Best Newcastle hotels for your next weekend escape

The Lucky

An easy 20-minute stroll from the sweeping coastline of Nobbys Beach – the first stop on the scenic Bather’s Way walk – lies the boutique hotel The Lucky. Tastefully decorated, all 30 rooms will make your stay Instagrammable in ultra-modern charcoals, crisp whites and on-trend mustard tones. Delicate lighting creates a warm ambience for watching the next episode of The Bachelor under hand-painted, unique text murals about Lady Luck. Bathrooms glisten in white marble and are kitted out with luxurious L’Occitane products to turn your morning routine into a pleasure.

Balcony rooms provide the ultimate spot to throw on a Spotify playlist, grab a bevvie of choice and cuddle close your loved one to watch the sun go down. When hunger strikes, the on-site South American barbecue restaurant opens its doors daily for lunch, dinner and late-night snacks. True to Argentinian and Brazilian style, meat-heavy dishes like ribs, pulled pork and smoked brisket burgers are served with generous portions of thick-cut chips and slaw. Top off the evening with a delectable espresso martini before heading up to the luxury of your thick, freshly pressed bed linens.

Rydges Newcastle

Class and charm resonate from foyer to roof peak of the Rydges Newcastle, with moulded ceilings, fresh blooms and coastal décor gracing the main hotel spaces. The 175 rooms are spacious and chic – white and natural oak spaces are crowned by wide windows to let in streams of daylight. In balcony rooms, step through floor-to-ceiling doors onto breeze-kissed outdoor spaces with views over the magnificent Hunter River.

The rooftop pool presents a sunny venue for morning laps, but should you prefer to exercise out of the water, there’s a fitness room for those who can’t go a weekend without their sit-ups. If you and your partner fancy a romantic meal, the on-site Seasalt Restaurant is on hand to make your night a memorable one. Seasalt’s signature seafood platter, available only on Fridays and Saturdays, is a must-order – dive into fresh, local King prawns, oysters, butterfly fan lobster, blue swimmer crabs, tender squid and market fish.

Quest Newcastle West

Conveniently tucked within reach of the beach, the Central Business District, Honeysuckle dining precinct and major shopping and transport centres, Quest Newcastle West is designed to be a home away from home. Walk through Spanish-inspired doors into the contemporary foyer to start your weekend in apartment-style comfort. This hotel specialises in facilitating cosy moments in trendy spaces, like tucking into a home-cooked meal under vaulted timber ceilings. Rooms here give you space and independence without sacrificing serviced amenities – or coolness. One, two and three-bedroom apartments are draped in layers of soft furnishings in tan and sable tones, while larger suites offer state-of-the-art kitchens with full-sized fridges, ovens and cooktops for budding Donna Hays to flex their culinary muscles.

Talking of muscle flexing, Quest’s decked-out fitness room provides yoga mats, exercise balls and cardio equipment so you never have to miss a Kayla Itsines workout. When it comes time to satiate your post-workout hunger, just a stone’s throw away are the trendy university districts and nearby Honeysuckle, the new urban regeneration precinct. Here, city lovers can enjoy access to cool new fine dining options like the minimalist teppanyaki restaurant, Nagisa. It’s also just a 10-minute drive to Westfield Kotara, where you’ll find sought-after stores like Decjuba, Honey Birdette and Sheike.

The Gateway Inn

Northwest of the city centre and at the heartbeat of the Hunter River lies the up-and-coming area of Mayfield, where the gleaming Gateway Inn is known for its dining choices. Pick up a saucy Margherita pizza from Pizza & Grill, savoury egg fried rice from Beijing Buffet or an icy beverage at Players Bar & Café. For ritzier options, the Gateway’s alliance with the adjoining Wests Club gives guests access to dining and drinking venues with a touch of glamour. Wests has three destinations for getting your fill: the Patisserie for rich espresso and fudgey layered cakes, Reload Café by the gym for health-conscious grab-and-gos and the main Bistro for hearty fill-ups like seafood creations or roast lamb.

In terms of rooms, all 76 at the Gateway are set up with in-house movies and iPod docking stations for moods made to order and impromptu dance parties. Have a complimentary newspaper delivered to your door while the morning’s first cup of steaming coffee brews in the in-room machine, aromatic and ideal for enjoying on a cushioned window seat. The hotel is well-connected for urban explorations, with sporting events at Hunter Stadium five kilometres away, the picturesque university just six and shopping at Westfield a further two. We recommend grabbing one of the on-site bikes for hire and spending a day cycling in the sun.

Best Western Plus Apollo International

In easy reach of the Pacific Highway, this surprisingly affordable Best Western Plus feels like a cool set from a space-age movie: tiered hanging pendant lights illuminate looping chrome staircases and two-storey glass walls for epic views of the Australian sunset. After your two-hour drive from Sydney, you’ll cruise into simple, clean spaces and out onto your palm tree-shaded balcony to toast the weekend with your favourite tipple.

Often booked for weddings, this hotel breathes romance into every corner. Tranquil, palm-lined gardens invite stolen kisses, and jet-spa baths in choice rooms call for drawn-out evenings of sky-high suds by candlelight. Each room creates calm with monochromatic, minimalist décor, a theme continued through even to the fitness room for sweat sessions that lift the spirit. For a dose of nature, you’ll need only to visit the shimmering blue pool that looks into lush Australian bushland. Brick decking set with woven recliners and shade-giving umbrellas mean your escape to the bush is always steeped in comfort.

The hotel’s Babbington Bar & Grill is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, offering crafted seasonal menu items like courgette flowers filled with creamy goat cheese and dipped in crispy tempura. Custom drinks come available in the late afternoon; our staff pick is the deluxe Chocolate Toblerone cocktail with Frangelico, Kahlua and Baileys.

Junction

Trading the bushland for the beach, the Junction hotel delights guests with neon-lit, club-inspired interiors within reach of a saltwater swim. Embrace a weekend of whimsy with a backdrop of yellow or teal bedding, wildly coloured velvet headboards and dramatic zebra rugs. Bathrooms here are architectural marvels, as glass walls make for a seamless transition from bedroom to waterfall wet-room and en-suite.

Next to Bar Beach, hotel-goers can work on their tans before crossing back to the hotel to dress for dinner under nightclub-esque lighting. The Junction’s ultra-popular, demonstrably ‘cool’ gastropub plates up rump steak best enjoyed with a glass of Cab Sav from the nearby Hunter Valley. Take your drinks outside to the covered beer garden, where a sandstone waterfall adds ambience to a not-so-average Friday date night.

The Junction is just six minutes by car to the centre of Newcastle, but the hotel is in a little hub of its own. Locally owned boutiques and restaurants line the streets within steps of the beach. Also nearby is the Newcastle Memorial Walk, a cliffside commemorative walkway featuring artwork dedicated to WWI soldiers. You can finish your walk with a swim at Nobbys Beach or a frothy latte for the journey home. Cheers to that, Newcastle!