Pretty Beach House

Style

Epicure-enticing guesthouse

Setting

Eucalyptus-scented bushland

With just four refined, wood-panelled lodges, Pretty Beach House is an intimate coastal guesthouse open to the elements in the best possible way. The native eucalypts and ancient angophoras of Bouddi National Park brush against each private terrace and there are sweeping views down to Broken Bay. Soak in your private plunge pool until the stars come out, enjoy all-inclusive dishes or try a local flower-and herb-infused spa treatment.

Facilities

Rooms

Four ‘pavilions’ or lodges.

Checkout

11am. On arrival day, guests are invited to take a leisurely lunch from 12:30pm, before checking in to their pavilion at 2pm.

More Details

Rates include all meals, selected soft and alcoholic drinks, a free minibar, snacks and mountain bike hire.

Also

Don’t miss the day-bed perched high out of sight on the edge of the property. Hire a local sailing boat or even take a fishing boat for a spin on Brisbane Water or seek out hidden, empty beaches where you can swim, snorkel and fish. Best of all, you can take a picnic hamper from Pretty Beach House with you. To stretch your pins, try a guided walk through the Bouddi Peninsula or stroll over to private Tallow Beach and its tempting surf break. Keep your eyes peeled for works by renowned Aboriginal artists in the main house too.

Free Internet Access

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

At the Hotel

Spa, lounge, parking, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: flatscreen TV and DVD player, iPod dock, minibar, coffee maker and kettle with a selection of teas, Li’tya toiletries.

Our Favourite Rooms

Shielded by gardens and gum trees, the Hideaway Pavilion lives up to its name as a secluded den decked out in natural fabrics, recycled timbers, bespoke furnishings and local art. For more elbow-room, check in to the Retreat, a two-floor stay with his ’n’ hers bathrooms.

Poolside

Gaze over the treetops from the unheated infinity pool outside the main building, or stretch out on a day-bed with a good book and only the gentle rustle of branches to disturb you.

Spa

Bouddi Spa is small and serene with a dedicated couples’ treatment room and all-natural Ikou products. You and your amour can be buffed with hand-carved crystals, slathered with aromatic native plant oils and revived with traditional aboriginal healing methods. Mani-pedis and a special massage for mums-to-be are offered too.

Packing Tips

A penknife for whittling fallen angophora branches.

Also

Guests must stay for two nights or more. Smoking is allowed outside only.

Children

The air of romantic seclusion the guesthouse creates isn’t best suited to rugrats; children under 15 are not allowed.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

A table on the timber deck by the infinity pool offers dress-circle views.

Dress Code

Go au naturel – in a fashion – in floaty cotton dresses and cosy cashmere shawls. Pack a linen blazer if Mr Smith feels the need to smarten up.

Hotel Restaurant

Meals at Pretty Beach House revolve around elegant, seasonal dishes, such as quail and mushroom ravioli and zucchini flowers stuffed with taleggio. Handmade pizzas are cooked in the on-site Stefano Ferrera pizza oven. The main dining area, which holds the open kitchen, has vintage leather chairs, fine Belgian linen, Riedel glassware and indigenous artwork. Guests can ask to dine at the kitchen for some one-on-one time with the chef. Breakfasts are something of an occasion too, with handmade sausages, house-cured ocean trout and eggs from the hotel’s own hens, alongside granola, bread, pastries, jam and locally sourced honey.

Hotel Bar

The owners have amassed an impressive collection of Old and New World wines in their cellar. They’re happy to show guests around and there’s daily wine-tasting with the hotel’s sommelier.

Last Orders

Evening meals run till 9pm. If you’re peckish after hours, just ask the staff, they’ll happily bend to guest whims.

Room Service

Not available, but mouthwatering meals are just a few footsteps from your door.

Planes

Sydney Airport (www.sydneyairport.com.au), a 90-minute drive from Pretty Beach House, has international and domestic flights arriving and departing daily. The hotel can arrange transfers, or you can hire a car from the airport.

Trains

Woy Woy Station is a 20 minute drive away, serviced by City Rail (www.cityrail.info). Take the North Shore and Western Line from Sydney’s Central Station. The journey takes about 70 minutes on the express train or 90 minutes on slower trains. From Woy Woy, catch a taxi from the rank at the front of the station.

Automobiles

Head up the Pacific Highway from Sydney, taking the F3/M1 Pacific Motorway and exit at Gosford.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

It's hard to think why you'd tear yourself away from the food and the views, but if you do get the urge to stretch your pins, try a guided walk through the Bouddi Peninsula, bomb through the bush on a mountain bike, or head past the great old sandstone rock at the back of the property – with its very own Aboriginal carvings – to private Tallow Beach and its surf break. Bespoke expeditions are available on request, including a ride to nearby vineyards for luxury wine tours, and staff can also advise you on other local destinations, from Lobster Beach and Box Head (within walking distance), to Maitland Bay beaches, and the seaside villages of Killcare, Wagstaffe and Hardy's Bay, all a short drive away.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .