Florin Hotel
Florin Hotel is a $275 million, 20-storey hotel under construction at 499 Kent Street in Sydney’s CBD, on the site of the former Australian headquarters of Universal Pictures. The developers have leaned into that film history, and into the camera phone: the signature room is a “vertigo suite” with a glass floor. EVT’s Independent Collection will operate it, according to Travel Daily, and it is due in 2027.
The building and design
SJB Architects designed the project for joint developers INT.RE and Icon Oceania, and Hickory is the builder. The design blends the site’s heritage character with a new tower, and The Urban Developer reports a 3D facade designed to respond to changing light through the day. Rooms will carry film-themed details as a nod to the Universal years.
There will be 228 rooms. Categories and sizes have not been released, but the one everyone will ask about is the vertigo suite on the 18th floor, with its transparent glass floor. Not for clients who dislike heights.
Eat and drink
Announced so far:
- two signature restaurants
- a two-level rooftop bar
- a rooftop infinity pool
No restaurant names, chefs or concepts have been confirmed.
What it means for advisors
Florin is aimed squarely at younger, design-minded and social-media-savvy travellers, and that is how to sell it: a playful city hotel with a pool on the roof, a short walk from Darling Harbour and the CBD, rather than a harbour-view grande dame. It sits in a different lane from Waldorf Astoria Sydney, also due in 2027, and could pair well with it for clients splitting a longer stay. As an independent, it has no big-brand loyalty programme attached; ask EVT about trade terms closer to opening.
Opening status
Construction began in October 2025, reported by Travel Daily and The Urban Developer, with Hickory marking the ground-breaking in November 2025. Travel Daily says opening is expected in 2027. No month has been given, and the developers and operator have not yet launched a hotel website or bookings.
Sources: traveldaily.com.au, theurbandeveloper.com, hickory.com.au, hickory.com.au