A look at South West Sydney’s new luxury hotel

Opening in January 2018, The William Inglis Hotel, MGallery by Sofitel is a boutique, 5-star luxury hotel set across eight levels, with 144 elegantly appointed guest rooms and a host of hospitality and leisure facilities.

Part of the new $140m precinct developed by thoroughbred horse sales company William Inglis & Son Ltd called Riverside Stables, AccorHotels is proud to be partnered with this 5th generation family owned business.

This latest MGallery by Sofitel hotel is located adjacent to the Warwick Farm racecourse in South West Sydney. Riverside Stables is the result of nine years of planning, with Inglis relocating their Sydney business, which has been situated at Randwick for a remarkable 100 years, to its new home, this world class sales and events facility at Warwick Farm.

Named after the Inglis company’s figurehead and founder, William Inglis, the hotel will service the racing industry and clients, but will also be a drawcard for regional tourism across both the corporate and leisure sectors.

Outside of auction sales, The William Inglis Hotel aims to be the cornerstone of the new site and is expected to draw travellers from around the world. Celebrating Inglis’ racing and thoroughbred history, each of the 144 guest rooms has a unique theme and is named after one of the many champion racehorses sold through the sales rings. The biggest, on Level 8, is the Presidential Suite – named the Black Caviar Suite.

[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”15046″ align=”left”]Each guest room will be personalised to the champion racehorse it is named after, featuring an artistic painting of the winning jockey silks, and an image or original artwork of the horse. In addition to this, the entrance to each room will include a replica of the original winner’s plaque from the Newmarket barns.

The fitness centre has the latest gym equipment including a range of cardio and strength facilities, and the spa offers a variety of indulgent massages and beauty treatments. The heated outdoor 20m pool is perfect for those wishing to relax or swim during their stay.

Catering to both business and leisure guests, the hotel also has a range of conferencing facilities, including the sales arena, suites, meeting rooms and private dining. The sales arena is a versatile space for up to 1000 guests with a variety of seating options from theatre, classroom or banquet to cocktail and boardroom.

There is also access to The Gallery which features nine VIP suites. Within Riverside Stables, the Garden Pavilion is the perfect space for more intimate meetings, conferences and special events of 80 people, and is equipped with a catering area and amenities block. In honour of the existing historic Newmarket Stable in Randwick, The ‘Big Barn’ has been constructed overlooking the racecourse for use during major horse sales and will also double as an iconic space for weddings and special events for up to 300.

Noteworthy design elements of the Riverside Stables precinct include various artworks, features and signage relocated from the Newmarket site and reinstated around the complex. Family portraits of the Inglis family, paintings of famous horses and photographs of Inglis’ most memorable and iconic moments are hung throughout the hotel. The Inglis logo from the original auctioneer’s box has a new home on the auctioneer’s box in the new complex’s sales arena, and the double doors at the entrance use the original stable wood.

Original signage from the Newmarket reception, front gates and stables has also been relocated to various locations. A feature of The William Inglis Hotel is the two-storey bookcase that runs from the hotel lobby into Newmarket Room restaurant and along the mezzanine level into the 1867 Lounge. The bookcase has a collection of artefacts, artworks and books from the past 150 years of Inglis’ operation and of the thoroughbred industry in Australia.

CHADA are the interior architecture practice who created the design and build for the hotel. Over three decades they have become the number one firm specialising in the hotel and leisure industries in Australia and the Pacific Rim. The essence of Inglis’ operation at its Newmarket site is the Moreton Bay Fig that grew on the complex. Many a memory of famous purchases occurred underneath the leaves of the famous Fig and in honour of that, two ‘metallic’ fig trees have been constructed to act as the shelter for the pre-parade area that backs onto the new Sales Arena.

In addition to this, two saplings from the original Fig Tree at Newmarket have been planted on the complex with the intention to carry on the legacy of fig trees and thoroughbred champions.