Infrared saunas and a rooftop pool spiced with magnesium. Champagne and oysters overlooking the seventh best beach in the world. Snorkels and Peloton bikes delivered to your room.
These are just some of the highlights of a stay at the Manly Pacific, the five-star Sydney hotel that’s become the go-to spot for visitors looking for a luxe wellness break in the city since its $30m facelift last year.
The beach chic coastal hangout overlooks the pine tree-lined promenade behind Manly Beach and is a mecca for spa and sports-lovers thanks to a new health-focused makeover. Health shots and Goji berries at breakfast, surfing and yoga lessons, and a rooftop pool overlooking the Northern Beaches are among the menu here.
From French bistro-inspired tasting menus right on the beach to cryotherapy sessions approved by Mel C, here’s what to expect.
Where is it?
Right across the street from Manly beachfront. TripAdvisor has just listed Manly Beach at number seven in the world and the hotel sits in one of the best spots in town, right behind the pine tree-lined promenade that spans the length of it: think Cali vibes, with fewer skateboarders and more spikeball. You can watch the runners, cyclists and surfers from your balcony with a morning coffee.
Manly’s eight world-beating beaches are all within walking distance and Manly wharf is just a five-minute walk away, then it’s a 30-minute ferry into central Sydney.
Style
Again, think Cali vibes. The hotel had a $30m facelift last year and it’s all whites and woods and coastal wellness: think chic plant-filled interiors, light oak timbers and neutral seaside colours that nod to the spirit of Manly.
Expect surf boards on the wall, fruit infused water in the lobby and chic black and white striped pool towels. The whole place feels like a high-end yoga studio, if yoga studios did sleepovers and espresso martinis.
Which room?
Each of the hotel’s 213 rooms comes with an en-suite, 50″Smart TV and minibar stocked with gluten-free Gumnut snacks, ales from local brewery 4Pines and Mr Zog’s sex wax for your surf board. Choose from standard rooms with queen beds and views of Manly neighbourhood; superior rooms with king beds and balconies; deluxe rooms for natural light-lovers; and superior ocean view rooms for, well, ocean views.
There are dog-friendly rooms for guests with pets, too, and two-bed coastal villas featuring private balconies with sea views, exclusive infrared sauna access and priority Beach Club access for all your leisure and recreation needs. Upgrade to the 177 sqm Infinity Residence for ultimate luxury, with exquisite marble surfaces, a fireplace and outdoor dining for up to eight people on your own 100 sqm terrace. Expect tea and chocolates laid out on the bed as part of the nightly turn-down service.
Food & drink
The hotel has various dining options, from the French-inspired restaurant Bistro Manly (try the tasting menu, featuring freshly-shucked oysters and matching wines) to relaxed Japanese restaurant Tokyo Joe (order the Manly rolls if you like sushi), both right on the beachfront. There’s also room service, a relaxed poolside menu up on the rooftop and a plush new cocktail lounge on the ground floor called 55 North.
Breakfast is a buffet affair, serving all the usual cooked options as well as cereals, pastries and fresh fruit, with an eggs-your-way counter offering omlettes and the like. Staff are happy to pack up a little takeaway box if you’re rushing off to catch some morning waves.
Facilities
Wellness is the focus here, from the hotel’s in-house infrared sauna to the rooftop pool spiced with magnesium instead of chlorine (it boosts your skin and muscle health, apparently).
There’s a pool butler service that’ll deliver everything from champagne and cocktails to burgers and side salads to your sun-lounger and the team will deliver snorkels and flippers to your suite if you fancy a dip in the sea (the waters off Shelley Beach are an aquatic reserve and boast some of the most breathtaking swimming and snorkelling spots in Sydney).
If you’d rather stay dry while you workout, yoga mats and even Peloton bikes can be delivered to your room, there’s an in-house gym and even a hotel Mercedes on hand to take you for your red light therapy session further along the bay. Complimentary morning yoga classes are held up on the sundeck every Thursday and Saturday for views and vinyasa in one.
What to Instagram
Dawn or dusk from the rooftop pool overlooking the Northern Beaches. There’s a handy sign pointing out the respective sunrise and sunset directions when you get to the top floor.
Best for?
Wellness lovers looking for a luxe beach break away from Sydney’s busy CBD. Manly Pacific’s guests are a glam yet understated crowd and the A-listers who do stop by are low-key and just as keen to get stuck in as the locals.
Aussie rugby legend Michael Hooper is a regular on Manly beachfront and former Spice Girl queen Mel C recently swung by for a cryotherapy session, staff tell me when I check into the hotel’s wellness partner, Cryo Northern Beaches, run by husband and wife duo and Londoners-turned Manly-converts Dimple and Ash Naik (and Waffle, their Toy Cavoodle, who likes to sit in on glow facials if you don’t mind him seeing you in your fetching cryo attire).
How to get there
Flights from London to Sydney take 21 hours, then it’s just a 30-minute taxi at the other end.
When should I go?
Sea temperatures are at their max in March, a perfect time to visit for an Indian summer on the Pacific. Visit between November and March if you’re after long sunny days and true Aussie warmth. The upside of Aussie winter is a higher chance of whale and dolphin sightings. Some locals go as far as to say it’s their favourite season.
