A historic hotel from the previous century, Hotel Palisade was recently restored with the imaginative design representing a celebration of bygone eras. Located in Miller’s Point in the historic Rocks district of Sydney, the hotel is sited beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Built in 1915 as a pub for port workers and local residents, Hotel Palisade has seen its fair share of change over the decades.
Local design studio The Society Inc. was engaged to carry out the refurbishment. The ground floor houses the lower level bar Public House where guests are instantly absorbed in the layers of rich history, as the hotel’s past comes to life through industrial touches and design inspired by the trades and workers that once occupied the harbour.
Beyond the three levels of guest rooms up the stairs, Hotel Palisade really comes into its own on levels four and five. The top two floors of this historic building are occupied by Henry Deane, a contemporary cocktail lounge with some of the best views in Sydney.
While level four is dark, inky and sumptuous, level five is a completely different story, with large windows, neutral tones and sinkable blush pink sofas coming together to create an airy, bright space filled with natural light, and hints of brass for added luxury.
The aesthetic extends to the brass Vestal by Zip Water hybrid tap, designed to offer customers filtered still or sparkling water in reusable glass bottles – eliminating the need for plastic bottles while ensuring premium quality, great tasting water.
“We are always trying to limit single use items in our bid to have less negative impact on our environment, so anything out of a tap as opposed to single use bottles is a step forward for us,” says manager Dom Beinke.
“We’ve saved massively on fridge space allowing us to have more variety in our beer offering, no glass bottles for staff to carry downstairs to crush and recycle, a lower price point for customers to enjoy sparkling water, and it’s also allowed us to use it for vodka, soda and lime, so we don’t have to stock soda cans or bottles and saving more space,” commented Beinke on the advantages of the Vestal tap by Zip Industries.
For Beinke, it was important to install a Zip system that was in harmony with the overall aesthetic and material palette of the bar. The brass front and timber handles were carefully selected from a broad range of colourways to suit the brass fittings and finishes within the venue, helping elevate the overall bar experience at Hotel Palisade.
