Port Macquarie enjoys, according to the CSIRO, the best climate in Australia, with mild winters, gentle summers and comfortable ocean swim temperatures year-round. This ‘not too hot, not too cold’ weather makes the town a perfect getaway in any month (just four hours from Sydney), and perfect is how I would describe the carefree relaxation we’re feeling as we laze on our lofty hotel balcony, wine in hands, watching the sun dance on the Hastings River as it ebbs into the silvery sea right before us. We live in the NSW Southern Highlands where winters are single-digit chilly so the sunny 20-degree tops Port Macquarie delivers in winter feel positively balmy.
We’re staying at the Rydges Port Macquarie which recently emerged from a major refurbishment that was focused on maximising coastal comfort and seaside charisma. The new-look hotel quickly charmed us with that captivating vista from our room balcony. It was a hard scene to leave but a hotel review needs to include more than the view!
About the Hotel
Since its construction in 2002, Rydges Port Macquarie has been an iconic feature of the town’s scenic foreshore on the NSW mid-north coast. The hotel’s recent facelift saw all spaces enhanced and newly designed including all 99 rooms and suites. The design brief was for elevated, ‘coastal cool’, with an assuasive palette evoking the essence of the natural surroundings. All rooms boasts Rydges’ signature Dream Beds.
A showpiece of the four-star hotel is the very impressive, outdoor heated pool (a lovely 27 degrees) and hot jacuzzi – open from 6am to 9pm – on the first floor overlooking the Hastings River. The sun-kissed, north-facing pool boasts alluring sun lounges perfect for some enriching rays of Vitamin D, especially in winter when we need it most. A small exercise room flanks the pool. The transformed Zebu Bar and Restaurant has a relaxed, coastal version of inner city vibe and the 24-hour reception lobby is manned by welcoming, ever-smiling staff who do an exemplary job of lowering your stress levels by slowing you down to the chilled, laidback tempo of the hotel and the town itself.
The riverside hotel is centrally located in Port Macquarie, a short walk from everything, including the pier, ocean beach, restaurants, entertainment centre, shops and jetty for pleasure cruises. Secure underground parking is available for $30 a night.
Rooms
Our Deluxe Water View King Room on the fourth floor is a 38 sqm haven of space and style channelling a beach vibe with a soothing blend of sandy tones and calming greens. True to its name, the big Dream Bed – perfect for a 193cm frame like mine – offers a very restful sleep and the wonderfully long chaise sofa is also alluring and perfect for wine and cheese before dinner but the standout feature for me is the knockout view from the large balcony that dominates the room – a stunning, sweeping, vista of sky, mountains, river and sea and also the hotel’s glistening blue pool below us, the nearby pier and the riverside promenade which is popular with icecream-licking walkers. The absorbing, sun-filled panorama also includes fiery views of the sunset. It’s one of the finest hotel views I’ve enjoyed in a while and offers a rich and immersive sense of arrival. In many hotels, you need to leave your room to experience the destination but here in this lofty retreat with grandstand viewpoint, the essence of Port Macquarie is all around you.
There’s a small dining table, eye-catching lamps, 50-inch HD Smart TV, Nespresso coffee machine with attractive mugs , free, high-speed Wi-Fi and a sleekly-styled bathroom with ‘Thank You’ toiletries and drenching shower, although there are no robes and just one towel each, but extras can be requested which we do. The mini bars offers $5 chocolates, $6 chips, $11 beers, $6 waters and small $10.50 wines.
There are 22 of these Deluxe Water View King Rooms for couples/twins plus nine superior water view rooms with windows instead of balconies, plus 62 standard king/twin rooms, two suites and four Accessible Rooms.
Dining
The hotel’s Zebu Bar is a sophisticated and sumptuous space for pre-dinner drinks with live music on weekends. The bar was a little busy when we were there one night because of a birthday party but the resulting vibe was spiritful! We dined in the adjacent Zebu Restaurant which offers a diverse menu of modern Australian/Italian dishes with provincial influences. Dinner was enjoyable with oysters ($6 each), saffron risotto ($41) and campanelle pasta ($34) sating a hunger engendered by the fresh, salty air of the coast. The restaurant basks in morning sunlight so is a delightful place for the substantial buffet breakfast each day.
Meetings and Conferences
The hotel is an ideal, relaxed venue for destination conferences, parties and weddings with seven versatile, fully-equipped event and meetings spaces, including a waterfront ballroom.
Frequent Traveller
Rydges Port Macquarie is a part of EVTStays. Membership is free, offering discounted rates and dining, redeemable points and exclusive perks – www.evtstays.com
Top Tips
A water-view room with balcony is a must – bring some cheese and wine for sunset drinks (the in-room dining menu has a cheese platter for $35 and arancini balls for $16) and be sure to enjoy a dip in the gorgeous pool and jacuzzi. Try to nab a table in the restaurant by the light-filling, floor-to-ceiling windows at breakfast or lunch.
The Little Shack bar and cafe by the river just three minutes away on foot offers gutsy morning coffee and delectable cocktails in the afternoon with rockstar river views. The hotel’s Zebu Bar and Restaurant also has Happy Hour cocktails for $16 from 5-6pm daily and a good-value $25 lunch deal including a drink on weekdays. If you dine in Zebu one night, an alternative on another night is Bill’s Fishhouse and Bar a short stroll away where we enjoyed an exceptional seafood dinner with service to match.
A stroll to the nearby pier is romantic as is the 15-min walk along the riverside promenade to the closest ocean beach. My favourite ‘Port’ beach is Flynns a short drive away – a beautiful sweep of pine-flanked sand perfect for a dawn dip with coffee afterwards from the Sandbox Café right on the beach.
Bottom line – A wonderful, laidback, revitalised coastal retreat perfect if you’re from further south seeking warmer weather, especially in winter. Rydges Port Macquarie is destination in its own right, with all the ingredients for an indulgent but affordable escape by the sea, but it’s also an ideal, refreshing stopover for longer roadtrips. Our weekend stay was delightful and we look forward to returning for another nourishing dose of coastal chill.
* Prices vary but rooms start at around $259 a night or $308 inc breakfast. A deluxe water view king room with balcony like ours is from around $315 a night or $363 inc breakfast (check for latest rates). www.rydges.com
The Details
ADDRESS: 1 Hay St Port Macquarie NSW
PHONE: + 61 2 6589 2888
EMAIL: reservations_rydgesportmacquarie@evt.com
WEBSITE: www.rydges.com/accommodation/port-macquarie-nsw/port-macquarie
Disclaimer: The writer stayed as a guest of Rydges
