Why Sydney’s Paramount House Hotel is a must stay for film buffs
- The 29-room property in Surry Hills is the former Australian HQ and warehouse for movie studio
- Sleek basement bar and cinema celebrate Hollywood’s Golden Age
Paramount House Hotel? Sounds as if I’m going to the movies. You’re not far off. Set in a handsome 1940s art deco pile, the former Australian headquarters and warehouse of Paramount Pictures, the American film studio responsible for such period classics as The Lost Weekend (1945) and Sunset Boulevard (1950), has been converted into a slick, 29-room boutique hotel.
So, what can I expect on check-in? A beer, believe it or not, as well as fizzy water; the reception desk features beer on tap by local brewery Wildflower. And the airy, conservatorium-like lobby adjoins Paramount Coffee Project, an all-day diner serving walloping stacks of pancakes, freshly brewed Joe, noodles and salads.
I hear a buzz … That would be the constant stream of locals who hang out at the Paramount Coffee Project and the co-working space on the mezzanine level. And at weekends, there’s an organic farmers’ market on the rooftop – all of which makes the hotel a lively community space.