I arrived at The EVE carrying the quiet exhaustion that tends to follow a long stretch of travel and deadlines – the kind where days blur somewhere between airports, inboxes and too many coffees. By the time I checked in, I wasn’t looking for activity so much as a reset.
Tucked between Surry Hills and Redfern, The EVE feels like a place designed with that in mind. The atmosphere is calm from the outset – sunlight moving through softly layered interiors, contemporary art punctuating the walls, and a gentle sense that there’s nowhere you need to rush to.
That first evening, I headed up to Lottie, the hotel’s rooftop restaurant and mezcaleria, just as the light was beginning to soften across the city. The room carries an easy energy – warm, softly buzzing, with views stretching across the neighbourhood. Dinner unfolded slowly: a bluefin tuna tostada layered with tomatillo and salsa brava followed by the unmissable chicken, Sinaloa-style. A Lottie Paloma arrived alongside it, sharp with ruby grapefruit and softened by smoky tequila – the kind of drink that feels made for a warm Sydney evening.
But it was the following morning that defined the stay.
Just after sunrise I made my way back to the rooftop where The EVE has partnered with Redfern-based Scout Studios to host a series of wellness sessions beside the pool. Scout is known locally for its thoughtful approach to movement – classes that balance strength, breath and fluidity – and that sensibility carries easily into the rooftop setting.
A small group gathered quietly, laying out mats along the pool’s edge as the early light spread across the skyline. The class was a gentle but strengthening Pilates flow, designed to wake the body gradually. After weeks spent hunched over laptops and folded into plane seats, the simple rhythm of stretching, breathing and moving slowly felt restorative in a way that only outdoor exercise seems to achieve.
At one point I looked up during a balance sequence and realised the sun had just cleared the rooftops, catching the water in the pool beside us. It’s a small moment, but one that captures what the partnership does so well – transforming an ordinary workout into something that feels tied to the place you’re in.
The hotel runs these sunrise sessions several mornings a week throughout summer, offering guests a way to begin the day with guided movement overlooking the city. And if that sunrise burn isn't enough for guests, The EVE in partnership with Scout Studios is also offering guests complimentary access to Scout Redfern’s in-studio classes including reformer & mat Pilates, yoga and barre as well as sauna and contrast therapy sessions during their stay.
Later that afternoon I returned to the rooftop for a swim, the water warm under the midday sun. The next morning I found myself there again, slipping into the pool before breakfast while the city was still quiet below.
Mornings settled into their own rhythm at Bar Julius. After an unexpectedly deep sleep – the kind that arrives when you’ve finally slowed down – breakfast felt simple and grounding: strong coffee, warm pastries, and of course, a perfect bacon and egg roll.
Throughout the stay I kept noticing the quieter details – the artwork woven through the hotel’s spaces, the gentle movement of light across the interiors, the way everything feels designed to encourage a slower pace.
By the time I left, the weeks of travel that had brought me there felt distant. A long dinner, sunrise Pilates by the pool, a few unhurried swims – small rituals that, taken together, felt like a reset.
