Exmouth is getting a new off-grid luxury resort

Eco-conscious Hotel Sebatikel has been approved for development on the Ningaloo Coast.

Exmouth is arguably one of the most visually striking destinations in Australia. Along Australia’s west coast, rolling red desert dunes meet the turquoise waters that majestic whale sharks call home. Luxury stays are thin on the ground, but a new environmentally-conscious resort is set to elevate the region’s offerings. Projected to open its doors in early 2028, Hotel Sebatikel will sit 150 metres from the water’s edge and act as a gateway to the Ningaloo Coast (Nyinggulu) World Heritage Area.

A render of Hotel Sekatikel in Exmouth — The resort will feature a rammed-earth design.

Hotel Sebatikel is the first tourism development in Exmouth to be approved by the Western Australian Development Assessment Panel (DAP) in two decades. Endorsed by Tourism Western Australia and the Shire of Exmouth, the accommodation was the brainchild of Phil Smith and Mon Palmer. Their vision for the $13 million project is for it to be Western Australia’s first climate-positive hotel, and a sanctuary-like destination with a strong sense of place rather than a standard hotel.

“Exmouth is our favourite place on earth," co-founder Mon Palmer, a qualified horticulturalist, told Australian Traveller. “Phil and I have travelled extensively. It has always been our greatest source of inspiration, and those experiences have shaped how we see design and hospitality. But nowhere has ever felt quite like the North West Cape (Palyadi Manu). There is something about the warm air, the scale of the landscape, the colours of the sky. When we first discovered the site – a five-hectare stretch of untouched Crown land on the edge of Exmouth Gulf – we both felt it immediately. This was it."

A render of the swimming pool area at Hotel Sebatikel — The resort will feature a swimming pool, pickleball court and golf course.

The boutique stay’s capacity is deliberately limited to just 24 people in-house at any time. Nine chic suites will showcase water views. Neutral tones and matte natural surfaces will bring a sense of calm. Renewable energy, water stewardship, waste reduction and conservation partnerships are central to the development, which is designed to be entirely off-grid via solar and battery storage and follow a zero single-use plastic policy, and waste management systems designed to divert 80-90 per cent of waste from landfill. “These aren’t marketing claims, they are design specifications."

The rammed-earth construction is set to be structural, thermally functional and cyclone-rated and allow the resort to sit sensitively within the landscape. “We are acutely aware that we are guests here, in the deepest sense of that word. The Ningaloo Coast (Nyinggulu) is one of the world’s great natural environments, and we hold that responsibility seriously."

A render of Hotel Sebatikel in Exmouth — The resort will feature a sleek restaurant and bar.

Troba, the resort’s onsite dining room and Club Lounge, will offer a produce-led menu in alignment with the Indigenous seasonal calendar and utilising ingredients from the property’s biodynamic kitchen garden and local larder. The Walter, the resort’s reservation-only speakeasy, will complete the food and beverage offering.

The adults-only The Wellness Pavilion & Spa will be available for up to six guests at a time, featuring an infrared sauna, mineral hot and cold plunges, reformer Pilates, fitness and recovery centre and a lounging courtyard. The Sebatikel Signature treatment will be offered to just two guests per day and consists of a five-hour experience. A nine-hole short course, pickleball court, swimming pool and pool club are also part of the development.

“We want to tell stories about the people involved in the build, create events that the town itself benefits from, and deepen our understanding of First Nations culture and Country."

Reservations can be made from September 2026, with a three-night minimum stay in place.

Time your visit to Margaret River just right, and you can spend the ultimate weekend wining, dining and exploring the region with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.

Wine, world-class produce, surf, sun and beaches: it’s an alluring combination. And the reason so many pin the Margaret River region high on their travel hit-lists. There’s drawcard after drawcard to the southwestern corner of Western Australia, and the Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover food and wine festival showcases the best of it over the course of one weekend in November. It’s never been easier to sip, see and savour the Margaret River region.

In partnership with Pair’d Margaret River Region, Range Rover invites you on a seven-day itinerary of refined adventure, where luxury and exploration go hand in hand. It’s the perfect WA road trip, and there’s no better way to do it than in a Range Rover.

Day 1

the pool at Pullman Bunker Bay — Check into Pullman Bunker Bay.

There’s no more popular West Australian road trip route than that between Perth and the Margaret River Region. It’s an easily digestible, three-hour drive, with worthy pit stops along the way.

Make the first of them one hour and 15 minutes in, at Lake Clifton. Here, find a 2000-year-old living thrombolite reef. Drive for a further 40 minutes and chance meeting some of Bunbury’s dolphin population at Koombana Bay.

Pullman Bunker Bay is the final stop, just over three hours south of Perth. This beachfront, five-star resort is the ultimate base for exploring the Margaret River Wine region.

Day 2

After a leisurely morning breakfast with an ocean view, start your Range Rover and head towards the Dunsborough town centre. Browsing the decidedly coastal-themed goods of the town’s many independent boutiques is a great way to while away the hours, breaking up the sartorial with an artisan gelato snack stop, or some good old-fashioned Australian bakery fare.

Leave room; you’ll need it for the Good Natured Gathering dinner at Wayfinder. Indulge in a four-course feast by chef Felipe Montiel, which uses produce from the winery’s market garden to enhance a selection of sustainably sourced seafood and meat. But food is just the support act. It’s organic wine that’s the star of the show, generously poured and expertly paired to each dish.

Day 3

Settle in for cabernet at Cape Mentelle Winery.

With a grand total of 20 wines from vintage 2022 to try, it’s a good thing Cape Mentelle’s International Cabernet Tasting kicks off early. Make your way to the estate for a 10:00 AM start, where a global selection of wines will be poured blind, before a long lunch by Tiller Dining is served.

Given that the Margaret River is responsible for more than 20 per cent of Australia’s fine wine production, it’s only right to delve into it while in the area.

Continue exploring the region via taste and terroir aboard Alison Maree, a whale-watching catamaran, as you cruise Geographe Bay . Admire the rolling green hills and crisp white beaches of Quindalup in sunset’s golden light, all the while sipping through the Clairault Streicker catalogue and dining on canapes.

For a more substantial dinner, venture into Busselton for a seven-course British x Australian mash-up , courtesy of Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion) and Oliver Kent (Updown Farmhouse, UK). They’ll be putting their rustic yet refined spin on the likes of local marron, wagyu and abalone – championing the simple beauty of the world-class ingredients.

Day 4

Wrap your fingers around a wine glass and wiggle your toes into the sand at Pair’d Beach Club x Range Rover on Meelup Beach. Sit down to an intimate wine session with sommelier Cyndal Petty – or a four-course feast by Aaron Carr of Yarri – and revel in the open-air beach club, bar and restaurant’s laidback coastal vibe. It’s a whole new way to experience one of the region’s most renowned beaches.

Follow up a day in the sun with a casual Italian party at Mr Barvel Wines . Purchase wines –including the elusive, sold-out Nebbia – by the glass and enjoy canapes with the towering Karri forest as a backdrop.

If you’d prefer to keep it local, head to Skigh Wines for the New Wave Gathering , where the region’s independent wine makers and their boundary-pushing wines will be on show. Street-style eats, a DJ and complimentary wine masterclasses complete the experience.

Day 5

pair'd Grand Tasting — Taste your way through Howard Park Wines. (Image: C J Maddock)

Spend the morning at your leisure, driving the winding roads through the Boranup Karri forest in your Range Rover. Soak in the views at Contos Beach, and call into the small cheese, chocolate and preserve producers along the way.

Make your next stop Howard Park Wines for The Grand Tasting presented by Singapore Airlines . Numerous wine labels will be pouring their catalogues over four hours, accompanied by food from chefs Matt Moran and Silvia Colloca, with live opera providing the soundtrack.

Cap off a big weekend with one last hurrah at Busselton Pavilion. Six ‘local legends’ – chefs Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion), Mal Chow (Chow’s Table), Aaron Carr (Yarri), Ben Jacob (Lagoon Yallingup), Corey Rozario (Dahl Daddies) and Laura Koentjoro (Banksia Tavern) – will be preparing a dish each. Dance the night away as vinyl spins and the sun sets on another day.

Day 6

Ngilgi Cave western australia — Head underground. (Image: Tourism WA)

After a busy few days of wining and dining, it’s wise to observe a rest day. There’s no easier task than unwinding in the Margaret River Region, also famous for its high concentration of world-class beaches.

Relax on the grassy knoll as you watch the region’s most experienced surfers braving the World Surf League break at Surfer’s Point, or don your own wetsuit and try out one of Gracetown’s more beginner-friendly waves. Swimmers will find their Eden at Meelup Beach, Eagle Bay, or Point Piquet, where the sand is brilliantly white and the water as still as a backyard swimming pool.

Not into sun, sand, and surf? Head underground at Mammoth Cave, just one of the region’s many stalactite-filled caves.

Day 7

Burnt Ends event at Pair'd — Farewell the Margaret River.

Pack up your Range Rover with new favourite wines and newfound memories, ready for the three-hour journey back to Perth.

Prebook your discovery journey through the south-west corner of Western Australia with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.