Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria Sydney partners with Curtis Stone

Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria Sydney has partnered with Melbourne-born chef Curtis Stone to develop two dining concepts for the hotel’s opening at One Circular Quay in 2027. The collaboration will mark Stone’s first restaurant project in Australia and form part of the Waldorf Astoria brand’s entry into the country.

Fiveight owns and is developing the harbourfront hotel, where Stone will direct the culinary programme. According to Hilton, both dining experiences are being created specifically for the property, with Australian produce, culture and hospitality informing their development.

Australian focus for the dining programme

Stone said the project drew on the producers, seasons and hospitality traditions he knew growing up. He described the opportunity to develop the venues in Australia as personally significant.

“These dining experiences are deeply personal projects, inspired by the producers, seasons, and hospitality culture I grew up with,” Stone said. He also described the partnership and its Sydney harbour setting as a milestone in his career.

Marlene Poynder, general manager of Waldorf Astoria Sydney, said the collaboration was an important element of introducing the brand to Australia. She said the intention was to bring dining, hospitality and the harbourfront location together as part of the guest experience.

For hotel owners and operators, the project illustrates Hilton’s stated approach to developing chef partnerships alongside property owners. Candice D’Cruz, Hilton’s vice president, Luxury Brands, Asia Pacific, said the company worked closely with owners on collaborations intended to connect guests with each destination, and that choosing an Australian chef reflected that approach.

A wider network of chef partnerships

The Sydney agreement joins a series of culinary collaborations across Waldorf Astoria hotels. Hilton cited Heinz Beck’s La Pergola at Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, with its 3-star Michelin rating, alongside Daisuke Nakazawa’s Sushi Nakazawa at Waldorf Astoria Washington DC and Gordon Ramsay’s Au Trianon at Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace Versailles, both rated 1-star Michelin.

In Asia, the company highlighted Jason Liu’s tenanted Ling Long at Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund, Du Guojin’s Hokklo at Waldorf Astoria Xiamen and James Wang’s Zijin Mansion at Waldorf Astoria Beijing. Each has a 1-star Michelin rating, according to Hilton.

Hilton traces the brand’s food and beverage heritage to Waldorf Astoria New York more than a century ago. The company credits that hotel with introducing 24-hour room service and originating dishes and drinks including the Waldorf Salad and the Rob Roy cocktail.

Further chef-led venues are planned elsewhere in the portfolio, including Clare Smyth’s Coreus and Daniel Boulud’s Café Boulud at Waldorf Astoria London – Admiralty Arch. In Sydney, Stone’s two concepts are scheduled to open in 2027 as the brand makes its Australian debut.