There’s a formula to a perfect weekend away: an early morning ocean swim, a bush walk, a boat ride, a long lunch or three and a good few hours lounging by a pool. At The Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific – a sprawling beachside hotel just an hour and a half from Sydney – that itinerary is ridiculously easy to achieve.
We arrived on Friday night, leaving the thrum of the city behind us and dropping into the Central Coast town just as the first stars began to appear in the sky. Just a 90-minute drive from Sydney CBD, it would be easy to leave work and make it to Meribella – the hotel’s elevated restaurant and bar – by sunset during summertime, and as we settle into the glass-flanked beachfront bar, I make a mental note to do exactly that. It being August, the scene through the vast arching windows when we arrived was clouded by the winter darkness, but from our table by the open fireplace, that was perfectly acceptable.
Our evening at Meribella began with a plate of freshly shucked oysters that were impossibly creamy – smooth, ocean-spiked perfection washed down with a glass of Tattinger. The Bar Manager Ash told us they make “a mean Martini”, and though it was already time for us to move to the restaurant for our dinner reservation, it would have been irresponsible of us to just take his word for it.
Martinis in hand, we made our way next door to the restaurant, a grand, high-ceilinged space with intimate tables illuminated by golden lamps, and a stone plinth in the centre groaning with bottles of Champagne on ice. Meribella describes its offering as “glamorous coastal dining”, and that accurately sums it up. Carefully curated plates are delicately presented and exceptionally well balanced, with the attention to detail reflected by the team who are friendly but formal, and next-level knowledgeable about each dish, glass and ingredient.
We opted for the five-course tasting menu (because, holiday), but you’re welcome to go à la carte – highlights of the winter menu include Wagyu tartare with Parisian dressing and caviar, grilled quail with slow cooked leek and currants and a 300g NY-style steak crowned in caper butter and served with perfectly golden super-skinny fries.
Generally I’m very pro an after-dinner walk, but the luxury of stepping from dinner to bed in a matter of seconds isn’t lost on me as we make our way upstairs to our home for the weekend. On the fifth floor with views across the ocean, the Pacific Suite is one of 15 bedrooms and suites in the hotel’s ‘Pacific Club’ – the Crowne Plaza’s elevated hospitality experience. Booking a room in the Pacific Club portfolio will score you a range of hyper-indulgent benefits including a personal concierge, daily cocktail hour and a selection of wellness products from the in-house spa. I didn't see the other rooms in the Pacific Club portfolio, but I can absolutely vouch for the Pacific Suite.
Recently renovated by Coco Republic, the three-room suite is home to a vast, light-flooded sitting room complete with six-person calcatta marble dining table, a king-sized bedroom and a huge circular bathtub overlooking the water. As the name would suggest, the Pacific Ocean is a major feature here – with a wraparound balcony opening up onto glittering ocean views, and the sound of the waves a natural alarm clock.
Before breakfast, we took the one-minute walk down to the shore and dived in, along with a group of wetsuit-clad locals setting out on a serious swim. If you can’t make it all the way back to the hotel for your first flat white of the day, we’d suggest stopping at Aromas On Sea – the coffee here is excellent.
With multiple fitness rooms, a huge Art Deco-style pool and a spa on-site, you could easily lose a day without leaving the hotel, but we had plans to spot some whales with Terrigal Ocean Tours, so walked along the boardwalk to the boat ramp just south of the town centre.
Alongside Meribella – arguably the jewel in the Crowne Plaza’s crown – the hotel is home to several other dining venues, some of which are managed by external tennants. One hotel-owned establishment is Terrigal Beach House: a lively venue that leans into its beachside location, with a focus on holiday-style fun. For the best beach house experience, book a colourful ocean-facing cabana, order an Aperol spritz and the cold seafood platter and settle in for a slow, sun-soaked afternoon. If you're up for a different kind of beach holiday, stay until the lights go low and get down on the dancefloor to Sean Paul.
As encouraged by the incredibly accommodating Director of VIP Services (Vanessa Lorking, who's on hand to help with everything Pacific Club guests could wish for), we ordered breakfast to the room both days, and both days were presented with trays loaded with colourful plates of delicious, creative breakfast food. If you prefer a change of scenery and a classic hotel brekkie, an abundant buffet is served downstairs – with towers of gleaming pastries and an omlette station flipping glorious golden eggs.
As we left – after a bushwalk through the beautiful neighbouring national park – we received a final note from Vanessa checking if there was anything that could have been improved during our stay. We had a absolutelty no notes. Sydney is home to some world-class luxury hotels, but for unparalleled VIP-treatment in a town that gets you firmly in holiday-mode, book a room at the Pacific Club at Terrigal’s Crowne Plaza – I promise it’s worth the journey.
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