The much-anticipated W Hotel in Sydney’s Darling Harbour officially opened its doors today. 

The hotel may only be a day old but its events business has already exceeded expectations, with $8 million of event bookings already confirmed, according to General Manager Craig Seaward. 

“As soon as we released the plans, bookings started to come in,” he said.

“My goodness, the interest has been huge.”

The hotel offers eight function spaces, the largest of which is the Great Room, a 592 sq m pillarless ballroom, with views of the harbour, and natural light. It can accommodate 390 guests with banquet seating or 650 for a reception. 

The adjoining Foyer, with 425 sq m of space, is designed for pre-dinner drinks or an area for conference catering breaks. 

The hotel, part of the Marriott group, was five years in the making and suffered a number of construction setbacks and delays. But its eye-catching, innovative architecture is now an iconic part of the Darling Harbour landscape. 

Inside, its design demonstrates the bold, vibrant nature typical of the W brand, which started life in New York. 

W Hotel Sydney is the group’s 70th W and the largest W in the world. It has 585 rooms and suites, a 30 metre infinity pool, a two-storey rooftop bar, a day spa, and a restaurant called Btwn, serving modern Australian fare. 

Guests at the opening ceremony were treated to champagne, cocktails and canapés in the hotel’s Living Room bar, which features honeycomb screens, sumptuous furniture, an island bar and views of the water.