Lights, camera, check-in: a new hotel is opening in Sydney's oldest cinema

Three things Explore is loving this week.

A render of Paddington, NSW's 25hours Hotel The Olympia. Picture supplied

By Akash Arora

September 14, 2025

Staying in Paddington - one of Sydney's most elegant neighbourhoods, far from the usual tourist traps - is one great reason to check in to the soon-to-open 25hours Hotel The Olympia. Another is the hotel's heritage: it's housed in one of the city's oldest cinemas, West's Olympia Theatre, dating back to 1911. In an homage to the inner-east site's cinematic past, the 109 rooms will be split into two "protagonist" categories - Dreamers (with soft blue tones) and Renegades (with darker colours, bold carpets and eye-popping artworks). On-site drinking and dining dens will include the Mulwray bar, Jacob the Angel coffee shop, Monica the rooftop hangout and the Palomar restaurant, serving dishes from Southern Europe, North Africa and the Levant. 25hours-hotels.com

New lens on the great outdoors

GPS-based outdoor recreation platform AllTrails is making it easier for curious hikers this spring to identify plants, trees, insects and fungi on the go with the launch of its Outdoor Lens feature. Part of the app's Peak membership ($79.99 a year), the feature is simple to use. Just tap the "identify plants" button and point your phone to the object of your curiosity. After "leafing through data", the app tells you what you're looking at. Explore tried it and the new tool got two out of two correct. Yes, it was indeed magnolia and star jasmine. alltrails.com

A ride through ancient rainforest

Tasmania's West Coast Wilderness Railway is the newest member of Cultural Attractions of Australia, joining icons such as Uluru and the Sydney Opera House and, in Tasmania, Port Arthur and MONA in the prestigious collective. CAOA aims to showcase the best of the nation's culture by curating exclusive experiences. The heritage railway - which operates between Queenstown and Strahan - has created three itineraries, from a 4.5 hour journey through ancient rainforest, to a three-day "Live like the Railway GM" hosted adventure. culturalattractionsofaustralia.com

Get exclusive travel tips, hidden gems & expert insights: delivered to your inbox

Correction

A story published on Saturday, September 6 in Explore incorrectly said Bunnik Tours was offering 35 per cent off its Europe itineraries in 2026. It should have said 35 per cent of its itineraries will run in the shoulder months. The error was introduced in the production process.

Words byAkash Arora

Akash is the Deputy Travel Editor for Australian Community Media. He has lived and worked in four cities around the world – Sydney, London, New Delhi and New York – and, at last count, travelled to 42 countries.

My all-time favourite destination is ... New York. You can drop a pin anywhere in Manhattan and start walking in any direction, and the sights and sounds of the city that never stops will begin to stimulate all your senses in an instant.

Next on my bucket list is … Scandinavia - at the peak of summer, when the sun almost never sets.

My top travel tip is … If you’re flying to Sydney from anywhere in the world, pick a window seat far from the wing on the left-hand-side of the aeroplane. If the weather gods and flight path align, you’ll have the most incredible views of the Sydney Harbour and Opera House.