The best luxury accommodation in NSW

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Craving a modern Australian beach experience? Look no further than boutique hotel Halcyon House. In the coastal village of Cabarita Beach, this retreat fuses the original architecture of a 1960s Aussie beach motel with modern Australian design. Expect luxurious, low-key interiors by eminent Brisbane designer Anna Spiro in each of the 21 individually styled guest rooms and modern Australian cuisine at lauded in-house restaurant Paper Daisy.

Paper Daisy restaurant located within the Halcyon House

Paper Daisy restaurant, Halcyon House

If Byron Bay, 40min drive south, is calling your name, Raes on Wategos offers discreet service, an award-winning restaurant and seven luxurious suites in a dreamy Spanish Mission style villa. There are many more luxury options to be found in this celebrity favourite – try Elements of Byron, Byron at Byron, The Bower or Blackbird.

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Follow the Humpback Highway along the coast and drink in the region’s abundant natural beauty at boutique Bannisters Port Stephens. This retro motel has been reimagined as a luxury retreat for foodies. The 78-room property includes four Hamptons-inspired suites, a penthouse, and 50 rooms with dreamy sea vistas by designer Romy Alwill, as well as the in-house Rick Stein restaurant.

Bannisters, Port Stephens

Also in town, wake up the views of bobbing boats at the Hamptons-style The Anchorage Hotel & Spa, which offers absolute waterfront accommodation. Grab a seat at Wild Herring for sumptuous seafood overlooking the marina, indulge in a treatment at Spa Lucca or relax in your room – the Captain's Suite is especially decadent.

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Perched high on an escarpment among ancient angophoras and native eucalypts overlooking Bouddi National Park, Pretty Beach House embodies understated luxury. Sleeping just eight guests in luxury pavilions, expect plush interiors, bespoke pieces and artwork, private plunge pools, impeccable service and modern Italian cuisine by renowned chef Dean Jones.

Pretty Beach House, Pretty Beach - Central Coast. Image Credit Anson Smart

Pretty Beach House, Pretty Beach, Central Coast - Credit: Anson Smart

Sister property Bells at Killcare nearby offers five star Hamptons style accommodation, a restaurant helmed by culinary director Sean Connolly, day spa and lap pool. Or stay in coastal luxe inspired apartments or a four-bedroom beach house with pool at the Boathouse Patonga.

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Suspended theatrically on a volcanic headland is Dovecote where passing whales, dolphins, and the Pacific Ocean are showcased by immense frameless windows and an infinity pool in the show stopping four-bedroom, four-bathroom Headland House. The two-bedroom Escarpment is a more intimate yet no less luxe affair with plunge pool and views for days. Also nearby is Soul of Gerringong. Originally designed as a luxe seaside guesthouse, it’s morphed into the ultimate high-end beach house and is yours exclusively.

Couple at ocean view spa room in Bannisters by the Sea in Mollymook Beach, Shoalhaven

Bannisters by the Sea, Mollymook Beach

Just north of Nowra is Bangalay Luxury Villas, 16 gorgeous private villas tucked between national park and the Shoalhaven golf course. You’ll find two more luxurious Bannisters properties in the village of Mollymook – Bannisters by the Sea (with another in-house Rick Stein restaurant) and Bannisters Pavilion. Nearby, Cupitt's Estate, a winery host to an on-site restaurant, brewery and a fromagerie, is now also offering stays in beautifully-designed pods overlooking vines and the gently undulating surrounding farmland.

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Set on 4,000 jaw-dropping acres of pristine natural wilderness within the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley offers the eco adventure of a lifetime. There are ranger programs, field trips in all-terrain vehicles, luxurious suites plus a world-class spa and restaurant to boot.

Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley, Blue Mountains

The burgeoning food and wine town of Orange meanwhile, is home to the Byng Street Boutique Hotel where old is cleverly interlaced with new. While the traditional façade of the 1896 ‘Yallungah’ homestead sits proudly out front, to the rear is a striking juxtaposition by Sydney’s Mayoh Architects which melds sympathetically with its historic roots.

Woman enjoying a relaxing bath with scenic views across the Mudgee countryside from Sierra Escape, Piambong near Mudgee

Sierra Escape, Mudgee

If high-end glamping sounds like your thing, Sierra Escape in Mudgee has three stylish eco tents set on a 280 acre property offering showstopping views and one of the best bathtubs in the country. In the Capertee Valley on the edge of the Blue Mountains, Bubbletent lets you sleep under the stars in complete comfort and seclusion.

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Slip into island mode at the chic Asian inspired Arajilla Retreat on the World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island, 600km from Australia’s east coast. Check into one of 12 elegant suites tucked among a lush forest of kentia palms and ancient banyan trees. Explore the island on one of the resort’s free bicycles (the island’s main mode of transport) or catch a fish and the chef will cook it for you. Lord Howe is also home to renowned luxury property Capella Lodge. With just nine superlative suites, it’s the island’s most exclusive address.