Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/131994
citybites out & about Designer darling Sydney It's evident that some hotels have the wow factor from the moment you step into the reception area, and The Darling at The Star has it in spades. It's no wonder that its tagline is 'Sydney's most lovingly detailed hotel'. From the towering black-and-white marble columns to the luxurious red backlit glass panels behind the check-in counters, the designer lighting to the funky lounge spaces, The Darling gets more exciting the more you explore its many facets. Step into the pool room, for instance, where a clear-glass pool table is surrounded by shelves of designer homewares and the lighting above is super-cool in its linear modernity. The decadent suites and rooms are an ode to technology, design and luxury, and these elements combine to make a stay at The Darling as awe-inspiring as it is relaxing. The 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, enormous wall-mounted flatscreen TVs, personal room service (with a smile) and luxurious baths with floor-to-ceiling views of Sydney sprawling beneath – all make this hotel more than worthy of the swag of awards it has garnered since opening in 2012. Among the hotel's rapidly mounting accolades are: Best New Hotel Construction and Design 2012 at the Asia-Pacific International Hotel Awards; Best Tech Hotel at the 2012 HM Awards; and being named among the Top 60 Best New Hotels in the World in 2012 by Condé Nast Traveler. www.thedarling.com.au hot spot A new Pony Brisbane For years, Sydneysiders have enjoyed dining at Pony in The Rocks – and at its sister eatery in Neutral Bay – so the good people of Brisbane were delighted when Eagle Street Pier on the riverfront was chosen for the group's latest venture. Brisbane-born head chef Damian Heads is at the helm of Pony Dining, dishing up tasty, honest modern Australian meals in a space with soaring warehouse-like ceilings and expanses of glass through which light floods in. Woods Bagot, the savvy design crew behind Ivy in Sydney, cleverly conceptualised the airy, yet welcoming modern space featuring exposed-brick walls and a large horseshoe-shaped sculpture, reminiscent of a metal ribbon, that connects the many dining and bar areas. Pony's signature open coal pit with a wood-fired grill is central to the 200-seater restaurant, the scent of delicious meat and seafood dishes permeating the air. There is a garden terrace, an outdoor bar and a dining area on a sprawling balcony overlooking the Brisbane River, as well as a private dining room, making Pony an awesome place to get together with friends to celebrate great food and classy beverages. www.ponydining.com.au 9