3 Best Hotels in Newcastle, North Coast

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.

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.

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.