With winter approaching and Sydney very much open for business, Pier One Sydney Harbour is bringing back the luxury hotel’s famed seasonal private igloos. Designed to give locals somewhere different to drink during the colder months, the pop-up event spaces have become somewhat of a symbol for Sydney’s autumn and winter seasons and a nice little spot of luxury for those who want a different perspective on Sydney Harbour.
Big enough for groups of up to ten to rug up with a private chef, canned cocktails, and a tight wine list, the Pier One igloos will once again be perched on the balconies of Pier One Sydney Harbour’s suites, which guests can also book for overnight stays.
Needless to say, it’s one of the best Sydney date ideas going around during the long stretch of May to August.
The return of the Pier One igloos looks like a complete redesign as well. Where the furniture in those cosy globes would usually pop with a bit of colour, the hotel has worked with designer Tara Whiteman to curate something a bit more seamless for the winter aesthetic. That is an all-white “winter wonderland” with plush furnishings, puffy footstools that look like snowballs and, just to add a little bit of theatre, some cherry blossoms to skew slightly Japanese.
Though it may look like something only influencers would throw themselves at, the Pier One igloos have in previous years proven a popular hit for the Marriott Autograph Collection hotel, which stands in the shadow of Sydney Harbour Bridge and boasts direct access to the newly revived Walsh Bay Arts Precinct – one of the major hubs for the currently running Biennale of Sydney.
Available for bookings from Thursday 5th May, the Pier One igloos are available across three different allocated slots. That’s 12 PM- 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM – 6 PM, and 7 PM – 9:30 PM. Note that the 7 PM slot from Friday to Sunday is only available for groups when one or two of the guests also intend to stay overnight. Unfortunately, all ten people aren’t officially allowed to stay on the Igloo Suite overnight.
If you want to nab a time to spend in the Pier One Igloos then you’ll need to book the Igloo Balcony Suite. You and your mates will be hosted in the suite by various wait staff who will be ferrying the food and drink to you, picked up from a fairly delicious sounding menu that includes Sydney Rock Oysters and Blanc de Blancs and lime leaf dressing, crudo seasoned spicy tartare lettuce cups, wagyu skewers, and grazing boards stacked with charcuterie and Australian cheeses.
As far as what you’ll be bringing, expect canned cocktails like a Negroni with gin from the highly regarded Never Never Distilling Co., and various others including margaritas, bloody mary’s, and espresso martinis. Wine will be available (by the bottle only) and there will also be a bunch of beer buckets on the menu.
Each booking has a hire fee and a minimum spend on the food and drinks starting from $200 hire and a spend of $400. This price climbs higher if you want to stay the night of course, but at least that price includes parking and breakfast for two the following morning.
Unfortunately, it looks like Pier One hasn’t opted to split the igloos into two formats this year. In previous years they also offered an igloo with a hot tub, but it looks like this year you’re only able to go for the one without the jacuzzi.
