Author: Chris Singh

Chris Singh is an Editor-At-Large at the AU review, loves writing about travel and hospitality, and is partial to a perfectly textured octopus. You can reach him on Instagram: @chrisdsingh.

Hotel Review: The Olsen is still one of Art Series’ finest achievements

Positioned near the CBD end of Chapel Street, The Olsen remains one of the favourites of Art Series Hotels’ ever-expanding portfolio of gallery-like, boutique-minded properties. It owes much of its understated elegance to the works of John Olsen, whose delicate landscapes feel a world’s away from the group’s first property, nearby The Cullen, where the…

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Review: Hong Kong’s Hotel VIC offers supreme luxury without the price tag

With 671 rooms/suites and an overall aesthetic that has been finessed by three different firms – Rocco Design Architects for the building, AFSO for three dining spaces and public areas, and Hirsh Bedner Associates for guest rooms – the stunning Hotel VIC on the Harbour is certainly an ambitious undertaking, even for Hong Kong. Operated…

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Travel Deals: Jetstar is offering $259 flights to Hawaii; $229 flights to Vietnam

There has been some juicy flight sales coming out of Australia as of late, and we’re not even two weeks into 2019 yet. The latest is coming from Jetstar who have launched their “International Resolutions Sale”, running from now until the 16th January (or earlier if sold out – which is looking highly likely). So…

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Here’s what you’ll be eating at FOMO Festival this weekend

Heading to FOMO Festival in Sydney or Melbourne this weekend? Well, this is just a reminder to enter on an empty stomach because both legs have a very tempting food line-up planned alongside live music from the likes of Nicki Minaj, Rae Sremmurd, Kali Uchis, Mura Masa and more. Like all boutique festivals nowadays, the…

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Nike are throwing it back to 90’s tech this month with the Epic React Flyknit 2

The Nike Epic React Flyknit was one of the most popular running shoes of last year, so its no surprise that a line-up expansion is coming so soon. Set to release later this month, the Epic React 2 doesn’t do much to dramatically change the successful silhouette, but eagle-eyed sneakerheads have noticed that the heel…

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Hotel Review: QT Perth translates the wild west with swagger and theatre

The QT Hotels & Resorts brand has now firmly established its own distinctive language, without coming across as formulaic. The quirky, off-kilter designs and high-concept luxury boutique approach has given the brand a unique way of interpreting and translating location, whether it’s bringing in just enough of Surfers Paradise to brighten the grand QT Gold…

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Live Review: OVO Sound’s dvsn show Sydney what R&B really is

The recent debate about who is the current “King of R&B” (sparked by a claim from Cash Money artist Jacquees) is not as clear cut as it has been made out to be. This isn’t the first time someone who has claimed to be the king of a genre or style of music. T.I once…

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Carriageworks gets new pop-up Spanish restaurant for Sydney Festival

multi-award winning chef, caterer, restaurateur and lecturer Darren Taylor is bringing a special pop-up restaurant to Carriageworks over the next few weeks, inspired by the buzzing energy of Sydney Festival. From tomorrow until 27th January, COSECHA will be bringing inspired Spanish dishes to the art institution, operating from lunch right through to dinner. With Carriageworks…

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Hotel Review: San Francisco’s Hotel Zephyr sticks out at Fisherman’s Wharf

You’d be correct in assuming that San Francisco claims some fantastic boutique hotels across all price ranges. After all the city has long been known as one of the most creative and free-spirited in the U.S, and it’s hotel scene has benefited greatly from all that openness. From the beatnik throwback of Hotel Boheme and…

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Travel Deals: Flights around Europe are going for as low as £5 right now

Every so often European budget carrier Ryanair drop their places to ridiculously low prices, opening up the continent to eagle-eyed budget-minded travellers quick enough to take advantage of the flash sales. It happened a few times last year, and these flashes are seemingly getting more and more common. There’s actually one happening right now. And…

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Arnott’s release Cheese & Vegemite Shapes; win the great snack race of 2018

The rumours were true! Arnott’s have officially won the great snack race of 2018, managing to (finally) funnel a classic Aussie combo into the latest flavour for Shapes. Vegemite & Cheese Shapes is being described as “the spirit of the nation distilled down into a cracker”, and has now made its way onto supermarket shelves…

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On the Shelf: From Starwood’s Two-Fold Whisky to Kilderkin’s Larrikin Gin

You might not want the same-old go-to spirits for this year’s NYE house party, especially since there have been some new expressions released over the past few months that have really tempted drinks enthusiasts away from their regular bottles. New Year’s Eve brings the perfect time to introduce our new column, “On the Shelf”, which…

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The best New Year’s Day parties in Sydney for 2019

Shake off that epic NYE hangover and make it a two-day binge to bring in the New Year. Sydney’s got some of the best New Year’s Day parties in the world, so sleeping it off just ain’t gonna cut it if you want to kick-start 2019 in the most epic way possible. To help, we’ve…

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Melbourne’s best New Year’s Eve parties for 2018/19

Sydney may have the more famous fireworks display, but Melbourne hold their own when it comes to raucous New Year’s Eve parties well worth heading out for. Assuming you’re not house partying this year, you’re going to want to know where the best spots are to party 2018 into the past, so we’ve rounded up…

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Tech Review: The Nespresso Barista is the best thing the company has done this year

Frothed or flat; hot or cold. Those were the limited options you always had with your milk every morning if you were using any Nespresso machine with its included Aeroccino frother. The company’s tech has come such a long way that the smaller, more niche details wouldn’t have bothered the majority, but for those wanting…

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Sydney’s best New Year’s Eve parties for 2018/19

It’s that time of year again, and you can bet Sydney’s best venues are going to pull out all stops to try and top their previous New Year’s Eve celebrations. We’ve sifted through and picked out five parties we think are totally going to be worth it this year, so if you don’t yet have…

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Tech Review: One month with Google Pixel 3 XL – the good and the bad

Google are in the ideal position to make the Pixel 3 XL the best Android phone on the market, they just haven’t quite done that yet. Current users of the phone, which is mostly excellent but has a few substantial downsides, have been divided over the product since it was released, from the strangely intrusive…

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The 40 best hip hop and R&B tracks of 2018

2018 has been a very difficult year for ‘best of’ lists where hip hop and R&B is concerned. The often intertwined genres haven’t seen this much quality output for years, constant head-turning and critically acclaimed albums from artists both old and new have made the past 12 months the best in the scene since 2012….

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Hotel Review: Fraser Suites provides plenty of value in East Perth

Perth’s high density of hotels has dramatically pushed up competition within the city’s hospitality scene over the past few years. Quality accommodations aren’t hard to come by in the most isolated city in the world, one that is incredibly becoming one of Australia’s most exciting and creative destinations, and that sizable bank of worthy digs…

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Hotel Review: Felix sets a new standard for Sydney’s airport hotels

You wouldn’t expect Sydney Airport to welcome a greatly finessed, high concept boutique hotel, would you? The sprawl of hotels dotted around both the domestic and international terminals has historically favoured properties which play it safe. Some are great – actually, most are – but almost all of them are in dire need of some…

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Finnair to open up new European routes in time for summer 2019

Australian travellers heading off to Europe for the peak summer season next year will enjoy better connectivity between the Scandinavia and Nordic regions and the highly sought after destinations of Portugal, Italy and France. Finland’s flag carrier, Finnair has announced that they will be preparing for the peak tourist period by opening up the three…

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Marriott International’s hipster Moxy Hotels opens in Washington, D.C

Marriott International have taken a big step with their trendy millennial brand Moxy, opening up a brand new hotel in Washington, D.C with aims to boldly reinvent the typical lifestyle hotel experience in the nation’s capital. Built within a historic building which dates back to 1870, Moxy D.C represents a modernisation of the city’s hospitality…

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Deliveroo to deliver free Messina to Sydney beaches using speedboats

Although Sydney will be getting a few patches of rain here and there this weekend, plenty of the city’s most visited beaches will no doubt be packed full of summer-loving folk. That’s why Devliveroo have launched speedboat deliveries, in partnership with Messina, to keep those lazing on the sand well fed throughout the day. Across…

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This hotel just broke the world record for most Michelin stars under one roof

The guiding light of Michelin stars have been luring people to memorable meals for decades now, but never before have so many of them been clustered under the one roof. With the recent unveiling of the Michelin Guide 2019 Hong Kong – Macau, one hotel has proudly set an impressive global benchmark for having the…

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Late winter just became the best time to visit New York City for deal seekers

For the first time ever, NYC & Company – the official destination marketing organisation for New York City – will align their three signature programs across the same stretch of dates, bringing together NYC Broadway Week, NYC Restaurant Week, and NYC Must-See Week. Under the new collective name of NYC Winter Outing, the new mega-program…

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Hobart’s MONA to build five-star hotel, and a spa by James Turrell and Marina Abramović

Hobart’s infamous Museum of Old and New Art, AKA MONA, has officially announced their intention to build a brand new precinct and five-star hotel nearby the famed mostly-underground art museum. Submitting their development application to Crown Land Services and Glenorchy City Council this week, the museum and founder David Walsh plan for the new development…

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Bondi favourite Shuk is expanding to Chatswood and Elizabeth Bay

Renowned for their signature spin on Israeli and Middle Eastern cuisine, Bondi stalwart Shuk is finally ready to expand on out to the North Shore with two new venues, one in foodie hub Chatswood and one in the breezy Elizabeth Bay. The expansion comes after celebrating their fifth year in the Bondi community, and it’s…

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Our top picks for the perfect gift this Christmas

It’s hard to believe 2018, an exhausting year for many around the world, is already coming to a close. Just one look at any news media would tell you people around the globe put up with a lot this year, and that’s all the more reason to make this Christmas one that’s stress free and…

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Crystalbrook Collection to open Newcastle’s first ever five-star luxury hotel

After a highly successful entry into Cairns with recently opened luxury resort Riley, Crystalbrook Collection Hotels & Resorts have today announced that they have acquired Newcastle’s iconic ‘Roundhouse’ Council Administrative Centre with plans to convert the building into a luxury five-star hotel. Set to open in late 2020, the planned hotel, dubbed Kingsley, will stick…

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This Canberra institution has become the city’s first “Ospitalità Italiana” certified restaurant

Looking for the best Italian food you can possible find in our nation’s capital? It’s going to be hard to look past Agostinis, which has now become the city’s very first to receive the exclusive “Ospitalità Italiana” certification from the Italian Chamber of Commerce in affiliation with the Italian government in Rome. Basically, what this…

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