Meet you at Mary’s!
Meet you at Mary’s – that should be the most commonly heard phrase around town as afternoon and evening catchups are being arranged!
I had the very special treat of being amongst the first people in Newcastle to experience “live and in person” the brand new Kingsley by Crystalbrook hotel in Newcastle, in the re purposed Newcastle City Council Chambers building. I use the word “experience” rather than “see” or “inspect” deliberately. I have seen some comments being made online by people relying on second and third hand information, pictures and rumours about Kingsley not “being” or “looking like” a 5-star hotel, and I would like to try and explain to you why I think it is.
Many hotels have pretty rooms, a good central location and claim to be 5 star. Some people rate the stars based on the opulence, extravagance, expense or maybe decadence of the décor and surroundings. But the beating heart of a good 5-star property is its people. Its atmosphere. Its story. Things that cannot be defined in a picture. It’s all about the experience that you have when you stay, and the memories that you make. Looks are important, but not always the whole story.
Trotting up the front steps on a cold and blustery day I was met by Fiona Pascoe – the Crystalbrook Sales Director in charge of getting the Kingsley full of guests as soon as it opened – a huge job! My welcome was warm and inviting, and I felt like it was a privilege for Fiona to be hosting myself and 2 other agents on our little walk-around. That felt nice. Inside was warm and peaceful, but there was an excited buzz in the air. There were plenty of staff in the area, all with a sense of purpose, all busy, but none looking stressed or flustered. Things were going smoothly.
I used the WC facilities on arrival and was very pleasantly surprised – each individual cubicle in the ladies room was large and spacious and had its own hand basin set up – no waiting in line to use the hand driers here!! The décor tones were muted but stylish.
The first history lesson we had took place at the lobby level café/bar/meeting area simply called Ms Mary. Why would you call your deli style eatery Ms Mary? I’m glad you asked! The venue is named after Mary Eckford, one of Newcastle’s pioneering European settlers in the early 1800’s. She was married to a local Harbour Master and her children went to Newcastle East Public School. The mosaic work behind the bar is stunning – a large golden coloured canary in full flight. The canary was chosen deliberately as a nod to the mining heritage of Newcastle, since the birds were used in the early days to indicate the air quality of a mine as the workers descended underground. Literally if the canary “fell off its perch”, there was insufficient oxygen for the miners to stay, and they would head back above ground to safety.
The carpets in this area of the hotel are a gold and black swirl design, incorporating the colour theme of the canary and the coal. This colour scheme and canary theme are repeated throughout the hotel, giving a nod of authenticity to its location. You will find that no two Crystalbrook hotels are the same – each one takes on design and theme material authentic to its location, heritage and purpose.
Ms Mary has an outdoor dining area overlooking Wheeler Place, and my hope is that this venue becomes “the” place to meet for after work drinks, summer sunset cocktails, pre or post theatre drinks and snacks, or a place to grab a quick bite for lunch or afternoon tea. Speaking of which, if you think you like a good old fashioned finger bun with your afternoon cup of tea or morning coffee, then I HIGHLY recommend you grab a finger bun from Ms Mary – these delights take bakery treats to a whole new level, way up high!!!!
From Ms Mary we explored the remainder of the lobby level of the hotel. A small/average size function room with coffee machine and AV facilities would suit small meetings or gatherings, and there is also a boardroom that seats up to 10 people. Handy to have as a meeting place if you are gathering a group together from varying locations for a corporate get together or brainstorming session.
The hotel has several room types, from the standard Urban View, to rooms with an outlook over the harbour, and then rooms looking across Civic Park. The round shape of the building gives each room some subtle differences to each other depending where abouts in the circular frame they are situated, so not all rooms are identical. The other nice feature of the décor of the rooms, is that the rounded, curved theme is continued. Coffee tables, furniture, side tables, cocktail cabinets, wardrobes, TV tables, bathroom vanities – none have squared sharp corners – all of the edges are rounded. Oddly, I found this to have quite a nice aesthetic appeal – soothing/relaxing are not quite the right words – when I think of it I will let you know. Soft maybe?
The canary theme is carried through the rooms in the throws that are across the King beds. No Doubles or Queens here – just Kings (that’s a big tick towards 5-star hotel from me!) Some of the Kings can be split into two king single beds, but not all. Likewise, some rooms can accommodate a third person on a rollaway but not all. The black and gold colour theme continues, not only through the carpets but into the bathrooms too.
Did you know that over 90% of the trades people used and materials sourced to build this hotel were Novocastrian? I like that a lot. Wherever possible the contents of the building that remained when Crystalbrook took possession were incorporated into the hotel build. More on that later. IF you are a local reading this, you will be familiar with Earp Bros Tiles – a business based in Newcastle for more years than I can even remember. Earp not only provided and installed all of the tiling work in the bathrooms, their business has diversified and the owners have established a local distillery, so in your mini bar you will be finding Earp Brothers Gin! Also, in the minibar, you will be finding local Hunter Valley wines and chocolate treats from local company Cocoa Nib. These are all stories and information that I like to hear – love keeping it local.
Speaking of local, do you know why Crystalbrook decided to name its Newcastle hotel “Kingsley”? Again, it is a nod to our Novocastrian heritage. When first established, our city was known as Coal River. Its name then changed to Kingstown before being renamed Newcastle after the large English port city also famous for exporting coal. So, Kingsley is named as acknowledgment to a former name of the city in which it is built, being Kingstown.
Why is the cocktail bar called Romberg’s? Glad you asked! Frederick Romberg was the name of one of the original architects of the building when it was first constructed. He was also a foundation Professor of Architecture at the University of Newcastle. It was a very fitting touch that his grand-daughter was invited to experience the hotel’s hospitality on opening day. Another nod to a local’s story behind the building.
What makes the cocktails at Romberg’s worth sampling? Again, I am glad you asked!
Read the description of the “Coastal Margarita” that follows and tell me you don’t want to try one right now!
“Inspired by the stunning coastal walk between Nobby’s and Merewether. We’ve sourced edible plants that are often overlooked to create something you have never seen before”. Made with Toasted Wattle Seed syrup to flavour, the garnish on this cocktail is 4 different types of edible local plant. A subtle nod to the Aboriginal heritage in our city acknowledging some of the food sources they would have utilised, including a type of edible sea fern – the Aboriginal name for Newcastle was “Muloobinbah” which means “Place of the Edible Sea Fern”. As it happens, Muloobinbah is also the name of one of the alcohol-free cocktails on the menu (which are just as delicious as their alcoholic counterparts!)
The beer menu includes Foghorn King Street (local), the bar snacks include Port Stephens Oysters, Adina Estate olives and Hunter Valley cheeses. The wine lists include Peterson House bubbles, Krinklewood Verdello and Brokenwood Semillon, as well as wine from Hungerford Hill, Tyrrell’s and Glandore Estate. All local. No guesses as to what will be in your mini bar in the wine department! The gin list is extensive with local Earp Distilling Co options on offer, including their Limoncello!
So, there are some features of this hotel that are similar to many others. Check-in is at 3pm and checkout is 11am. You can park up in front of the hotel and have your luggage taken care of by a porter, while your car is valet parked. Parking is $45 overnight/24hrs. The hotel as 130 rooms, but only 80 have been released for the hotel opening. Why? Apart from room booking levels (which are above expected for opening month – a good sign!) the hotel is not contracting staff- they are employing their own – local people. They are still looking for good staff to fill all their positions, so did not want to open with more rooms (hence guests) than they could provide a 5-star service to – another nod to the professionalism of the Crystalbrook business, and an acknowledgement that 5 star is not just a pretty room, it’s the service and attention from staff at all levels that contributes to the overall guest experience.
Breakfast is a little different and a bit special in its presentation – you start with the “continental” included breakfast which is presented on a gorgeous tiered stand like a high tea would be, and then you can add to that one of the hot dishes off the menu and beverage of your choice – all for $38 and served up with one of the best views of the city you can get.
The restaurant is open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday only for now, commencing June 23. The Head Chef has a very strong philosophy of “paddock to plate” and the sourcing of all food served is very particular. The majority of course, is local. The fish come from local fisherman and are line caught only, and if you are eating fish in the evening, you can be guaranteed it was line caught that morning. If it’s not fresh line caught daily, it’s not served. And you have to love a chef with her own meat cabinet to dry age Crystalbrook’s own beef.
Crystalbrook is of course renowned for being conscious of the impact on the environment that it’s hotel operations have. All bathroom amenities are biodegradable or recyclable (even the toothbrush is made from sugarcane and corn starch) and Crystalbook are the first hospitality group in Australia to achieve 100% waste free bathrooms. Small plastic individual use amenity bottles have been replaced with large pump pack bottles. The bespoke amenity range features essential oils and indigenous ingredients such as Davidson Plum and Rosella. The water bottles in your room as not plastic – they are compostable and biodegradable paperboard containers or reusable glass. The restaurant works with OzHarvest to collect unused food and distribute to segments of the community where it is most needed. The coffee pods from your Nespresso in room machine are recycled by TerraCycle. Metals are melted, organics composted and plastics recycled. Over 80% of fresh fruit and produce is sourced within a 3-hour drive from every Crystalbrook Hotel. Even the coat hangers have had another life – they are 100% recycled made from pressed cardboard. Straws and takeaway containers are plastic-free, made from corn, sugar cane and other fully degradable materials. Traditional plastic guest room key cards have been replaced with wooden key cards, made from 100% recycled wood. Best of all, for each night you choose to opt out of having your room serviced, you will receive a $10 food and beverage credit to spend at the hotel bar or restaurant – easy money!! Paperless technology is everywhere -in room iPads, loaded with local and hotel information, mean Kingsley rooms have 90% less paper than found in a typical hotel 5-star room.
I’ve saved my personal favourite to last. Crystalbook hotels in Cairns……instead of buying a new outfit for a one-off special occasion while you are on holiday, chat with local fashion hire company Bella Boutique and hire instead of buy!!
Anyhow, back to Kingsley in Newcastle. I hope that this little story of mine has given you a bit of an idea what to expect from a stay here: a 5 star, environmentally aware property, making the effort to “keep it local” and authentic, and offer the people of Newcastle and its visitors an experience that is more than just a hotel night - something new, different and rewarding. Stunning yet subtle, and delivered with customer service a step up from what you have known in this town before. I know it won me over. Watch this space for when I get to have dinner here in a few week’s time and try the local fresh produce for myself!