On October 18, The Fullerton Hotel Sydney opened its doors in the heart of Sydney's bustling Central Business District and housed in the iconic former General Post Office (GPO) building at No 1 Martin Place, the luxury hotel breathes new life into the city's much-loved landmark.

The opening marks the first international expansion of The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts, the brand central to the waterfront precinct of The Fullerton Heritage by Marina Bay in Singapore, which includes two award-winning hotels, namely The Fullerton Hotel Singapore and The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore. The brand's vision for the 416-room The Fullerton Hotel Sydney is to deliver a unique, luxury hotel that is synonymous with warm hospitality and one-of-a-kind flair.

"We encourage our guests to embark on memorable journeys that are deeper, more colourful and more rewarding when they stay in our one-of-a-kind, landmark luxury hotels with prime addresses that are destinations unto themselves," said Cavaliere Giovanni Viterale, General Manager of The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts.

"We are excited to open The Fullerton Hotel Sydney in a landmark building that is steeped in character and history. It is our aim to provide hotel guests and visitors with heartfelt hospitality and memorable experiences, all while showcasing the beauty and heritage of the former Sydney GPO building to a wider audience both nationally and globally," added Cavaliere Giovanni Viterale.

The Grand Dame restored to its former glory

Committed to its role as custodians of heritage, The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts is renowned for its dedication to preserving buildings and their stories. This tradition will continue with The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, which shares a rich heritage with its sister hotel, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, also housed in a former GPO building.

Known as the city's rendezvous location, where Sydneysiders dressed to the nines to meet beneath the GPO clock completed in the mid-20th century, the building commands a prominent social and physical position in the city. In present times, the landmark building remains in the heart of the city's action, surrounded by financial institutions, luxury retail and lifestyle boutiques as well as galleries.

"We wish to recreate this rendezvous location in 2019 and beyond by encouraging hotel guests and visitors to step into the historic building, and to create and share their own stories of this much-loved landmark and national treasure, just as they do at its sister property, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore," said Cavaliere Giovanni Viterale.

Phase one of the remediation and maintenance work on the building's Martin Place and George Street facade is now complete. This marks the conclusion of a broader programme to re-connect locals with the historic Sydney landmark. Stonemason and Artist, an expert team with a combined stonemasonry experience of 334 years, undertook a 38,000-hour laborious, chemical-free cleaning process to restore the building's facade to its former glory.

"We are committed to conserving the Sydney GPO building for the enjoyment of generations to come; and the heritage façade remediation programme is just the first step in a multi-phase revitalisation programme to be continued following the opening," concluded Cavaliere Giovanni Viterale.