Ever wanted to arrive at a hotel, take a look at the rooms and then choose the one you want? It’s the way things go at The Collectionist Hotel, which has opened in the inner-west Sydney suburb of Camperdown. It has 39 completely different rooms designed by four different firms (one designed nine rooms and the lobby) and has works from 13 artists. On checking in, a guest takes a look at what’s available and then picks the one they want to spend the night in. The hotel is the first project for the new Collectic Hotel brand from CEO and founder Daniel Symonds who, with partner Toby Raphael, is behind the pop-up FreeSpaces accommodation available across university campuses during school holidays.

The idea came from an unlikely place. “I was travelling around the US and there was a car-rental company where you booked online but when you arrived you just walked straight out to the [parking] lot and picked the car you wanted; SUV, luxury, convertible, whatever,” says Symonds. “I found it very liberating having that kind of choice rolled down to the consumer level. So I thought, why can’t we do the same in the hotel industry?” There’s no traditional lobby or check-in area at The Collectionist. When guests arrive they are greeted by the barman, handed a drink and invited to walk around the hotel. “It’s almost like an art-gallery experience, walking around with your glass,” says Symonds. “By providing guests with a more tactile way of choosing their rooms, they are directly involved in their stay experience.” All the available rooms have their doors open and when guests find one they like, they just walk in and take it. They can then text their choice to the staff through the guest communications system.