Hotel History

The Menzies Sydney

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On 17th October, 1963 a milestone was achieved - the opening of Sydney's Menzies Hotel by Premier R.J. Heffron. The hotel was named after Sir Archibald Menzies, Australia's pioneer hotelier.

The Menzies was built at a cost of two and a half million pounds and contained 260 guest rooms and suites plus restaurants, lounges and cocktail bars. It was the first international hotel to be built in the city since the eve of World War II. Some sections of the hotel basements are over a hundred years old and contained former railway workshops.

An invitation to The Emperor Room on the hotel's first floor became the most sought after dinner date. 500 guests could be seated on tiered floors overlooking the dance floor where cabaret artists and musicians performed each evening amidst the restaurant's Roman purple and gold decor. Skating stars also displayed their talents on the restaurant's showpiece - a permanent, retractable ice rink.

A popular venue for functions and conferences, the hotel's second floor ballroom was selected as the location for the 1964 Beach Boys Press Conference. Eager to impress, staff themed the room with "borrowed" sand from Nielsen Park, cushions and palm trees. A great success, the Beach Boys sang all day - however grit underfoot remained for months afterward.

By the late 60's The Emperor Room had become The Spanish Room and dining at The Menzies had grown so popular that the number of hotel restaurants had grown to include The Coffee Shop, Park Lounge, Blue Room, The Piano Bar, Keller and Fjord Room. The Keller became one of the first Sydney nightspots to feature Go-Go dancers as entertainment.

In 1972 The Menzies brought Japanese food to Sydney with the opening of The Keisan - the first Japanese restaurant in Sydney to be located within a hotel.

By the mid-70's The Menzies became the state's largest liquor licensee, with over 18 bars in and around Wynyard serving more beverages than any other NSW location.

Shell House, the office building adjacent to The Menzies, became part of the hotel in 1979, adding a further 196 rooms and creating the hotel's North Wing. Built in 1930 Shell House's conversion from offices to hotel rooms was a formidable task, especially given the building's heritage listing.

The hotel became a part of the worldwide Holiday Inn chain of hotels in February 1986, then on 1 February 1996 The Menzies became part of All Seasons Hotels, an Australian domestic hotel group. In March 2000 the hotel joined the international Accor chain of hotels and in mid-2004 was renamed to simply The Menzies Sydney Hotel, an Accor hotel.

Today, The Menzies Sydney continues to make history, winning a number of accolades for its continued warm hospitality and traditional friendly service.