Bar Century, the Sydney CBD bar that closed early last year – citing factors including the impact of the lockout laws – has reopened, offering a refreshingly quirky take on the concept of locked-in.

Good Food revealed last June a capsule hotel was part of the planned retooling of the city building housing Bar Century, and the first hotel guests are finally being tucked up like peas in a, er, pod.

"The hotel is upstairs from Bar Century. They had over 50 people booked on the first night, at $50 a capsule and $65 (for a double capsule); it's like a boutique hotel at a bargain price," says Ed Kenny from Giant Design, the company responsible for the makeover.

Kenny, who is better known for the interiors of Sydney restaurants such as Eastside Grill and Red Lantern, says the pods are fairly standard, although a little lengthier to suit tall Sydneysiders.

"Outside the capsules is a little Art Deco like. Gatsby-ish if you squint," the designer says. "I stayed in a couple in Tokyo doing research, it's actually very calming."

Presumably that depends on your neighbours. And while Bar Century – now the Century Bar – has gone up a considerable design notch with a shiny new cocktail bar, Kenny says it has stuck to its modest roots: "It's still a cheap venue for a drink."

The refurbished Bar Century. Photo: Andrew Worssam

640 George Street, Sydney, book here.