Sebel Townhouse Hotel is a former hotel in
Elizabeth Bay,
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
,
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
, Australia. The hotel was noted for its popularity with entertainers.
History
The hotel opened in 1963.
By the mid-1960s, it had gained "an international reputation for its intimacy and attention", and became popular with entertainers.
The hotel "became the unofficial home of the Australian music industry" during the 1970s and 1980s, and a location where Australian artists were able to meet with notable musicians staying at the hotel.
The hotel declined in the 1990s, when new hotels—nearer the harbour—opened in the city, and the
Kings Cross neighbourhood near the Sebel Townhouse "become more sleazy".
The hotel closed in 2000, and was converted to private apartments.
Notable guests and events
Notable guests include
Lauren Bacall
Betty Joan Perske (September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014), professionally known as Lauren Bacall ( ), was an American actress. She was named the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the America ...
,
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
,
the Clash
The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...
,
the Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters is an American exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, entertainment, and comedy in their style of play. Over the years, they have played more than 26,000 exhibition games in 124 countries and ter ...
,
Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren (22 January 1946 – 8 April 2010) was an English fashion designer and music manager. He was a promoter and a manager for punk rock and new wave bands such as New York Dolls, Sex Pistols, Adam and the Ants, and ...
,
the Moody Blues
The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in May 1964. The band initially consisted of Graeme Edge (drums), Denny Laine (guitar/vocals), Mike Pinder (keyboards/vocals), Ray Thomas (multi-instrumentalist/vocals) and Clint W ...
, and
Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...
.
Dire Straits
Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals, lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums, percussion). Th ...
stayed at the Sebel Townhouse, the band's guitarist
John Illsley
John Edward Illsley (born 24 June 1949) is an English musician, best known as bassist of the rock band Dire Straits, and he is one of the two members who stayed in the band during the existence, along with the frontman Mark Knopfler. He has re ...
writing the hotel was "colorful and edgy", and "the discretion of the staff is one of the reasons why it is so loved by the more untamed celebrities".
Guns and roses stayed here when they played Eastern Creek in 1994. Neil Finn was a regular visitor.
Simon Le Bon
Simon John Charles Le Bon (born 27 October 1958) is an English singer. He is best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the new wave band Duran Duran and its offshoot Arcadia. Le Bon has received three Ivor Novello Awards from the Briti ...
of
Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled ...
stayed in the penthouse for a filming of a TV Special called 'Le Bon Voyage', filmed in Sydney, Australia January 30, 1986.
The hotel was featured in ''
ABBA: The Movie'' (1977).
It was also the official hotel sponsor for all the cast and crew members who work on television variety shows including ''
Countdown
A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...
'' (1975-1987) and ''
Hey Hey It's Saturday
''Hey Hey It's Saturday'' is a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 28 years on the Nine Network from 9 October 1971 to 20 November 1999, with a recess in 1978. Its host throughout its entire ...
'' (1984-1987), when they did live shows in Sydney.
In 1984, the hotel hosted the wedding reception of
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
and
Renate Blauel
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
.
References
{{Reflist
External links
A 2003 articleabout development in the Kings Cross neighbourhood
Defunct hotels in Sydney