valid for stays until Friday, 31 October 2025. This package is valid only for bookings with a minimum stay of two consecutive nights.
For reservations, please visit our website, call Capella Sydney Reservations on +61 2 9071 5090 or email reservations.sydney@capellahotels.com. For interconnecting rooms and exclusive family pricing, please contact our Reservations Team.
A Season of Curated Cultural Discovery
Capella Sydney's signature Capella Moments programme offers guests complimentary, curated cultural experiences that foster a deeper connection to Sydney's rich history, art, and heritage. This July, the hotel presents a thoughtfully curated calendar of art, storytelling, and locally inspired engagement.
In celebration of NAIDOC Week, guests are invited to enjoy private, expert-led tours of Yolŋu Power: The Art of Yirrkala at the Art Gallery of New South Wales — an evocative tribute to creativity, identity, and community.
Guests are also welcome to join a private guided tour of the Archibald Prize 2025 exhibition, featuring this year's winner and finalists, along with insights into the ever-popular Packing Room Prize.
For a quintessentially Australian experience, guests are also invited to join Capella's Chief Culturist for a night at the footy. This immersive outing to the Sydney Cricket Ground introduces guests to Australian Rules Football, a beloved national pastime. As the Sydney Swans face off against North Melbourne, guests receive a crash course in the game's fast-paced rules and rich traditions — all while soaking in the electric atmosphere.
Throughout the month, guests can also enjoy guided architecture walks, weekly Vitality Walks, and the hotel's signature heritage tour led by the in-house Culturist team. For younger travellers, the Little Stars children's programme continues with creative, nature-inspired activities including whale collages and take-home memory game sets.
Seasonal Dining
Capella Sydney's signature restaurant, Brasserie 1930, presents a bold and modern Australian dining experience this winter. Executive Chef Brent Savage and Head Chef Troy Spencer have curated a seasonal menu that highlights native ingredients and small-batch producers, celebrating the finest flavours of Australia's culinary heritage.
From 1 July to 30 August, guests can enjoy a special Three-Course Truffle Dinner Menu for $95, alongside à la carte favourites such as Spaghetti Alla Chitarra with Bay Lobster and Grilled Lamb Rump with eggplant, native saltbush, and macadamia. For those seeking a lighter or quicker option, an express lunch menu is available Tuesday to Friday from $35.
For those wishing to start their day at Capella Sydney, the hotel now welcomes external guests to enjoy its acclaimed breakfast experience in the serene surrounds of Aperture. Available daily, 7.00am to 8.30am, the offering includes a curated buffet of seasonal fruits, house-made pastries and breads, artisanal produce, and cold-pressed juices – alongside barista coffee and speciality teas from The Tea Centre. Guests may also choose from a refined à la carte menu of signature breakfast specialties. $60 per person.
McRae Bar Mondays
For two exclusive evenings — Monday 7 July and Monday 14 July — McRae Bar partners with Perrier to present McRae Bar Mondays, a stylish celebration of live jazz and sparkling cocktails. From 5.30pm to 8.30pm, guests can enjoy Perrier-inspired drinks, signature cocktails, and the smooth sounds of a live jazz duo in one of Sydney's most elegant cocktail bars.
Winter Wellness at Auriga Spa
Inspired by lunar rhythms and celestial cycles, Auriga Spa invites guests to retreat and realign this winter with treatments designed to balance body, mind and spirit. Signature offerings include Connect to Country, a grounding experience using native stones sourced with permission from Indigenous Elders, and New Moon Renewal, a restorative ritual aligned with the lunar cycle's call for reflection and new beginnings.
Guests are also invited to enhance their experience with access to Auriga's steam room, sauna, experience showers, and ice fountain — forming part of a complete wellness journey in the heart of the city. Exclusive wellness memberships are available, offering continued access to Capella Sydney's tranquil spa facilities and signature treatments for those seeking consistent, restorative self-care throughout winter and beyond.
For more information or to view the full July Programme at Capella Sydney, please visit our website.
For media enquiries please contact:
Florence Rocca
Director of Marketing and Communications
Capella Sydney
Florence.rocca@capellahotels.com
ABOUT CAPELLA SYDNEY
For generations, the Department of Education building in Sydney's Sandstone Precinct stood quietly, its golden facade forming an unassuming backdrop to the rhythm of the city. Reawakening as Capella Sydney in March 2023, the heritage-listed icon welcomed guests inside its walls for the very first time, setting a global benchmark for luxury accommodation, cuisine and cultural immersion. Embedding visitors in the beating heart of the city's commercial, cultural and hospitality precinct, Capella Sydney also marks the first property under the Capella Hotels and Resorts constellation to open in Australia.
Balancing storied architectural features with a contemporary design aesthetic, Capella Sydney celebrates the Australian panorama through its interiors, location and experiences. 192 spacious guestrooms and suites and an unsurpassed wellness offering are anchored by three ground-level food and beverage outlets and a collection of bespoke function spaces. Original characteristics are celebrated throughout the hotel, with reimagined interiors unfurling to reveal commissioned and collected artworks, sophisticated furnishings and intriguing objet d'art– all within footsteps of the glistening harbour foreshore, the famed Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
In 2024, Capella Sydney received widespread acclaim, earning prestigious titles including Australian Hotel of the Year and Best Luxury Hotel and at the HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence (HM). The hotel was also named Best Deluxe Accommodation in Australia at the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) Awards for Excellence, recognised as Best Luxury Hotel or Resort – Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific at the Luxury Travel Gold List Awards, and awarded Best Hotel in Asia/Pacific at the ULTRAs.
In 2025, Capella Sydney continued its winning trajectory, being crowned Australia's Best Hotel at the DestinAsian Readers' Choice Awards and reaffirmed as Best City Hotel in Australia at the Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2025.
For more information, visit capellahotels.com/sydney | IG: capellasydney FB: capellasydney
ABOUT CAPELLA HOTEL GROUP
Capella Hotel Group is a leading hospitality management company specialising in luxury hotels, resorts, and serviced residences. Based in Singapore, the rapidly expanding group has two brands under its portfolio and properties across eight destinations. The award-winning Capella Hotels and Resorts is renowned for its service excellence, crafted luxury design and immersive experiences celebrating the locale, while Patina Hotels & Resorts is the group's transformative luxury brand pioneering a fresh perspective in luxury hospitality.
Capella Hotels and Resorts was named the #1 Best Hotel Brand in the world in Travel + Leisure's 2023 and 2024 World's Best Awards. For more information, visit www.capellahotelgroup.com.
ABOUT CAPELLA HOTELS AND RESORTS
The Capella Hotels and Resorts constellation consists of properties located in Singapore, Sydney, Ubud, Bangkok, Hanoi, Shanghai, and Hainan. Future openings include exciting destinations such as Taipei, Kyoto, Riyadh, Nanjing, Shenzhen and South Korea. The exceptional hospitality brand, taking its name from the brightest star of the Auriga constellation, shines a spotlight on local heritage, culture and community whilst crafting authentic guest experiences with the highest level of personalised service and combining a legacy of thoughtful design.
Capella was named Best Hotel Brand in Travel + Leisure's “World's Best Awards” in 2023 and 2024. Capella Bangkok and Capella Singapore earned the distinction of being included in The World's 50 Best Hotels in 2023 and 2024, with Capella Bangkok being named The World's Best Hotel and Asia's Best Hotel in 2024, with Côte by Mauro Colagreco elevated to Two MICHELIN Stars for 2025.
Capella Hotels and Resorts is a member of GHA DISCOVERY, a multi-brand loyalty programme representing a collection of 40 independent hotel brands over 100 countries worldwide.
For more information, visit capellahotels.com | Instagram @capellahotels | LinkedIn @capellahotels