Sofitel Sydney Wentworth celebrates 50 years

2016 is a year of reflection and celebration for Sofitel Sydney Wentworth with the luxury heritage hotel celebrating 50 years. The hotel, which was the first 5-star address to open in 1966, will celebrate this impressive milestone by inviting guests on a journey of its historic Wentworth Hotel origin. Born as a publishing house for The Australian newspaper in the early 1800s and later becoming a boarding residence. The property later became a hotel with a magnificent ballroom which hosted King Edward VIII and the Duke of Windsor during the early 1920s.

In 1950, Qantas Empire Airways negotiated an interest in the hotel site, beginning a new phase. In 1961, approval was granted for Qantas to build a new 400-room hotel next to Qantas House in Chifley Square. The new Wentworth Hotel was completed in 1966 and became the first 5-star hotel in Sydney. Over the years, The Wentworth Hotel has hosted many international dignitaries including Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, as well as numerous celebrities including American astronaut Neil Armstrong.