Welcome to Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels and share what makes them worthy of your wishlist.
Please note: In mid-2026 Manly Pacific Hotel re-launched as Elysium Manly as part of a near $40 million transformation. We’re planning to profile the stunning stay as soon as we get a chance, and we’ll be sure to share our thoughts with you.
For a city with as impressive a coastline as Sydney, it might be surprising to learn that beachfront hotels are thin on the ground, particularly on the luxurious end of the spectrum. In Sydney’s east, you’ll find the newly opened InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach. In the south, The Brighton Hotel Sydney. And on the Northern Beaches, Manly Pacific Hotel, Sydney. It’s the latter that has caught my attention for my next Hotel Addict stay.
The hotel faces Manly Beach.
My sister and my car rolls down the Norfolk pine-lined street, pulling up to the white building. It’s busy – which might deter some – but it feels like the place to be on a Friday evening. The beachfront location and restaurant spilling onto the street explain everything. We hand the car to the valet and walk into the breezy foyer that brings instant holiday vibes with whitewashed walls and coastal-inspired artworks.
Coco Republic transformed the hotel in 2023, infusing it with luxe beachy charm reflective of the surrounding neighbourhood. Natural textures, a light coastal palette and modern furnishings decorate the space, while a signature fragrance derived from Australian botanicals local to the North Head, delicately perfumes the air.
The hotel is awash with light tones. (Credit: Rachael Thompson)
The lobby is chic and minimal in style.
213 stylishly appointed rooms ranging from cosy Village Superior Rooms and dog-friendly rooms to Ocean-facing rooms and beachfront villas flank the wide hallways. But the one to book is the Infinity Residence. This is the hotel’s most premium room and it overdelivers in more ways than one. At 60 square metres – plus an 81 square metre terrace – the neutral-toned retreat lives up to the name. There’s a full-size kitchen, a separate living area with a curved bouclé sofa and fireplace, a large bedroom and a bathroom with a freestanding bath and LaGaia beauty products. I check the mini bar as I find this is always a good marker of how much a hotel considers its guests and it becomes evident that this room is made for those who want to entertain. There are two Vintec wine fridges stocked with a dozen Australian and international bottles and a range of spirits – Louis Roederer Cristal Brut and Manly Spirits among them.
The Infinity Residence feels more like a high-end apartment than a hotel room.
I reach for the Maison Saint Aix, AIX Rosé and head to the private terrace that brings the real ‘wow’ factor. I estimate that it could comfortably fit 50 people, and am told it gets used for small weddings. There’s an outdoor dining setting and sun loungers to relax on while taking in the spectacular Manly Beach views. As we languidly sip, part of me regrets our dinner reservation because I want to spend as much time using this ridiculously sized space as possible. But I’ve eaten at onsite restaurant Cibaria Manly a couple of times and know better than to skip a meal there (though room service is available).
Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.
AI Prompt
The mini bars are thoughtfully curated.
The villas boast ocean views.
Popular with locals, this Italian eatery serves reliably tasty food and punchy drinks. Not taking that Euro summer holiday this year? The setting transports you to the Mediterranean thanks to Luchretti Krelle’s richly layered, warm design, which features stucco walls and arches. We kickstart the meal with a Paloma Sea Breeze – a tequila, apricot brandy, lime juice, hibiscus syrup, salt and soda concoction – which goes down a treat alongside kingfish crudo with citrus, fennel, pickled cucumber and garlic flowers and fritto misto. But it’s the main dish I order that I won’t forget anytime soon – Moreton Bay bug pasta with spicy vodka sauce. Dessert is a tiramisu with macadamia mascarpone cream, coffee, savoiardi biscuits and cacao.
The hotel’s bar, 55 North, sits next door in the lobby and serves a selection of bites from Cibaria’s menu while a DJ spins tunes Thursday to Sunday evenings.
Cibaria Manly is a local favourite. (Credit: Steven Woodburn)
Moreton Bay bug pasta with spicy vodka sauce.
The next morning – after a restorative sleep – we’re awakened by the most spectacular sunrise, which backdrops volleyballers and runners as they seize the day. It immediately puts us in the right mood to start ours.
Wellness is central to a stay at the Manly Pacific Hotel, Sydney. I head to the rooftop for a quick dip in the swimming pool that overlooks the beach. Wellness enthusiasts are also catered for with the infrared sauna and The Beach Club team, who are on-hand to create personalised wellness experiences and packages, from surfing lessons, kayaking, boot camps, beach yoga, facials, massages and cryotherapy.
Sunrise views from the Infinity Residence terrace. (Credit: Rachael Thompson)
Breakfast is served in the accommodation’s more casual dining venue, Bistro Manly. The buffet is generous, with all of the usual suspects, plus a fresh juice maker. We pick from the à la carte menu that features elevated breakfast bites such as lobster benedict, house-made granola and French toast with ricotta and bacon.
Those looking to travel closer to home are in for a treat with Manly Pacific Hotel, Sydney. It offers an idyllic staycation spot that makes you feel like you’ve escaped the city, and my only regret with this stay is that I’m not here another night.
The rooftop features a swimming pool and striped sun loungers.
Weekly travel news, experiences insider tips, offers, and more.
Details
Best for: Staycationers, wellness enthusiasts and couples
Address: 55 North Steyne, Manly, New South Wales 2095
Room rate: From $350 per night (at the time of writing)
A rooftop pool. Manly Beach below you. Nothing else to say, really. Manly Pacific Hotel is the Sydney staycation that makes you wonder why you ever booked a flight.
Accessibility: Manly Pacific Hotel, Sydney, is an accessibility-friendly hotel. Accessible rooms feature walk-in showers and toilets with handrails, lowered peep holes and light switches. Facilities include lift access to meeting and event spaces, large entry doors, accessible parking spaces near lifts, entry ramps into the hotel lobby and a disabled bathroom with handrails in the hotel lobby, and braille on lift buttons.
Want to see more stories from Australian Traveller in your Google search results?
Tick the box next to "Australian Traveller". That's it.
Rachael Thompson is a freelance travel journalist. With a background in design and travel media, Rachael is dedicated to curating content that is as much informational as it is beautiful. She began her career at Belle magazine, before taking up editorial roles at Homes to Love, Bed Threads and Australian Traveller/International Traveller. When she's not writing, editing or optimising content, Rachael enjoys exploring the city's newest restaurants, bars and hotels. Next on her Aussie travel wish list is Lord Howe Island.
The Southern Highlands earns its title as Australia’s top country town in the cooler months, and it’s worth every minute of the 90-minute drive from Sydney.
Many Sydneysiders head to the Southern Highlands in spring for the tulips. It’s one of the most stunning spring carnivals in Australia. But the ones in the know come to Bowral in winter.
The first thing you notice at this time of year is the quality of the light. It catches the tangled limbs of the gums and tints the fields, farms and forests a pretty shade of Granny Smith green. And then, a world-class art museum, an impressive network of walking trails, great shops, cosy restaurants and bars and luxury accommodation take centre stage, making Bowral a place you want to linger as the mercury drops.
Just 90 minutes south of Sydney, a Bowral winter getaway is the coolcation city folk desperately need. Here are eight reasons to pack a good coat and head for the Southern Highlands.
1. Check in
Check in to the gorgeous Ardour Milton Park Bowral. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Ardour Milton Park Bowral rises like a hologram in the hazy green light as you turn onto Horderns Road. A $10 million refurbishment of the grand 1910 estate was completed in early 2026, and the beautifully restored hotel now includes 44 guest rooms washed in sage green, cobalt blue and dusty blush. The dining room at Horderns Restaurant continues with a botanical theme – earthy banquettes, floral touches throughout – and a menu that moves with the seasons.
After enjoying slow-braised Cowra lamb and a second glass of red, move to the Polo Bar, which has a fireplace and views across the estate gardens. Build a grazing board from the dedicated Charcuterie Room and take it outside while the light lasts. If the sky clouds over, use this as your cue to enjoy a next-level spa experience at Èliva.
2. Hunt for treasure
Find vintage treasures in Dirty Janes. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Winter is the perfect season to lose an afternoon inside Dirty Janes Bowral. Over 1600 square metres of covered space houses 90 individual sellers of everything from mid-century furniture to industrial lighting, antique silverware, vintage clothing and objects whose previous lives you can only imagine. Enjoy a bit of off-the-cuff banter with your fellow fossickers in between searching for that must-have military jacket or vintage silk scarf.
Around the corner, find the Instagram-famous front door of FoundAntiques, though the real finds are deeper inside. Bring cash, wear comfortable shoes and leave some room in the boot.
3. Slow down in a beautiful gallery
Learn about an Aussie legend at The Bradman Museum. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Ngununggula – meaning ’belonging’ in the language of the Gundungurra First Nations people – is the region’s first dedicated regional gallery, housed inside the sustainably transformed old dairy building at historic Retford Park. The onsite White Cottage Gallery and restored grounds of the former Fairfax estate reward a slow wander. Find a spot to sit in the courtyard filled with rivulets of winter light and enjoy the plaintive call of a currawong carrying across the heritage-listed grounds. It’s one of the best things to do in Bowral.
Add Bowral Honey Farm for a hands-on harvest experience, then continue into town to the Milk Factory Gallery to admire eclectic works by local artists in a converted industrial space. The Bradman Museum also knocks it out of the park. Australia’s largest dedicated cricket museum sits beside the heritage-listed Bradman Oval, where a young Sir Donald Bradman first picked up a bat.
4. A taste of France
Enjoy a taste of France at Lucette.
For a taste of France without the airfare, husband-and-wife team Julien and Romy Besnard – of long-loved Franquette Crêperie – have opened Lucette, a French cafe-bistro with Paris-born chef Guillaume Dubois at the helm. Dubois brings serious pedigree from Michelin-starred kitchens in France and Sydney’s former two-hatted Monopole, and it shows. Start your day with pastries for breakfast and bookend it with boeuf bourguignon for dinner. The chocolate mousse, freckled with Guerande Salt, is the kind of dish that will make you feel smug about the decision to drive south. Join the Sydneysiders dressed in charcoal coats, boots and black tights who’ve already worked this out; the whole scene is worthy of splicing it into an Instagram reel.
Francophiles should also be across Julien’s Bowral Brasserie – led by Frenchman Julien Viel, who also found his way to the Southern Highlands and stayed.
5. Indulge in a tipple
Spend time amongst the local vines. (Credit: Destination NSW)
The drive to Centennial Vineyards passes through a beautiful woodland idyll, the countryside a fuzz of green all around. Inside the Barrel Room, a tasting flight of cool-climate pinot noir, chardonnay and reserve shiraz viognier flaunts how well the Southern Highlands does winter.
This is a region that takes its cool-climate wines seriously, and the pinot noir is one of the stars – a gentle, easy-drinking style with red cherry aromas. Follow your tutored cellar door tasting with another glass of wine in the Terrace Bar, which overlooks the vineyard and manicured grounds.
6. Blend your own gin
Pop into Millsheds Distillery & Bar. (Credit: Mattia Panunzio)
Millsheds Distillery & Bar is somewhat of a local secret. The award-winning small-batch operation produces gin, vodka and liqueurs using Australian botanicals and has picked up silver medals at both the London Spirits Competition and International Wine & Spirit Competition. Beyond the tasting paddle, the hands-on blending masterclass – where you design and leave with two bottles of your own custom gin – is the experience to book, while the terrace bar that wraps around the courtyard is a fine place to settle in afterwards.
7. Go for a walk at dawn
Switch your phone off sleep mode and set your alarm to early. Mt Gibraltar rises to 864 metres just east of Bowral’s main street and offers the best views in town. You will pass a raggle-taggle bunch of hikers on the way up to the summit, all making the same quiet pilgrimage into the crisp high-altitude air. On a clear morning, the bony ridges of the ranges come into sharp relief against the light. The return loop takes roughly 90 minutes. A flat white in Bowral tastes considerably better after completing one of the scenic walking trails.
8. Cosy up by the fireplace
Get cosy in the Berida Hotel’s whiskey bar.
A cosy bar is the perfect complement to winter in Bowral, and there are a few worth committing to. Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel is built for long, languorous evenings. Take a seat beside the fireplace laden with gnarled logs and work your way through a few whiskies and bar bites like Rangers Valley beef tartare, or salt cod and potato croquettes.
At Hickory’s within Peppers Craigieburn, well-dressed waiters in denim and leather move quietly between tables, and the cosy fireplace in the adjoining guest lounge attracts an Escape to the Country crowd.
