The savviest lobby addition: a gourmet minimart at the Sydney Paramount Hotel
You know the drill: a late-night drink with a client means that any decent dining establishment has called last orders by the time you’re back in your hotel room. The mini-bar offering is uninspiring and you know that the convenience store across the road won’t have the quality fix that you’re after. It’s this very predicament that Paramart, the new vending machine-cum-mini mart installed in the lobby of Sydney’s Paramount House Hotel, seeks to solve.
Open day and night, Paramart offers hotel guests and locals in the know (it’s open to the public) a taste of quality food at all hours. It’s stocked with food and drink from local restaurants and cafés, including taramasalata from Greek restaurant Baba’s Place, bread from AP Bakery and onigiri from Japanese café Parami.
“We love where we live and Paramart is an opportunity to showcase the exceptional work of our local friends, suppliers and producers,” explains Aimee Bayliss, Paramount House Hotel’s head of brand and marketing. “From handmade-in-Marrickville taramasalata or small-batch martinis from Enmore to bespoke playing cards designed by a Sydney artist, it all contributes to a sense of place, helping each guest stay like a local.”
The result? A playful and welcome gesture of hospitality, with the vending machine sitting in a space designed by Anna Wu of Awa Studio, who drew inspiration from Australia’s milk bar culture. These corner shops dishing out snacks, sodas and, originally, milkshakes, formed the foundation for a design that’s about serving a community – in this case, those who frequent Paramount House. “We were very intentional about carrying the milk bar idea throughout the design. We recreated an Australian streetscape with a bright sign and mirrored door; a tiled portal greets you, referencing the iconic tiled facades of the classic milk bar,” says Wu. “The open lockers are supposed to make you feel like you’re peering into an ice cream freezer and the Paramart team did a great job of stocking the machines to really enhance that sense of wonder.”
It’s a sense of wonder that’s also enhanced by a host of other products carefully selected to bring fun to a guest’s stay. A token allows the loaning of everything from Nintendo Game Boy consoles and cassette players to chess sets and even exercise kits. A reminder that hospitality goes beyond simply offering somewhere to rest your head. “Paramart’s products will be constantly updated to share and celebrate what our evolving neighbourhood has to offer,” adds Bayliss. “It’s just another way to make a stay in the House feel like home.”
paramounthousehotel.com
