A short walk from Sydney’s Central Station, and an even shorter walk to Hyde Park, you couldn’t get much more, well central, than Veriu Central.
First Impressions
The hotel is housed in heritage-listed Wentworth House, built over 100 years ago, and is where, in the 1920s, local identities met to discuss the business of the day in the drawing room.
The hotel’s recent redevelopment embraced this tradition, creating a lobby space called the Drawing Room which provides a subdued atmosphere for business travellers to meet, with warm lighting, velvet and brass and scattered plants, as well as charging stations and free wifi.
Location
Located on the corner of Wentworth Avenue and Elizabeth Street, where the city meets Surry Hills, you are close to the fantastic restaurants and bars of Surry Hills, while still within walking distance of Sydney’s downtown shopping district.
Rooms
There are 112 rooms of varying sizes. I am in the corner 34-square-metre Wentworth Triple Room which has views out over the busy intersection of Wentworth and Elizabeth streets. The rooms are decorated and furnished with a blue theme and some timber panelling and thick charcoal curtains. On the walls are colourful artworks by local creatives. There’s a kitchenette with a fridge and microwave, and ample room to work, lounge and rest.
If you’re just looking for a centrally located low-budget place to sleep, the smallest available room is what’s known as the “shoebox”; it fits a king single bed.
Dining
There are five eateries under the one roof at Veriu, the most appealing for me being Harry’s Dumplings, which is designed to look like it’s in a hawker-style back alley, just beyond the reception area. There is laundry pegged from washing lines, exposed bricks, neon signs and reproduced paper money with images of Mao. The hotel runs a happy hour for guests to try the dumplings between 5 and 6pm, as well as a few local wines for $5 per glass.
Also on site is Nel, with a renowned 6-course degustation menu designed by chef Nelly Robinson and Sydney institution Harry’s Singapore Chilli Crab is next door.
For breakfast, grab a barista-made coffee and pastry from the Drawing Room or head to Basket Brothers café, while seemingly separate to the hotel, meals here can be charged back to your room.
Room service is provided by Deliveroo, with an in-room dining menu detailing nearby eateries to choose from including Spice I Am (which is located across the road), Mexican food from Guzman Y Gomez, Taiwanese dumplings from Din Tai Fung and gelato from Messina.
Explore
Head across Elizabeth Street towards Surry Hills for the pick of Sydney’s trendiest and most innovative eateries, including authentic Thai food at Spice I Am, modern Mediterranean fare at NOMAD, burgers and fried chicken at Butter or Mexican-inspired all-vegan eatery, Bad Hombres – all within walking distance.
Head uphill towards Hyde Park for a bit of sightseeing, with the Australian Museum, ANZAC Memorial, Hyde Park Barracks and St Mary’s Cathedral all within five to 10-minutes’ walk, and beyond Hyde Park, walk through the Domain to the NSW Art Gallery and the Botanic Gardens.
Veriu Central
75 Wentworth Ave NSW 2000
Ph: +61 2 9212 1005 | 1300 293 836
