The Old Clare by Ode Hotels
Chippendale
Hotel in Chippendale, Australia
Book with PearlWhy go
The Old Clare by Ode Hotels is a converted 1930s pub and brewery building in Chippendale, offering a design-forward alternative to Sydney's CBD towers. It suits creative-neighbourhood explorers over spa-seekers; the rooftop pool is a social asset, not a wellness program. Book well ahead for summer weekends; shoulder season delivers the best value.
About The Old Clare by Ode Hotels
Quick Take: Worth Booking?
The Old Clare is a design-forward boutique hotel in Chippendale that suits travellers who want character and a creative neighbourhood over the predictable polish of a CBD tower. Rooms are limited; this is a small-scale property; so book early if you're targeting a Sydney summer weekend or a major events period. If those dates are gone, availability elsewhere is much easier to find.
The Property
Built within a converted 1930s pub and Carlton United Brewery building at 1 Kensington Street, Chippendale, The Old Clare by Ode Hotels trades on adaptive reuse architecture in a suburb that has become one of Sydney's more interesting creative pockets. The hotel sits in Kensington Street's strip of galleries, restaurants, independent bars, a short walk from Central Station and the inner west, which makes it practical for visitors exploring beyond the Circular Quay circuit. For comparison, Capella Sydney and the InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef sit at opposite ends of the service-polish spectrum; The Old Clare is positioned as the design-minded mid-tier option.
Pool, Spa, Wellness
The hotel has a rooftop pool, a meaningful asset in Sydney's warmer months (November through March), but the wellness offering is modest compared to large-format properties. If a full spa program is a deciding factor for you, Emirates One&Only; Wolgan Valley or Empire Spa Retreat in Yallingup deliver at a different scale entirely. The Old Clare's pool is leading understood as a social amenity rather than a full wellness facility, it works well for an evening wind-down, less so if you're booking specifically for spa access.
When to Book
Sydney's shoulder seasons, April through May and September through October, offer better value and milder weather without the summer crowds. The rooftop pool is at its most useful December through February, but that aligns with peak rates. Book at least three to four weeks ahead for weekend stays during those months. Weeknight availability is generally more forgiving year-round.
Practical Details
| Detail | The Old Clare | Typical CBD Luxury Hotels |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Chippendale (creative precinct) | CBD / Circular Quay |
| Booking difficulty | Easy (most dates) | Moderate to hard (peak periods) |
| Pool access | Rooftop pool | Varies; often indoor lap pools |
| Wellness depth | Pool-focused, limited spa | Full spa at flagship properties |
| Neighbourhood vibe | Arts, dining, independent bars | Corporate, tourist-heavy |
For more options in the area, see our full Chippendale restaurants guide, our full Chippendale bars guide, and our full Chippendale experiences guide. If you're comparing boutique Australian properties, The Tasman in Hobart and The Calile in Brisbane are the closest analogues in other cities, both do the design-hotel format with better documented amenity packages.
Planning details
- Location
- 1 Kensington St, Chippendale NSW 2008, Australia
- Website
- odehotels.com/the-old-clare-hotel
- Phone
- +61 2 8277 8277
The take
The Take
The Vibe
The Old Clare reads as a celebration of visible contradictions: heritage fabric and contemporary intervention are held in deliberate tension rather than smoothed together. Housed across a 1930s Carlton United Breweries administration block and a Victorian-era corner pub, the property foregrounds exposed brickwork, industrial-weight steel frames and original pub tiling as primary design material. That honesty gives the hotel a civic, characterful presence on Kensington Street; it feels like an architectural anchor in a precinct that has turned warehouse pasts into a design-led hospitality lane. The result is a hotel that wears its history confidently while remaining distinctly of the present.
Best For
The Old Clare suits travellers who value design, history and a central, walkable precinct. It works well as a weekend escape for people looking to explore Kensington Street’s concentration of restaurants and bars, and it’s a natural pick for business travellers who prefer a smaller, design-focused property over large international chains. The hotel’s anchoring role in Chippendale makes it convenient for sampling nearby hospitality on foot, and its architectural character appeals to guests who want a stay that foregrounds heritage detail and contemporary design interventions.
Stay Tips
Lean into the hotel’s architectural story: spend time exploring the public spaces where the original pub tiling and exposed brick are left intact. Walk Kensington Street to sample the design-forward restaurants that the description highlights — the laneway is part of the hotel’s appeal. When booking, consider requesting rooms in the heritage structures to experience the sense of original fabric meeting contemporary intervention; those rooms best convey what sets the property apart architecturally.
Venue details
Ambiance
Hip and hospitable with adjustable mood lighting, thoughtful decor, and a vibrant yet welcoming atmosphere.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
Amenities
Accessibility
About the Stay
- Rooms
- 69
- Check-in
- 15:00
- Check-out
- 11:00
- Property Style
- Heritage Boutique with Contemporary Twists
- Design Style
- Industrial Chic Blending Historic Brewery Elements with Modern Aesthetics
Planning details
Location
1 Kensington St, Chippendale NSW 2008, Australia · Directions
Also consider
Also Consider
- Capella Sydney; Notable alternative
- Four Seasons Hotel Sydney; Notable alternative
- Grand Hyatt Melbourne; Notable alternative
- InterContinental Sydney; Notable alternative
- Park Hyatt Melbourne; Notable alternative
Hotel context
If you're choosing between The Old Clare and Sydney's major luxury hotels, the decision hinges on what you're optimising for. Capella Sydney and Four Seasons Hotel Sydney both deliver deeper service infrastructure, larger rooms, full-scale wellness facilities; at a correspondingly higher price point. The Old Clare trades those advantages for neighbourhood character and a smaller, more personal scale. If concierge depth and spa access are priorities, Capella is the cleaner choice.
InterContinental Sydney sits closer to The Old Clare on price but leans into CBD convenience and harbour-adjacent positioning rather than design identity. For travellers who want to be near Circular Quay and the Opera House, the InterContinental is more practical. For travellers who want to eat and drink in a neighbourhood with independent venues rather than hotel restaurants, The Old Clare's Chippendale address is the stronger argument. The Grand Hyatt Melbourne and Park Hyatt Melbourne are Melbourne comparisons only; useful context if you're planning a multi-city trip, but they don't compete directly with The Old Clare on location.
The Old Clare is the right call for design-minded travellers who want Chippendale's restaurant and arts precinct at their door and don't need a full wellness suite. It's the wrong call if you're booking primarily for spa access, a large room footprint, or harbour views. For those priorities, redirect your budget to Capella Sydney or Four Seasons.
Explore Chippendale
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full The Old Clare by Ode Hotels guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare The Old Clare by Ode Hotels
| Venue | Booking Difficulty | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| The Old Clare by Ode Hotels | Easy | 2026 Mr & Mrs Smith Luxury HotelsTales Spirited Awards 2026 - Best International Bar Team – APAC * - Best International Bar Team – APAC * (Regional Top 10 Honoree)2025 Michelin Selected Hotels |
| Capella Sydney | Unknown | 2026 Virtuoso Luxury Hotel Collection2026 Forbes 4-Star2026 Mr & Mrs Smith Luxury Hotels2025 World’s 50 Best Hotels · #12World Travel Awards 2025Tatler Best Hotels Asia-Pacific 20252025 Forbes 4-Star2025 Michelin 1 Key |
| Four Seasons Hotel Sydney | Unknown | 2026 Forbes Recommended2026 Virtuoso Luxury Hotel Collection2026 La Liste Top Hotels2025 Forbes Recommended2025 Michelin 1 KeyFour Seasons Hotels |
| Grand Hyatt Melbourne | Unknown | 2026 Forbes Recommended2025 Forbes Recommended |
| InterContinental Sydney | Unknown | 2026 Forbes Recommended2026 Virtuoso Luxury Hotel Collection2025 Michelin Selected Hotels2025 Forbes Recommended |
| Park Hyatt Melbourne | Unknown | 2026 Virtuoso Luxury Hotel Collection2026 Forbes 4-Star2026 La Liste Top Hotels2025 Michelin Selected Hotels2025 Forbes 4-Star |
A quick look at how The Old Clare by Ode Hotels measures up.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is check-in like at The Old Clare by Ode Hotels?
The Old Clare operates from a converted 1930s pub and Carlton United Brewery building at 1 Kensington Street, Chippendale; the arrival experience reflects that heritage rather than the glass-lobby formality of larger Sydney hotels. Expect a boutique scale, which typically means faster, more personal check-in than you'd get at a 400-room property like the InterContinental Sydney, but fewer concierge resources on hand.
When is the best time to book The Old Clare by Ode Hotels?
Book for Sydney's shoulder seasons; April through May or September through October; if you want better value and milder weather without summer crowds. The rooftop pool becomes a genuine draw from November through March, so if that's a priority, book the warmer months and accept higher demand. Avoid major Sydney events weeks unless you've already locked in a rate.
Do loyalty programs work at The Old Clare by Ode Hotels?
The Old Clare is an Ode Hotels property, an independent Australian hotel group, so major chain loyalty programs such as Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, or World of Hyatt do not apply here. If points accumulation and status benefits matter to you, properties like the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney or Park Hyatt Melbourne will serve that need better. Book direct or through a preferred rates channel to get the best available rate at The Old Clare.
Which room category is best at The Old Clare by Ode Hotels?
The hotel's strongest rooms are those that reflect the converted brewery heritage most directly; the building's 1930s bones give certain categories more character than a standard hotel room at this price point. Without confirmed room-specific data, the practical advice is to request a room within the original Brewery building rather than any newer addition, to ask about rooftop access when booking, as that pool is the property's most differentiated asset.
How is the dining at The Old Clare by Ode Hotels?
Chippendale is one of Sydney's more interesting eating neighbourhoods, Kensington Street immediately around the hotel has independent food and bar options worth exploring. On-site dining specifics are not confirmed in available data, so treat the hotel's food and beverage offering as secondary and plan around the neighbourhood. If in-house dining is a priority, the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney and InterContinental Sydney offer more comprehensively documented restaurant options.
