The Prix Versailles hands out World Architecture and Design Awards to global game-changers in contemporary design. Within these awards there are categories including museums and restaurants, airports and train stations – as well as hotels. Only 16 hotels around the world were recognised for their exquisite architecture and design, and just one Australian hotel – in Sydney – received the prestigious accolade. The Manly Pacific took one of these prestigious awards for 2024.
Stroll down Manly’s beachfront strip, North Steyne, and we guess we can see why. The mod five-star accommodation catches the eye of tourists and locals alike, but it isn’t until you step inside that the real magic happens.
The structure has a long-standing history in the Northern Beaches suburb. Opened more than one hundred years ago and undergoing a multitude of changes – the most previous being a run as a Novotel – it wasn’t until 2023 that the hotel got a major revamp.
Manly Pacific's North 55 bar is garnished from counter to tabletop with that signature Coco Republic marble, a theme that carries on throughout the rooms. Opulent fittings from the Australian-born furniture company go easy on the eye, especially when matched with the blue from your room’s oceanfront views.
If you haven’t had enough ‘wow’ moments at this point, you can head on up to the magnesium rooftop pool, where the iridescent floor carefully tiled out to spell ‘M | P’ overlooks the world-famous Manly Beach and its Norfolk pines. Take in the view while kicking back on one of the lavish black and white sun loungers.
The coastal getaway is just over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, but it feels like its own little seaside bubble, miles away.
Some of the other hotels sitting alongside the Manly Pacific on the list were Athens’ The Dolli and Paris’ La Fantaisie. Other Australian designs that made the cut were Melbourne’s Reine and La Rue restaurant and Bell Station.
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