17 Best Hotels in North Coast, New South Wales

Teak furniture and antiques collected from Indonesia and the South Pacific fill the accommodations at this resort, which sits amid palms, frangipani, and hibiscus. Each suite has a kitchenette, lounge, laundry, and glass-ceiling bathroom with a two-person whirlpool tub. There are also hotel-room studios, whirlpool suites, and two-, three-, and four-bedroom split-level villas. Outside, the landscaping is highly imaginative; the pool is immersed in a miniature rain forest with a waterfall and hot tub. The resort borders a secluded white-sand beach on the blue waters of the Pacific. There is a three-night minimum stay during the high season (December 23–January 20, and during Easter).

One of the most luxurious accommodations on Lord Howe, Arajilla Retreat contains 10 spacious suites and two two-bedroom suites. Decorated with understated elegance, rooms have crisp white walls, timber blinds, polished wood floors, cream sofas, and Asian-style furniture. Each has a separate lounge area and a deck or terrace overlooking a lovely palm-filled garden. Just steps from Old Settlement Beach, one of several lagoon beaches on the island's western shore, Arajilla has all the charm of a boutique hotel, and rates are fully inclusive of meals, including room service, afternoon tea, and predinner drinks and canapés. Guests mix and mingle in the funky main lounge and bar area, which is a cross between a stylish beach house and a gentlemen's club, with its comfortable leather armchairs and sofas. The restaurant serves modern Australian cuisine, including fish caught by the owner Bill Shead. Guests are provided with mountain bikes, snorkeling gear, light fishing rods, and backpacks to ensure they get the most out of their stay. A spa offers facials and massages and some wonderful ayurvedic treatments.

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 self-catering resort opposite Town Beach is a great option if you are staying for a few days or traveling with a family. Almost all the apartments (one-bedroom studios and two-bedrooms apartments) are spread over three floors. Some have hot tubs, and many have ocean views from private balconies. Travelers wishing to save a few bucks should request one of the 17 two-bed apartments that come with washers, dryers, and dishwashers. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.

With a heated mineral pool, poolside bar, luxury rooms and airport transfer, Bower at Byron is one of the most sophisticated hotels in the Byron Bay region. Each room has a free-standing bathtub, high-end linen and vintage art. The service is to an incredibly high standard. There's also a private cottage for honeymooners. 

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.

Three luxury bures—the Fijian word for cabin—may be only 650 feet from the city center, but the lush, peaceful setting makes it feel like a private oasis. All bedrooms have king-size beds and are outfitted in calming blues and whites, and bathrooms are stocked with high-end French toiletries. Georgi, the host, has gone to great lengths to create a quiet atmosphere for adults.

In the shadow of Mt. Gower, Capella Lodge is Lord Howe Island's most posh lodging. Views from the terrace and each of the nine suites are sensational, taking in the gorgeous lagoon to the north and the volcanic peaks to the south. While it's a little out of the way, Capella Lodge has a beautiful setting, and nothing is too far away on so small an island. The high-ceilinged accommodations include lofts and single-level suites, plus the spacious Lidgbird Pavilion, with its wraparound veranda and plunge pool. All have an elegant beach look reflected in the sandy and sea hues and shuttered doors. A small spa administers mud wraps and hot-stone treatments and has an inviting old-world timber hot tub camouflaged by kentia palms. Rates include all meals except lunch, along with predinner drinks and canapés, and wine with dinner.

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.

These self-contained hardwood cottages on a hillside overlooking Bellingen are superb examples of local craftsmanship, particularly in their use of timbers from surrounding forests. Each has a complete kitchen, a family room, and a shower (no tub). The retreat is only a short distance from town, but it feels miles away as it's secluded among the trees. Breakfast is not included in the rate but can be arranged if organized in advance. Discounts are available if you stay for more than one night.

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.

Right on Lagoon Beach and a short walk from the popular bowling club, the Pinetrees Lodge has a terrific location and is the largest accommodation on Lord Howe Island—with motel rooms, suites, and garden cottages. The property is run by descendants of the island's first settlers, and is one of the few hotels on the island that stays open year-round. Rooms are clean and tidy and without too many frills, but the location and family atmosphere are great draws. There are good deals for stays of more than five nights as well as themed packages (honeymoons, spring wellness weeks). Meals are included in the rates, and the staff can prepare picnic lunches. The lodge has a familiar guesthouse vibe, as guests sit at the same tables for dinner at set hours. Guests love the daily sunset drinks at Pinetrees's own beachfront boat shed. Check online for five-night packages—they are often start from around A$355 per person, per night and include all meals (including afternoon tea).

A high-design boutique hotel, Raes' luxurious Mediterranean-style villa surrounded by a tropical garden offers individually decorated rooms with an eclectic mix of antiques, Indonesian art, Moroccan tables, and fine furnishings. The secluded rooms have gorgeous four-poster beds, tile floors, huge windows, in-room fireplaces, and private terraces; the service is top-notch, and the alfresco in-house restaurant, Rae's Fish Cafe ($$), is true to its name and serves fish and seafood dishes like Spanish-style seafood stew and wok-fried baby snapper. There's a minimum two-night stay on weekends.

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 rates 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.

Five minutes' drive north of Coffs Harbour's busy city center is this small resort with just 16 self-contained one- to three-bedroom apartments, some with hot tubs, spread out among tropical gardens. While the design may be slightly dated, the location, price, and family-friendly facilities (like free use of beach cricket equipment and bodyboards for surfing) make this place worth recommending, especially to families and groups who want to stay for five nights or more.