Once a glamorous hotel for celebrities when the Ritz-Carlton Sydney Double Bay opened in 1991, the building plans have been approved to remodel the former luxury hotel as the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay.
Princess Diana, President Clinton and Madonna stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Double Bay Sydney in its hey day. Michael Hutchence, singer for INXS, committed suicide hanging himself in a room at the hotel on November 22, 1997. In 2001 the hotel debranded as Ritz-Carlton.
The property gained a seedy reputation in recent years after Ritz-Carlton moved on and the Stamford Hotel that followed closed in 2009. Reports of wild parties, illegal alcohol sales and prostitution made the Sydney press: Revamp for Double Bay hotel loved by celebrities (July 23, 2013).
I gather from the comments of the Sydney article that apparently a Westfield shopping mall contributed to many of the boutique shops in the area being closed.
There was a plan to tear down the hotel and build a large movie theater complex. The plan was rejected.
The hotel reportedly sold for $60 million earlier this year and in July 2013 the announcement hit the press that the hotel would become the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay.
Some articles in July stated the hotel would reopen in January 2014. That is not going to happen. The plans were just approved this week by unanimous decision of the Woollahra Council for the $25 million refurbishment of the hotel.
The new owners plan to upgrade all the public function areas and the 6th floor outdoor rooftop pool area. The hotel is said to have great views of Sydney Harbour.
Google Maps: InterContinental Sydney Double Bay, Sydney, Australia
Sydney Morning Herald:
Ritz-Carlton Double Bay to become Intercontinental flagship hotel Dec 6, 2013.
Revamp for Double Bay hotel loved by celebrities July 24, 2013.
Herald Sun: Iconic Double Bay hotel set to reopen as InterContinental Sydney Double Bay July 24, 2013.
Huffington Post: Former Ritz-Carlton Double Bay In Sydney Changes Hands For $60 Million Following Celebrity Death July 24, 2013.
The HuffPo title is amusing considering the phrase ‘following celebrity death’ refers to a time period of more than 15 years. The article lists several other hotels where celebrities have died.
My celebrity death hotel is the Amsterdam Hilton where Dutch rocker/artist Herman Brood threw himself off the hotel roof on July 11, 2001. Herman Brood & His Wild Romance were one of my favorite bands when I was a teenager living in Monterey. In 1979, they played at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco, one wild memorable party night for me. I was staying at the Amsterdam Hilton on the one year anniversary of Herman Brood’s suicide when I learned about the event due to the abundance of flowers placed around a bench in front of the hotel. I spoke with some of his friends and fans. A couple years later I stayed in a room at the Amsterdam Hilton and there was an unlabeled photo of Herman Brood on the wall.
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Ric Garrido of Monterey, California is writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler.
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