8 Best Hotels in North Coast, New South Wales

The most stylish digs in Port Macquarie are just a short walk across leafy parkland to the city's main beach. This luxe complex has a mix of ocean-view rooms and balcony apartments along with two swish penthouses with expansive terraces. Apartments have full kitchens, while the on-site restaurants—Scampis (for lunch, takeout, and seafood dinners) and Milkbar (for lunch and breakfast)—are consistently good. Sheltered barbecue facilities, on which you can throw a shrimp or two and cook your own steak, are a bonus for those wanting to relax with a beer on a balmy summer night. There's also a heated indoor swimming pool for those days when the sun doesn't come out. A day spa, free Wi-Fi, and free undercover parking round out the options.

This lovely timber cottage with a white-picket fence is the ideal place for a quiet, romantic escape near the beach, a girls' weekend away, or a safe and friendly overnight when traveling solo. Brezza Bella is a two-room B&B, complete with manicured gardens, barbecue facilities, and a lovely courtyard, just a few blocks from Merewether Beach and the ocean baths. Both the Tuscan Room and the Oriental Room have king beds, LCD TV and DVD player, complimentary Wi-Fi, private bath with rain shower, bathrobes, and luxurious toiletries. There's an outdoor hot-cold shower to wash off the salt and sand after a day at the beach, while the courtyard is perfect for predinner drinks (or morning coffee and newspapers) before heading out to Merewether or downtown Newcastle. A hearty continental breakfast is served in the dining room, or you can have a breakfast basket delivered to your room.

Set about a kilometer from Newcastle's downtown, the Ibis is a value-priced chain hotel with parking and a restaurant. Queen rooms also have a rollaway trundle bed (there are also rooms with twin beds). All units have LCD TV, broadband, and tea and coffee facilities. At the western end of the Honeysuckle precinct, the hotel is convenient for leisurely strolls along the waterfront esplanade.

Although the building dates from the late 1960s—when its sawtooth shape was considered very stylish—it's filled with up-to-the-minute amenities: designer furnishings, luxurious linens, marble bathrooms, and private balconies with ocean and river views. All rooms have free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs with free movie channels. The hotel is a five-minute walk to the Hastings River and town. Town Beach is opposite the property.

These studio apartments just opposite Clarkes Beach are neat, spacious, and well equipped. All have a fully equipped kitchen, a laundry, and either a balcony or a courtyard with rooms opening onto a generous private patio. Furnishings are in need of a refresh but clean, teamed with blond timbers and blinds, blue fabrics and colorful cushions, and white walls. The beach is so close that the sound of the waves can rock you to sleep.

Just a few minutes' walk from the east end of the beach, Novotel has sweeping views of the ocean and of the city. The rooms are spacious, with large lounge areas, which make up for the lack of balcony, and come with free Wi-Fi. There’s an on-site restaurant that gets buzzy in the summer months, offering cocktails and share plates. Join the locals and get up at dawn, grab a coffee downstairs, and hit the coastal path, a perfect way to start the day and work up some hunger before an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast.

If you want to get the low-down on Lord Howe Island history, take a room at this apartment complex owned and operated by fifth- and sixth-generation descendants of the island's original settlers, T. B. and Mary Wilson. Located between Old Settlement Beach and Lagoon Beach near restaurants and cafés, the 16 apartments are bright and breezy with tropical-style furnishings and kitchenettes. They are set in lovely gardens, with a grass tennis court and saltwater swimming pool. The original homestead contains a lounge area, game room with pool table, and small library. Guests have access to barbecues and a laundry, and bikes and helmets can be rented. The hotel can also arrange lagoon trips and fishing expeditions on its own boat, the MV Carina.

Newcastle's most upscale hotel, the Rydges Newcastle, formerly known as the Crowne Plaza, is in the trendy Honeysuckle Precinct and has the best location of any hotel in town. The hotel opens onto the wharf-side esplanade—a pedestrian and bike path that hugs the harbor for a couple miles and is lined with smart apartments and stylish restaurants and cafés. Most of the hotel's one-bedroom suites overlook the harbor; others face the city center. There's a pool and fitness center, and some rate packages include breakfast and evening snacks and drinks. The hotel's Seasalt Restaurant receives mixed reviews but does have some good lunch deals that include a glass of wine. There are plenty of cafés and restaurants close by.