Apartment 906/ 81 Macleay Street, Potts Point, the IKON apartments, is for sale through Jason  Boon, Josh Reid and Geoff Cox https://www.rwebay.com.au/7909927/

It embraces views of the sapphire blue Sydney Harbour and world heritage-listed Sydney Opera House’s silhouetted sails.

But it was never always apartments. In 1960 it was the site was the Chevron-Hilton Hotel. In 1985 it became the five-star Nikko Hotel, opened in 1990. In 1995 it because the Landmark Park Hotel and later, after 2005, it became the IKON apartments built by Mirvac.

As the Nikko it incorporated a red and gold foyer, standard symbols of Chinese good luck, strength and passion.

It also included a Japanese garden, whose footprint still remains facing its Manning Street façade.

The Chevron was the site of the former 19th century “Cairo” mansion, demolished in 1950.

The 14-storey Chevron Hotel was an international glamour hot spot. A proposed second tower twice as larger but was never built. The Chevron featured a staircase constructed from two-inch marble supported by stainless steel. Costing £9 million, all 1,200 rooms had individual air-conditioning, remote-controlled TV, bathroom scales and – gold toilet seat covers –  some apparently purloined by guests. Rates were from £4/10 to £12/12 for a luxury suite. It was the site of The Mango Tree movie. Sir Robert Helpmann stayed there when in Sydney. The Silver Spade’s 600-seat night club attracted music royalty stars such as Judy Garland, Dame Shirley Bassey, Ella Fitzgerald, Tom Jones, Frank Sinatra (scheduled but cancelled), the Bee Gees, Dusty Springfield, Bronx, and locals such as The Amazing Woolloomooloosers. The Beatles were deemed “unsuitable” and refused a booking for the start of their 1964 Australian tour due to crowds they would attract and a clash with an international concert pianist also staying at the Chevron. Management feared a riot. The Beatles stayed in the room 801 at the Sheraton Motor Lodge opposite while local police held back over 500 Beatles’ fans in the rain on Macleay Street.

The 1995 IKON development redesigned the ground floor which now incorporates a major Woolworths store, chemist, art gallery, on-street coffee shop, restaurant and an upmarket homewares store.

It is the largest apartment block in the area.

Andrew Woodhouse

Heritage Solutions