Metropolitan Hotel, Sydney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Metropolitan Hotel |
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| Location | 244 George Street, Sydney, Australia |
| Official name: Metropolitan Hotel | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 663 |
| Type | Hotel |
| Category | Commercial |
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The Metropolitan Hotel is a historic building in Sydney, Australia. It is located at 244 George Street. This hotel is very old and important, so it is on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. This means it is protected because of its special history and design. It was added to this list on April 2, 1999.
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A Look Back: The Hotel's History
Long before Europeans arrived, the land around Sydney belonged to Aboriginal people. They are known as the Eora people. The area where the hotel stands is part of "Eora Country." Specifically, the Cadigal and Wangal groups of the Eora lived here. European settlers came to Sydney in 1788.
Before 1834, the land where the hotel is now was owned by the government. It was used as a lumber yard. In 1834, the land was opened for building. By 1848, a three-story brick building stood there. It had a hotel on the corner, plus a pharmacy, a tailor's shop, and a fabric shop.
The hotel was first called the Castle Tavern in 1851. By 1861, its name changed to La Villa de Bordeaux. In 1879, it became the Metropolitan Hotel. It has kept this name ever since.
Around 1900, the United Colonial Land Investment Co. owned the building. In 1909, a company called Tooth and Co. bought the hotel. They rebuilt it into a five-story building. Part of the old pharmacy was kept and became an extension of the hotel.
In the 1980s, the hotel was almost torn down twice. But in 1985, the government decided to protect many buildings on Bridge Street. This saved the Metropolitan Hotel from being demolished.
What the Hotel Looks Like
The Metropolitan Hotel is a four-story building. It is made of brick and sandstone. It stands on a busy corner of George Street, close to Wynyard train station.
The building's design is called Federation Free Style. Its front, or façade, has sections separated by panels. These panels have sandstone details and round decorations at the top. The corner of the building has a cool, eight-sided tower called a cupola. It has a shiny metal roof and oval windows.
Inside, the public bar used to have Art Deco designs. Some of these old designs are still there today. The original wooden doors have also been kept. An old part of the pharmacy next door is now part of the hotel.
Why This Hotel Is Special
The Metropolitan Hotel is important for many reasons:
- It replaced an even older hotel on the same spot from 1851.
- It is one of only five hotels in Sydney built in this special style.
- The land itself has a long history, dating back before 1834.
- The hotel continues a long tradition of hotels on this site.
- It is a great example of a corner hotel from its time.
- Even though the inside has changed, the outside looks much like it did originally.
- The hotel adds a lot to the look and feel of the area.
- It was a place for people to meet, relax, and find affordable rooms.
- It shows what social life was like in this part of Sydney in the early 1900s.
Heritage Listing
The Metropolitan Hotel was officially added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.
