Five-star, heritage-listed luxury hotel, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, is celebrating a momentous 20-year partnership with the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The hotel has created a range of new, unique offers and exclusive experiences, including an art-inspired high tea and artfully curated stay packages to commemorate the Archibald Prize 2023. For the past two decades, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth has proudly worked with the Art Gallery of New South Wales, as its official hotel partner to sponsor the art institutions’ effective programs and exhibitions, including Australia’s most engaging annual art event, the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes.
Sofitel Sydney Wentworth General Manager, Sam Panetta said the hotel was thrilled and honoured to celebrate 20 years of an exceptional partnership with the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
“Renowned as the ‘Hotel of the Arts’, we couldn't be prouder to partner with the Art Gallery NSW and its commitment to artistic excellence which has become an integral part of our hotel's identity, creating a seamless fusion of art and hospitality.”
Panetta added that it’s exciting to see the partnership continue between the two, and thanked the Art Gallery of New South Wales for its continuous dedication, vision, and tireless efforts in fostering the arts.
The highly anticipated Archibald Prize for portrait painting each year famously inspires Sofitel's pastry team to create a new art-inspired High Tea. In honour of this year’s exhibition, which opened on the 6th of May, the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth’s High Tea experience is influenced by the Packing Room Prize 2023 winning portrait, Clown Jewels by first-time Archibald Prize finalist, Cairns-based artist Andrea Huelin, featuring her subject Cal Wilson, anNew Zealand-born, Melbourne-based stand-up comedian.
The Archibald-inspired High Tea menu takes inspiration from the colourful and joyous painting whilst marrying traditional high tea treats with fanciful French touches. Running from the 17th of June until the 3rd of September, the Archibald-inspired High Tea will be served in the regal Velvet Room, located on level 5, and is available on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm until 3 pm.
This year’s limited-edition High Tea menu features savoury bites and minis, including Tasmanian smoked salmon blinis with finger lime and crème fraiche; quiche with smoked duck and porcini; classic French-style chicken pithivier; wasabi pea petit chou and caviar; and slow roasted truffle beef mini baguette, followed by traditional scones with house-made strawberry jam. A final tier of petit fours, cakes and pastries focus on sweet delights such as classic Opera cake; jewel-coloured macarons made in-house with delicate flavourings; the Sofitel Sydney’s signature Wentworth cheesecake; French ‘religieuse’ crème pâtissière-filled choux pastry flavoured with raspberry; Bordeaux-style vanilla cannelé; and finger lime lemon meringue petite tarte.
High Tea at Sofitel Sydney Wentworth is complemented by an assortment of premium Silver Jubilee by Dilmah teas priced at $69 per person. As a celebrated ambassador of culturally inspired Parisian experiences, Sofitel invites Sydneysiders and guests to turn their high tea into an ‘Art de Vivre’ moment by adding bottomless sparkling ‘Bulles’ (French for bubbly) for an additional $20 per person. Plus, the first 100 guests to book in for the Archibald-inspired High Tea will also receive complimentary tickets to the Archibald Prize 2023.
