The city of Sydney will soon be home to Australia’s largest brothel. A remodel will result in a three-story, 40-room resort that aims to be the premiere establishment of its kind in the the Land Down Under. Though Australia allows prostitution, very few countries do, and residents near the proposed brothel aren’t particularly pleased.
Huge renovation promises prestige for purveyors of prostitute parlor
The $12.7 million renovation of a building in Sydney, Australia, will double the number of available rooms at the posh resort and add a floor of ultra-luxurious suites. The difference between this building and normal hotel renovations is that this building will likely become, according to MSNBC, the largest brothel in all of Australia. The brothel, called Stilleto, is adding a third floor of seven luxury suites that will feature two bedrooms with king beds, pool tables and a spa. Overall the renovations will double Stilleto’s 20 room capacity to 40.
Neighborhood backlash
Stilleto caters to “lawyers, movie stars, accountants and professional athletes,” according to MSNBC. The neighbors, however, are not pleased that a three-story brothel is opening in their neighborhood. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, there are residences next door to the Stilleto who oppose the prospect of people arriving and leaving at all hours of the night. However, they are somewhat encouraged that there will be security guards posted to the grounds of the building that will make the neighborhood seem more secure.
International attitudes
Though legalized prostitution in the United States is confined to only eight counties in Nevada, many countries in the rest of the world have a different point of view, according to Wikipedia. In most countries that allow it, the trade isn’t regulated and brothels are illegal. In Italy, for instance, the trade is legal but brothels aren’t, and all parties must be 18 or older. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is currently embroiled in a legal fight over whether he paid a girl named Ruby the Heartstealer for her affections when she was underage, according to the Christian Science Monitor. Prostitution is illegal in most of the world, however, and the countries in which it is legal and regulated are a small minority.
Sources
MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43063695/ns/travel-destination_travel/
Sidney Morning Herald: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/three-storeys-of-sex-as-sydney-braces-for-biggestbrothel-title-20110516-1epzn.html
Christian Science Monitor: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2011/0406/Plenty-of-flash-at-lightning-brief-start-of-Berlusconi-trial
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_by_country
Sam Hoober is a graduate of Eastern Washington University. He has held his current writing job for two years. He enjoys writing about history, science, politics, and the economy.
