Welcome to Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels and share what makes them worthy of your wishlist.
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).
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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.
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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)
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.
Rachael Thompson is Australian Traveller's Evergreen Editor and Hotel Addict. She's responsible for the foundational content on AustralianTraveller.com, helping to manage and grow the brand’s destination guides. 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 and Bed Threads. 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.
This winter, these secret Sydney harbour suites are the staycation we’ve been looking for.
Whether it’s the crisscrossing ferries or the white sails of the Opera House rising out of blue depths, Australia’s biggest city lives for its harbour. But while locals might glance at that watery expanse on their daily commute across the Bridge, it can still be hard to truly connect with Sydney’s maritime soul. The secret: seeing the harbour eye-to-eye, right at water level. And what better place to submerge yourself in that energy than sleeping there? That’s where Pier One Sydney Harbour comes in (and with new all-inclusive bed and breakfast benefits, there’s even more to love).
All-inclusive VIP benefits
Book in for the all-inclusive VIP treatment.
The hard truth is that it will be very difficult to tear yourself away from your ultra-luxurious harbour home-away-from-home to explore the city. If you want to make leaving even harder, opt for Pier One’s all-inclusive VIP treatment.
The Bed and Breakfast with Suite Benefits package turns up the volume on what is already the ultimate staycation, with complimentary valet parking, daily breakfast for two and turndown service. The biggest perk? Enjoy a bottle of French champagne every day during your whole stay
Pier One Sydney Harbour
Step into a piece of history with all the modern comforts. (Credit: Dave Wheeler)
The five-star Pier One Sydney Harbour is quite literally old Sydney through and through. Built on what was once a working cargo wharf and the passenger terminal for those heading to the North Shore before the bridge was constructed, the heritage building sits right between the tangle of cobblestones, pubs and alleyways of The Rocks and the historic docking zone of Walsh Bay – at the centre of the city’s old sea trade.
If knowing the hotel’s history isn’t enough to get your sea-longing going, the interior design certainly will. As soon as you step up to the concierge desk in the lobby of the restored building – which underwent a $15 million redevelopment in 2019 – you’re immersed in Sydney’s seafaring tale. Weathered wood panelling and white marble floors surround you, while loop lighting installations hover above the bar island just beyond, ringed with stools ready for intimate, martini-tinted conversations. Steel rivets and timber beams speak to its past, and glass-walled views anchor you firmly in the present-day life on the harbour.
Pier One Suites
Enjoy incredible views from your suite.
Across the 189 rooms and suites built on and over the water, the maritime theme continues. Sculptural aged brass fittings, exposed girders, colour schemes that evoke shifting currents, and mirrors that reflect ripples that – depending on your booking – sit just metres from your pillow.
United on theme yet unique in set-up, each room or suite is different. On the ground floor, dog-friendly rooms with direct access to the pier are all prepped for pampered pups, while others have views and even balconies overlooking Walsh Bay, the Bridge and the Harbour.
But the 19 suites step things up even more. Gaze out through floor-to-ceiling windows, or get even closer. Your private balcony is made for sipping a Nespresso coffee on as the sun comes up – or soaking in the bathtub of the Admiral Suite on the deck, a drink from the locally stocked mini bar in hand. This mini bar was recently completely transformed, so you have more Aussie favourites to choose from, including alcohol and snacks.
Dining at Pier One
Settle in for an afternoon of good drinks and views.
Once you’re checked in, start your afternoon with a spritz at PIER BAR – or arrive by boat via the private pontoon if the occasion calls for it – and settle into one of the cabanas. Weekdays bring Happy Hour (or ‘sunset hour’ at Pier One); weekends bring the DJs. After an even sweeter experience? The Everyday Creamery and Matcha Kiosk is slinging mango and vanilla soft serve – classic and those spiked with Midori and gin alike.
PIER Dining is an ode to contemporary Australian flavours across the terrace, pier and dining room. On its seafood-leaning menu are Sydney rock oysters from Merimbula, potato scallops with salmon roe and crème fraîche, chicken with melting sundried tomato butter, vodka rigatoni with Shark Bay prawns. And the ‘Pierlova’ – that’s pavlova with chocolate, dulce de leche and banana is worth saving room for. Make sure to ask for the wine list – it’s 100 per cent Australian drops.
Around town
Explore the neighbourhood during your stay. (Credit: Destination NSW)
If you’re strong enough to polish off just one last pastry from the breakfast buffet and walk out the door, we applaud you. Luna Park across the harbour beckons with its wide grin, while a glance upward might spur you to climb the Bridge’s famous iron arches. The Opera House – just across Circular Quay from the Museum of Contemporary Art – sings out for a concert.
You’ll want to book ahead for those hot-ticket performances at Sydney Theatre Company and Sydney Dance Company, just a few minutes’ walk south of the hotel. Ten minutes further brings you to the waterfront bars, restaurants and clubs of Barangaroo, or the karaoke, gardens and dim sum of Chinatown further afield.
Keep the mellow of your weekend getaway going with a stop at Barangaroo Reserve, watching the yachts go by – all before returning for that Sydney sundowner at Pier One.
