The Best Luxury Hotels in Newcastle, Australia

At Rydges Newcastle you get all the comforts of a plush modern hotel, but with the luxury of a waterfront location overlooking Throsby Creek on Honeysuckle promenade, complete with local boutiques, cafés, bars and eateries. The hotel’s smart terrace bar, Wharf 350, is the best place to enjoy harbour views over Sydney Brewery beers and award-winning Hunter Valley wines. Newcastle Airport is a 30-minute drive away.

Nothing says holiday like staying at a luxury hotel on a beautiful sandy beach overlooking the Pacific ocean. This is the city’s only beachfront hotel, and its even close to Newcastle CBD and the harbour, giving you the best of city and sea. The High Ocean View Room sits across levels five and six, with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open onto beach-facing balconies. There’s an alarm clock in the room, but you won’t need it.

You’ll need to book early to secure a suite at this award-winning hotel. The Lucky’s 30 boutique rooms – constructed in 2014 – are each unique in their design, but all are ensuite and feature modern, muted furnishings, luxury bedding and L’Occitane toiletries. Each suite has a different and insightful quote about luck, such as “Be where the luck is”, which are hand painted by local artist Brett Piva.

Not only can kids under the age of 15 stay here for free, but there’s also a fitness centre with a modern gym, a coffee shop and free bike rental for all. The major draw is access to Wests Sporting Club next door: open since 1960, it offers a classy place to hang out in your tennis whites as well as a wide range of restaurants. The kids are likely to lead you straight to Bay Brasserie Gelato Bar, naturally.

Boutique hotels are often cool places with trendy concepts, but the Clarendon Hotel takes a slower, more traditional approach – think art deco-style bar serving strong cocktails, a restaurant serving classic pub-grub made with locally sourced produce, and rooms full of character and luxurious touches. The staff are friendly in a genuine way.

A harbour-side apartment hotel where each unit is decorated in a unique way, with luxury trappings, local art work and deep balconies offering incredible views of the water below. The apartments range from studio to two-bed, though with the excellent bars and restaurants of Newcastle’s East End foodie haven on hand, you’re not likely to spend much time there.