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W Sydney, part of Marriott International, today announced the appointment of three industry leaders to its management team, ahead of the property’s opening in October 2023. Culinary Director Richard Millar, Director of Rooms Christopher Stedman and Hotel Manager Judd Rabbidge join W Sydney’s General Manager Craig Seaward and Director of Sales and Marketing Roxanne Markovina to spearhead the hotel’s launch and operations.

Positioned on Darling Harbour waterfront, W Sydney is a hotel with a bold luxury sensibility. With its captivating spaces and 585 stylish guestrooms and suites, all with stellar city and harbour views, the hotel will bring a new spirit of design, innovation, and creativity to the city. The management team is charged with the task of creating extraordinary stays for guests; ones that challenge the status quo to create a new urban playground on the harbour foreshore.

“Talent are the key to delivering the W brand experience, and we’ve assembled some of the country’s most passionate talent to power the opening and ongoing operation of W Sydney” says Craig Seaward. “We are thrilled to welcome Richard Millar, Christopher Stedman, and Judd Rabbidge, who are all leaders in their respective fields with extensive luxury and lifestyle hotel backgrounds, both in Australia and abroad. They will be working collectively to ensure W Sydney delivers exceptional experiences for our hotel guests and visitors”.

With more than 30 years spent in 5-star hotels, luxury and lifestyle resorts and restaurants in Australia and Asia-Pacific, Richard Millar is charged with shaping the W Sydney culinary experience across its venues, rooms, and suites. An executive chef and a passionate foodie, Richard’s impressive career highlights include stints as Director of Cuisine at W Bali-Seminyak and Pre-Opening Director of Culinary at W Kuala Lumpur, as well as Executive Chef of The Datai Langkawi and InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa.

Christopher Stedman is likewise a manager with in-depth experience in luxury hotels and resorts across Australia and Asia. He has worked as General Manager of the all-villa Vinpearl Luxury Nha Trang Resort, Vietnam and Director of Rooms for The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur and Primus Hotel Sydney (Kimpton Margot Sydney). Christopher is excited for his new role at W Sydney and the opportunity it brings to create a compelling rooms, suites, and AWAY Spa journey for guests.

Previously the Director of Sales & Marketing for W Bali and Director of Sales for One&Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives, the third member of the team Judd Rabbidge, is a man with a passion for building hospitality brands. Says Judd, “I speak on behalf of my colleagues when I say that working within the W Sydney team is a dream come true. The opportunity to open the largest W hotel in the world, in one of the best global cities, comes along once in a lifetime. The W brand is all about people and its hotels have a vibrant energy like no other. W Sydney will be a magnet for talent and it’s exciting to be a part of the changing 5-star hotel landscape in Sydney”.