TwoSpacing at Ovolo Woolloomooloo
Having heard about the Ovolo from several people, I was both eager and curious to experience the hotel as a TwoSpace venue. In my mind, when I think hotel, I think hotel lobby, and when I think hotel lobby, I think pianos. Ovolo Woolloomooloo couldn’t be more different.


After a short walk from Circular Quay, I stepped into the hotel lobby and climbed up a short set of stairs to be welcomed into an urban design heaven.
The space feels vastly expansive and cozily intimate all at once which made choosing my nook for the day deliciously difficult.
I’m a nomad in more ways than one, and have worked at numerous TwoSpace locations. I’ve always found that particular spaces lend themselves to my doing particular kinds of work… I love brainstorming at Kings Cross, responding to unread emails at Casoni (sorry) and meeting people at Havana Beach. But Ovolo has a special place in my heart.
Here’s a breakdown of my day:
9:10 — I settle on working in a turquoise ‘kissing booth’ that has been calling my name. After giving my laptop some much-needed nourishment using the nearby power socket, I grab a cup of (free) green tea and read through my emails, pinning the ones that I absolutely must respond to today. After scrolling through the unjustifiably long list, I start tackling the ones that seem the most innocuous first.
10:40 — The combination of tea, light, airy chatter and perfectly positioned back cushion have put me ahead of my schedule. All of my emails (including the scary ones) have been responded to, and I’m ready to join a Google Hangout with a website designer and developer who’s helping me create a microsite for one of the companies for which I work.
12:00 — I’m usually a little skeptical about doing conference calls in public places — there’s almost always a lot on the agenda, and I’ve had one too many experiences with lost connections and having to ask people to repeat themselves, so much that I sound like a broken record. This one went perfectly: I was able to explain everything, take notes and am now set to create a presentation based on the meeting.
12:20 — My superhuman (or perhaps not so superhuman) strength is fading, and I leave my beloved booth to stretch my legs and grab a bite at Bakers Gonna Bake. The aroma of freshly baked pastries and coffee is irresistible, and it takes me 7 very stressful minutes to decide what I want.


2:00 — After devouring what was one of the fluffiest muffins I’ve ever met and brainstorming a proposal for some funding, I’m ready for a quick break. I pack up my backpack, bid my kissing booth adieu and go for another stroll to find my afternoon spot.
2:15 — I settle on a blue gingham-esque couch in the Lo Lounge. After arranging my belongings and grabbing what may or may not be my fourth cup of green tea today (I have a problem, I know) I grab another cushion and start doing some excel work. I love that the light is streaming in through the open, latte-colored wooden roof — it almost, and I mean almost, tricks me into thinking that I’m in Greece.
4:00 — I’m shocked by the amount I’ve been able to achieve today. In between sorting out an Excel spreadsheet that bore resemblance to a messy 15-year old boy’s room, I had a chat with a fellow TwoSpacer, and jumped on a quick phone call to set up a meeting for next week.
5:15 — I’m done for the day, and my preconception that I tend to do particular things in particular environments has been completely dispelled. I head over to the bar, and grab a (free) glass of wine (yay, TwoSpace) and people watch before meeting a friend here…

