What To Expect @ The Vault Hotel

Review By Su Lwin

Situated on the northern part of Pitt Street, the location of The Vault Hotel makes it an ideal spot for older clientele. It's not the kind of place where you'd be likely to run into backpackers or hipsters. Some would be grateful for that.

The exterior of The Vault Hotel has been constructed in such a way that makes it noticeable and differentiates it from the other buildings that surround it. The classic federation architecture make it a stylish and eye-catching venue that is at once stylish and pleasing to behold. The large windows on each side of the main entrance are framed withred curtains that contrast with the exterior beige colour of the building. Once stepping inside the venue, there wasn't anything that particularly stood out about the décor. The ground level featured two Roman style pillars that went up to the high ceiling. The high ceilings gave the impression of a spacious room. The upper level was small and looked down on the ground floor via a balcony. It was a relatively small space, with only a few dining tables and seats that filled it. The ground level was closed at the time that I was there so I didn't get the chance to see how big it was. There was a small outdoor section in a lane-way next to the bar for smokers' convenience.

From the location of The Vault Hotel, I assumed that the age and type of customers to frequent it would be older and of a white collar background. When I set foot into The Vault Hotel, I found that my assumption was not far off the mark. The main floor was occupied by several different groups, of mostly formally dressed older men, perhaps ranging from their 30s into their 50s. The evening was still early, which explained the lack of vibrant club atmosphere, and the red and white checkered tablecloths covering the small dining tables which took up the majority of the space on the main floor. The atmosphere was chilled. It was just people coming to drink and hang out, with no hint of pretension or snobbery about the venue.

There was an unknown dance song playing softly in the background, somewhat similar to a late '90s Sophie Ellis-Bextor song. Perhaps the music wouldn't be to everyone's liking, but it was nice to be able to hear my friend's conversation and to not have to shout to hear ourselves.

The sole bartender greeted me with a smile and asked what I would like. To my disappointment, I was told that they were not currently serving cocktails. Instead, my friend and I opted for a spirit and a beer. By today's standards, the drinks were average priced. In total, it was $14.50 for the both of them. These would be considered quite modestly priced when compared with more exorbitantly priced bars.

Overall, the casual air of the place and moderate pricing of the drinks were the best parts of this bar. The décor was rather mediocre, and service was friendly but good service is common in most places.

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